Sarah’s signature touches can be found throughout the mansion – in particular, her obsession with spider webs and the number 13. She reworked a priceless chandelier to hold 13 candles instead of the original 12. Wall hooks were installed in multiples of 13; sink drain covers possessed 13 holes. Glittering stained glass windows were installed that contained a spider web pattern designed by Sarah herself.

Not all of the mansion’s architectural flourishes were so unsettling –many, in fact, were quite modern. Sarah, who suffered from arthritis in later years, constructed a unique stairway with smaller steps to accommodate her limited range of motion. Steam and forced air warmed the mansion’s water supply and its many rooms. Indoor plumbing was installed, and the halls were lit by push-button gaslights.

Construction at Winchester lasted for 38 years. In total, the mansion contains 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 17 chimneys, 13 bathrooms, 6 kitchens, 2 basements, and 3 elevators.

On the morning of September 5, 1922, Sarah Winchester was found dead in one of her many bedrooms. She was 82 years old. Upon hearing the news, workers dropped their tools and abandoned the site – half-hammered nails can still be found in the walls.

The lady of the house bequeathed her possessions to her niece, yet never mentioned the estate in her will. The mansion was auctioned to the highest bidder, who soon opened its doors to the public; the first spectators stepped inside mere months after Sarah’s passing. Today, the Winchester Mystery House is designated on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and provides guided tours for all those intrigued by its mystery.

In October 2016, news broke of a previously hidden room being discovered in the mansion’s attic space. Reportedly, Sarah Winchester was trapped in the room during the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, and afterward boarded up the chamber as she believed it was cursed. Present-day preservationists discovered a bevy of historical items inside, including a pump organ, a sewing machine, a Victorian couch, and paintings.

That brings the mansion’s room total to a dizzying 161. Clearly, the Winchester Mystery House still contains its secrets.

The Winchester Mystery House

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