00:01:21.840 - 00:01:56.330

Yeah. Oh, my God. Mhm! Mhm, Yeah, Yeah. All houses, wherein men have lived and died are haunted houses through the open doors. The phantoms on their errands glide with feet that make no sound upon the floors. We meet them at the doorway, on the stairs, along

00:01:56.330 - 00:02:31.860

the passages, they come and go in palpable impressions on the air. A sense of something moving to and throw. This is Mrs Winchesters house. Ah, house that has stood for over 70 years. Ah, House shrouded in mystery and speculation. Ah, house that has been

00:02:31.860 - 00:03:33.360

the source of one of the most unusual legends in California history. This is the only known photograph of Sarah Pardee Winchester. It shows her as a tragic, lonely old woman. But back in 1961 she was a lovely young woman considered by many the luckiest girl in

00:03:33.360 - 00:03:55.250

New Haven. Sarah Pardy had just married William Wirt Winchester, the eldest son of Oliver Winchester, founder and president of the Winchester Repeating arms company and lieutenant governor of Connecticut. Because of the Civil War, the rifle works occupied most of William's time and energy. But as was

00:03:55.260 - 00:04:14.230

fitting for a Winchester, he did find time to build a large Redstone house in this elegant neighborhood on Prospect Street. It waas to these surroundings that William brought his new bride, and Sarah soon settled down to a life of happy married contempt a Z, the Civil

00:04:14.230 - 00:04:30.930

War continued. Sarah would watch the arms factory, working day and night from the balconies that run across the back of her new home. She looked forward to the day when the war would end, and she would have more time with her husband. In 18 66 a

00:04:30.930 - 00:04:49.550

baby girl was born to the Winchesters. She was named Anne Party Winchester, and she lived just 42 days. The baby was laid to rest amid the thunder and lightning of a summer storm. Sarah and William had no more Children for. By now he was showing the

00:04:49.560 - 00:05:14.150

first signs of the illness that would later take his life. Yeah, after his of convalescence and wasting away, William Wirt Winchester died. The year was 18 81. He was only 43 and again a violent storm marked the day of his funeral. Mhm, Sarah was now alone.

00:05:14.740 - 00:05:36.190

Half a lifetime of loneliness lay ahead of her Theo irony of the arms factory there, below a factory devoted to the manufacturing of death and the now empty house oppressed her. And it was in that same year, 18 81 that friends trying to console Sarah advised

00:05:36.190 - 00:05:55.820

her to seek the services of a well known Boston medium. Mr. Adam Kun's Sarah was known to have had a deep interest in the occult, but due to the times and convention, she was to share this secret with only a very few close friends. And so

00:05:55.820 - 00:06:17.870

Sarah Pardee Winchester became obsessed with death and life after death in 18 84 she placed this urn on the grave of her husband and baby chiseled on the base so delicately, as if in the fine handwriting of a woman, is this verse. Hearts are dust hearts,

00:06:17.880 - 00:06:43.430

love remains. To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. Later that year, in the company of Adam Coombs, Total communication was finally established. Messages that Sarah hoped might express love and encouragement instead filled her with a more but dread. Her husband's voice told

00:06:43.430 - 00:07:01.140

her that she would always be haunted by the spirits of those who had been killed by the Winchester rifle. These spirits had also decreed that the Winchester family must provide them with a final resting place. He now instructed her to placate them by building a structure

00:07:01.140 - 00:07:23.780

that would never be completed. Ah, house, to which rooms would constantly be added to provide shelter for the ever increasing number of Winchester rifle victims. Finally, he told her that by doing what he had prescribed, she would gain immortality to escape the thunder. Enlightening, she was

00:07:23.780 - 00:07:44.580

so deadly afraid of. Sarah traveled west to the rich Santa Clara Valley of California. It was here, on the outskirts of the rural farming community of San Jose that she purchased 44 acres of land and the eight room house that was then under construction. The townspeople

00:07:44.580 - 00:07:59.250

of San Jose watched wagon load after wagon load of building materials when their way along the dusty roads on their way to the house on the edge of town, the tiny woman, always heavily veiled and dressed in black as if in morning, could be seen talking

00:07:59.250 - 00:08:18.900

to the architect and one of the carpenters. But she kept to herself, and no one paid much attention. Toe either her or her house except for a few busy bodies who came to stare. The work on the house progressed steadily. The carpenters and Masons worked day

00:08:18.900 - 00:08:40.380

and night on construction that would continue unabated for years to come. Soon, gossip spread throughout San Jose that Mrs Winchester had fired her architect. But the eternal building continued. Only now Mrs Winchester was providing the designs and sketches for the carpenters, Mrs Winchesters House was becoming

00:08:40.380 - 00:09:00.820

a topic of conversation. Actually, there was nothing unusual in the design. It was of the customary Victorian style much of Samos, the mansion the Winchesters have built in New Haven and similar to the ones owned by the leading citizens of San Jose. But there wasa difference.

00:09:02.510 - 00:10:37.790

The difference was not in outward appearance. It was in the size. What? Oh, carriages would slow as they passed the Winchester house, and the occupants would wonder about this strange woman. It was not uncommon for them to

00:10:37.790 - 00:11:01.780

see Mrs Winchester moving about the grounds, but always from a distance, and she never showed any sign of recognition or made any attempt at friendliness. She remained veiled and dressed in black. The house was now assuming gigantic proportions. There were nearly 90 rooms in order that

00:11:01.780 - 00:11:22.480

Mrs Winchesters whims and strange orders might be carried out. Much of the original construction was torn down. Special rooms were connected by a maze of corridors and passageways. Few of the new rooms were on the same floor, and to stray away from known, hallways lead to

00:11:22.490 - 00:11:43.290

frightening experiences for new servants. As Aris to the estate of her late husband, Mrs Winchester received nearly $20 million and enjoyed an income of $1 a day. She could well afford to indulge in any idea, no matter how eccentric it may have seemed to those around.

00:11:43.290 - 00:12:03.540

Her workman, who had either quit or being dismissed, carried accounts of the woman's madness back to the eager ears of the townsfolk. This is Winchester did all the designing. She sketched out new additions on the backs of envelopes or on plain wrapping paper. Nothing interfered with

00:12:03.540 - 00:12:24.260

the designs. If there happened to be room standing in the way, the offending portion was thorn down or was incorporated into the design. Roof soon became floors on which whole new stories were added. What once had bean? An outside wall now became an inside wall. There

00:12:24.260 - 00:12:42.220

were more than 10,000 windows of every possible shape and size. There were windows in the floors and in the ceilings and even windows in some of the chimneys. Costly colored glass windows created by Louis Tiffany were set in walls that allowed no light to pass through

00:12:42.220 - 00:13:04.150

them. The number 13 was often used in the construction of walls, floors, windows and doors. Many of the stairs Onley rise 13 steps before ending up at a wall. Surely, it must have been a fear of the unknown that guided the building of such a house.

00:13:07.540 - 00:13:30.560

By the turn of the century, Sarah's house had engulfed many of the original outbuildings, barns and stables. Others were either thorn down or surrounded. As the house continued to grow, all traces of the original eight room house had disappeared. There were now well over 100 rooms

00:13:33.140 - 00:13:49.810

by now. She was well aware of the rumors that were spreading over the countryside, rumors that brought more and more curious visitors to stare the Winchester place. And with the discovery that many of these visitors had been entering the grounds, hopefully to catch a brief glimpse

00:13:49.810 - 00:14:11.160

of her, she ordered that the entire house and grounds be enclosed by a high fence. Then, as a Nady sh inal precaution, a cypress hedge was planted. Gardeners whose only job was the hedge forced it into a thick green wall that would forever keep prying eyes

00:14:11.170 - 00:14:33.820

from seeing within any requests to gain admittance to the house or see Mrs Winchester or any of her servants or workmen were refused. By 19 4, Mrs Winchester had withdrawn to such a degree that she no longer dealt directly with the servants or workman UNECE. Margaret

00:14:33.890 - 00:14:50.750

Mary in was now living with the widow, and it was through her that orders were transmitted. Mrs. Marien and the Chinese butler were the only people ever allowed to see her in a unveiled state, the butler only because he would serve the Lonely woman her meals.

00:14:51.540 - 00:15:13.050

The house was now a seven story monstrosity of 144 rooms, and it's great. Gray silhouette loomed on the horizon and was visible for miles around. A very strange thing was happening within the walls of the Register House. Over the years, many of the servants and workers

00:15:13.060 - 00:15:36.430

had left the services of Mrs Winchester. Sometimes they quit in fear. Sometimes they were fired for prying or defying orders. But by 1960 most of the employees had been working together a good number of years. They were not leaving Mrs Winters just service anymore. The servants

00:15:36.440 - 00:15:56.550

and workmen seemed to have formed a conspiracy to help protect their mistress. From the outside, there seemed to be something holding this group of people together around the small, frail woman in black. Their loyalty grew, and the walls of secrecy surrounding Mrs Winchester became complete. Yeah,

00:15:57.640 - 00:16:16.250

but it was with fear that those on the outside viewed Mrs Winchester sprawling mansion. And to those who drove past in the early hours of morning, the sound of sawing and the distant playing oven organ was something they would never forget. Building was continuous, and there

00:16:16.250 - 00:16:33.260

was never any assurance that a corridor which today led to Mrs Winchesters room tomorrow might be sealed off by a wall. Or that the door would not open out into space and a plunge of 50 ft to the earth below. It was while walking along one

00:16:33.260 - 00:16:52.650

of these corridors one evening, the two of Mrs Winchesters servants came upon her in the flickering of the gas life they could see. He was not veiled, and the once beautiful face was now showing the effects of age age she fought so desperately to stave off.

00:16:53.740 - 00:17:17.160

The two stunned servants were immediately dismissed. The long period spent by Mrs Winchester in her science room were becoming more frequent in order to avoid being followed, She used a different Siris of passages. Each time this bewildering trail led through great portions of the house to

00:17:17.160 - 00:17:37.170

the small blue room with its barred window, There was only one entrance. Although a secret panel that exited through a closet into another part of the house was provided for emergencies. It was here that she would commune with her husband and seek guidance in spiritual matters.

00:17:37.740 - 00:17:55.560

Employees who approached the locked door often heard her speaking during these fiances, and on one occasion the cries of an infant child were heard behind the bolted door. It was on such a night that a parlor maid named Maggie Dugan concealed herself in the forbidden room

00:17:55.570 - 00:18:16.450

as Mrs Winchester called upon the spirits to give her guidance, Maggie crowd, a cold fear, enveloped her, and she became panic stricken when a detached hand appeared holding an end as Mrs Winchester drank from the Magi, bolted from the door, terrified and ran screaming from the

00:18:16.450 - 00:18:41.260

room and the bell tolled, as it always did at 12 one and to the atmosphere within the house was one of quiet apprehension. Although Mrs Winchester no longer dealt directly with the staff, they were always aware of her presence within the huge house she had designed

00:18:41.260 - 00:19:01.170

and constructed in such a way that she could observe without being observed. And she constantly was checking on the progress of the construction or the comings and goings of the servants. As she grew older, Mrs Winchester became even more eccentric. Suddenly, she announced to her astonished

00:19:01.170 - 00:19:18.600

servants that she would hold the ball. It would be a grand ball with many guests and the very best of foods and wine. The ballroom had just been completed, and it was a thing of beauty. Mrs. Winchester was very proud of her ballroom. She was especially

00:19:18.610 - 00:19:40.530

proud of the fine Tiffany chandelier, with its 13 crystal gas lamps, that would illuminate the evening's festivities. Food was ordered. Rare. Wine was placed in the cool cellars beneath the house, musicians were hired and the day of the party arrived. Musicians played in the ballroom. Dinner

00:19:40.530 - 00:20:09.510

was served on gold service from beautifully decorated buffet tables. The butler announced the names of guests and a feeling of cold fear. Nor did the musicians, for there were no guests. The musicians fled to in the morning, leaving Mrs Winchester still standing in the ballroom. They

00:20:09.520 - 00:20:30.800

never returned. It was the first and last entertainment to be held in the lovely room. April of 19 6 marked the completion of a seven story Coppola, a tower that was to be the crowning glory of Mrs Winchesters house. It was this same tower that came

00:20:30.810 - 00:20:53.090

crashing through the sleeping woman's bedroom of the morning of April 18th as the San Andreas Fault shuttered and he a falling chimney imprisoned Mrs Winchester in her bedroom. The earthquake had caused many parts of the house to be sealed off entirely. Servants were unable to hear

00:20:53.090 - 00:21:27.570

her calls for help. They had no idea where she waas. It was hours later, when the maid found Mrs Winchester amid the rubble of her once beautiful bedroom. Mrs. Winchester had spent many thousands of dollars on the front portion of the house. Ironically, it was this

00:21:27.580 - 00:21:44.740

part that suffered most during the quake. She saw This is punishment for her lavishness. Orders were given that this portion of the house was to be boarded up. No one was ever to go there again. For the next six years, Mrs Winchester lived on a houseboat

00:21:44.750 - 00:22:04.970

anchored in San Francisco Bay. She would not return to her home. Construction was never stopped. During her absence, daily orders were sent by messenger to the foreman. The growth of the house went on. In the spring of 1912, Mrs Winchester returned to her house in San

00:22:04.970 - 00:22:24.350

Jose and continued the building with a renewed vigor. The servants sensed there was something wrong. While there never had been a master plan for the house, it had some semblance of order. Now there appeared to be none. She tor down and rebuilt at a frantic pace.

00:22:25.540 - 00:22:42.620

The portions, built after the earthquake, were hurried and plain compared to the lavish rooms completed before 19 6 Mrs Winchesters, health was beginning to show the effects of the many years of living with sorrow on terror. As the years passed, Mrs Winchester spent more of her

00:22:42.620 - 00:23:14.260

time in meditation, crippled by arthritis, it was almost impossible for her to get around, and she was seldom seen by anyone. It was the evening of September 4th, 1922 that the crew of carpenters stopped work to enjoy a short game of cards and sample some of

00:23:14.260 - 00:23:33.510

Mrs Winchesters fine whiskey. They hadn't seen her in many months now and weren't even sure if she was still in the house. Work stopped and the game began. The following morning, Margaret Marien went to Mrs Winchesters Room. As was her custom at the beginning of the

00:23:33.520 - 00:23:57.760

day, House was unusually quiet. There was no sound of construction, although the men had been given their orders for the day. A knock on the bedroom door brought no reply. Mrs Mary and Enter Sarah party. Winchester had died quietly during the night Mrs Winchester was dead.

00:23:58.310 - 00:24:22.300

That the legends about her house had only begun to grow. It is difficult to say how much of the Winchester legend is true and how much of it is false. Sarah Winchester's early life, as we have told it, is fact. Most historical traces have been wiped

00:24:22.310 - 00:24:38.420

out of New Haven, and it's almost a Ziff. She and William and the baby had never existed there a all. But after she moved to San Jose, the truth becomes so tangled with the legend with rumor, gossip and fantasy that it is hard to be sure

00:24:38.420 - 00:24:55.720

it all. As Sarah became more and more of a recluse, she spent more time building on her house, and the stories about her grew almost a fast assed. The house itself, part of her withdrawal from the world, may have been caused by worsening arthritis. Even in

00:24:55.720 - 00:25:15.600

the early days, she rarely left her carriage. Later, merchants brought goods to the window of her Violet Pierce arrow for her to choose from. Eventually, wears were brought to her house as she no longer ventured forth. Strange as she seemed, Sarah was loved and protected by

00:25:15.600 - 00:25:34.090

her faithful servants in her workman. She paid them handsomely and kept them working through good times and bad. She was known as a cultured and refined woman who spoke four languages and had a deep appreciation of music and the arts. She was generous to the needy

00:25:34.090 - 00:25:54.010

of San Jose and sent donations to charities and gifts of food from her gardens, toe hungry families. Her name was never connected with these gifts. Dismissed servants may have simply made up many of the stories. Jealous neighbors added fuel to the spreading rumors. Perfectly commonplace events

00:25:54.010 - 00:26:13.550

may have become magnified or distorted because of the strange aura of mystery with which Mrs Winchester seems surrounded. And the rich and lonely widow may have been driven toe eccentricities in self defense in order to preserve her privacy. The house stands there. Justice. She left it

00:26:13.940 - 00:26:34.100

that one cannot deny. Some of it may be explained in simple terms. Any building that is constantly changed or remodeled is bound to be odd. The short steps were to ease her arthritic legs, the passageways and doors that go nowhere, the reminders of demolished wings or

00:26:34.110 - 00:27:00.850

earthquake ruined doors. But try as one can. There is no explaining the size, the incredible sprawl of the hundreds of rooms, the miles of corridors, the unearthly qualities of the thousands of doors and windows and the rooms behind them. The real answer, maybe, that most of

00:27:00.850 - 00:27:19.690

Sarah died back in New Haven that day. She buried her husband as the last of Sarah Winchester's possessions were being removed from the house. A small box was found in one of the rooms. It contained a few personal possessions of her husband's and a tiny lock

00:27:19.690 - 00:27:39.000

of blonde baby hair. Mute testimony to the tragedy that Sarah had born through her life. Possibly her life should be symbolized not by the ominous, rambling house in San Jose, but rather by the many genuine acts of love and kindness that were made anonymously and which

00:27:39.010 - 00:29:01.950

gave hope and pleasure to so many hearts or dust Hearts love remains To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Mhm.