Sarah Winchester's massive construction project: the most eccentric house on the planet

As a location for a spooky house movie, you could hardly do better than the behemoth residence in California that Sarah Winchester constructed, destructed, changed and amended over the 38 years she presumed she was being hunted by the spirits of Indians killed by the rifle “that won the West”, the Winchester repeating rifle.

Sarah’s father-in-law had invented the gun that John Wayne preferred. Much of the family fortune of some $20 million devolved to her following the sudden death of her husband in 1881. William Winchester’s demise had been preceded by the unexpected death of their nine day old daughter Annie.

Sarah presumed the forces of retribution had it in for her; a hunch confirmed by a spirit medium who advised her to build a great house for the restless souls of dead Indians and Civil War soldiers. His recommendation was that as long as she continued building she would be safe.

Money being no object, in 1884 Sarah duly commenced constructing the most eccentric house on the planet. The Queen Anne-style house that from the air looks like a dense Victorian village or university campus, had 160 rooms when she died in 1922, at 82.

What remains of what could have been up to 500 to 600 built rooms that were razed and reduced to dust again, has 47 stairways — some leading nowhere, some twisting, diving and rising; some with five centimetre high stair treads – to confuse the spirits.

It had kilometres of labyrinthine hallways and secret passageways because spirits don’t like being perplexed. For the same reason Sarah never slept in the same bedroom on consecutive nights.

There were also 2000 doors, some opening to blank walls; 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, six kitchens, and a never used ballroom – built without nails. And on and on the design details of this mad and magnificently constructed residence goes. Some columns, for instance, were installed upside down.

Some of the lavishly-appointed interiors of a house built free of budgetary constraints — that gained some of the most amazing parquetry in mahogany, oak and rosewood made by craftsmen only to be torn up as soon as they were completed — were recreated earlier this year in Melbourne when the film unit shooting Winchester, “a supernatural thriller”, came to town along with the star taking the lead role, Helen Mirren.

With investment from Film Victoria and Film Australia going towards the movie that is due to be released next year, two Australians; comedian Angus Sampson and The Dressmaker star Sarah Snook, were also in the cast. The shoot relocated shortly after to the actual crazy house that is quite the tourist attraction in San Jose.

Fortunately, Helen Mirren has said she doesn’t believe in ghosts. But poor haunted Mrs W certainly did.

She remained veiled for much of her life, with only had three mirrors in the massive house. Taking the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, that damaged roofs at her house and temporarily trapped her in one of her many bedrooms, as a warning of restive spirits, she immediately sealed up 30 just-completed rooms.

As soon as she died in the early 1920s the highly paid workmen, some of whom had been building and destroying their work for some 30 years, downed tools so fast that nails were left half sticking out of walls and floors.

The Winchester Mystery House is open for tours and events including a bone-scary 55 minute flashlight tour held every Friday 13th throughout the year.

www.winchestermysteryhouse.com