THE STRANGE HOUSE OF SARAH WINCHESTER
by Richard Bauman

What do you get when you combine an eight-room ranch house, a bit of eccentricity and an heiress with
literally millions of dollars?

In Sarah Winchester’s case the result was a bizarre house that covers six acres, in some places is four-
stories high, and has 160 rooms. It also has hallways which end abruptly, and staircases that stop at the ceiling. There are rooms within rooms, skylights that never see the sun, and doors that open into solid walls. It has 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows and 47 fireplaces.

While this unusual place, now known as the “Winchester Mystery House,” is unique in many ways, it also has features that were far ahead of its time.

Sarah was married to millionaire William Wirt Winchester, son of the inventor of the repeating rifle. Their only child, Annie, died at age two-months from a virus. Sarah never recovered from that tragedy. When William died from tuberculosis some years later, Sarah’s world seemed to stop turning.
A doctor suggested she leave her native Connecticut and find a cause or hobby she could totally devote herself to. No one, however, expected her to take the advice so literally...

The complete article can be found in the current issue of RV Journal, available at quality campgrounds, RV dealers, parts, and service suppliers. Subscriptions are also available for this quarterly publication.

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