Status: Explained — historians say the famous story (a medium told Sarah Winchester to keep building for the spirits of rifle victims) is largely a later invention.
Credit: The wub / Wikimedia Commons · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose was the home of Sarah Winchester, widow of William Wirt Winchester of the Winchester firearms family. When she died in 1922 the house had about 160 rooms, 2,000 doors and 47 stairways, and it opened to the public as an attraction nine months later.
The popular legend says a Boston medium warned her that she was haunted by the spirits of people killed by Winchester rifles, and that she had to build without stopping to stay alive. Historians who have checked the records say that version was shaped by later writers, in particular a 1967 book of ghost stories, and that nobody has found the medium named in it. They also say the claim of round-the-clock building for 38 years does not match the evidence. Sarah Winchester was very wealthy and had a strong interest in building, which can explain much of the oddness.
The house still draws visitors who say they hear footsteps and see shapes. It is a good example of how a ghost story can grow around a real place.
Sources: Wikipedia: Winchester Mystery House · Winchester Mystery House (official site)
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