1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha. You're not going to 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: stuff I've never told your protection. I heart radio. Samantha. 3 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 1: What do you miss most about traveling? There's so much 4 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: that I miss, trying new things, just being in a 5 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: new area, like it makes me nervous, but I also 6 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: find it refreshing again. Like I'm very food oriented, so 7 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: i want to try whatever food is there. And I'm 8 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: not gonna lie. I'm craving like New Orleans right now 9 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: and have been for a minute. But stuff like that, 10 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: I really missed doing things that are familiar like that, 11 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: and doing new adventures and maybe doing some touristy things. 12 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: I don't know. Yeah, yeah, I miss trying new things 13 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: and doing new things and seeing new sights. And I 14 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: am a big as you know, Samantha. I will plan 15 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: my trips out to the like two thirty in the morning. 16 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 1: We gotta get up at six am, and we gotta 17 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: here and here and here and here. We gotta see 18 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: it all all. And I know we discussed recently, but 19 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: I am somebody. I love good history, tourist site I 20 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: love with some good adrenaline, and sometimes you can combine 21 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,960 Speaker 1: those things into like a kind of spooky historical site, 22 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: which is what the classic we're bringing back today about 23 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: the Winchester House, which I have still not seen. I've 24 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,199 Speaker 1: always wanted to see it. But my younger brother while 25 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: he was moving back from California back to Georgia, and 26 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: so he's doing like this cross country drive and my 27 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: older brother and his fiance went to go pick him 28 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: up and drive him back, and they went to the 29 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: Winchester House. I'm very jealous. But something else that you've 30 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: brought to my attention because listeners, Savantha has become one 31 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: of my purveyors of TikTok. Now, it's true, I get 32 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: random tex sasages that are just TikTok's looking for was Samantha, 33 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: and one of them was about the Winchester House. Yeah, 34 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: so they have decided to create their own TikTok account, 35 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: and there's only three videos on there. One of them 36 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: has already half a million views. But essentially it's like 37 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,639 Speaker 1: this one dude, I don't know if he's the curator 38 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: or not, that comes through and does a goofy little 39 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: video and moves on, but has shown off some of 40 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: the dead end hallways, the cabinets that go nowhere, the 41 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: doors that go nowhere, the stairs that go nowhere. Um, 42 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: and it also made jokes about how people try to 43 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: leave the group dak and hunt in the home. But 44 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: I found it interesting. I was like, this Winchester House 45 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: a TikTok. It popped up on my for you page 46 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 1: and those and the TikTokers know what I'm talking about. 47 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: And I don't have anything necessarily on hauntings on here, 48 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: but the fact that this popped up and it was 49 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: such a goofy soundtrack I think it was blank one two. Yeah, 50 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 1: what what was happening that I had to send it 51 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:01,519 Speaker 1: to you? Because of course, and we had talked about 52 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: the Winchester House after the movie, and we've talked about 53 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: the history behind it and then doing this just like okay, 54 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: very cheap. Yeah, what a juxtaposition the old timey house 55 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: now as a TikTok. Also, I love how you're like 56 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: TikTokers know what I'm talking about. You've become you know. 57 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: I love it. It's so great. Well, without further ado, 58 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: here's this classic episode on the Winchester House. Hey, this 59 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: is Annie and Samantha, and welcome to stuff. I never 60 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: told your protection of I heart Radio's house. Stuff works 61 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: you know, this is our third according, and saying my 62 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: name is getting really weird because I feel like I 63 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: don't say it right. Oh I've already said on this 64 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: podcast before. I feel like I don't say my name 65 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: correctly because everyone when always questioned me about it, and 66 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: so now I say my name like a question and 67 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: it really frustrates me. I'm working on it. I think 68 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: mine is because of my Korean accent, like I don't 69 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: have one anymore, but growing up younger I did trying 70 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: to learn English, and so trying to say my name, 71 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: I still have a weird Korean infellection. I don't know, 72 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: so this sounds really weird to me. Well, that's is excellent, 73 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: both of us start podcast with doubts about her own name, right, professionals. 74 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 1: Only the best here. Um, So today we have yet 75 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: another kind of spooky Halloween episode nineteen. But you know, 76 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: you can listen to it whenever you want. And I'm 77 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: excited for the topic that we're doing for this episode 78 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: because we're talking about the Winchester Mystery House, the one 79 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: who built it and why. Kind of sounds like it's 80 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: gonna be a beginning of a Scooby Doo episode. Oh, no, 81 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 1: I wish I love Scooby Doo. It's been a long 82 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: time since I've seen it, so I hope there's just 83 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: not anything really problematic but it now, but I did 84 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 1: when I was a child. All right, but topic for 85 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: a later day today. The Winchester Mystery House. Um So, 86 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: this is modernly a tourist attraction located in San Jose, California. 87 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: Since it opened to the public in nine, over twelve 88 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: million people have visited it. I have never been and 89 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: desperately want to go so badly. We need to add 90 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: this to our list. This is the way we can 91 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: even out the your stops with my stops. Then yes, yes, yes, yes, 92 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 1: pretty much equaled it out. If we're touch all that. 93 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 1: You're excited about that one too, Yes, I'll have to 94 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: take a tally before I agree to our disagree with 95 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: any of those. Um So, the Winchester Mystery House that 96 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: they have a Halloween candlelight tours. So if any listeners 97 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: have done that, please right in and a Friday the 98 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: thirteenth flashlight tour. Right. It was also made into a 99 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: movie starring Helen Muran semi recently, I believe in Time 100 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 1: magazine once labeled this House as one of the world's 101 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 1: most haunted destinations. The U. S Department of Commerce has 102 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 1: given it the Certified Haunted label, which I'm not sure. 103 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 1: I didn't know that was a label. I guess it 104 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: makes sense with like the Amitablle Horror House Hotel, one 105 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: of them. One of my friends was, she brought up 106 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 1: the bell Witch how it's the only federal, federally recognized 107 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: haunting in our history. So that I want to do 108 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: another episode on later all scary stuff all the time. No, 109 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: I promise I won't. But anyway, this house is stunning. 110 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: Until the nineteen oh six earthquake, it was seven story 111 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,799 Speaker 1: is now it's four stories. The upper floors were deemed 112 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: too dangerous to rebuild. At its peak, it had an 113 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: estimated and we'll get into y estimated one sixty rooms, 114 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: ten thousand panes of glass, and almost fifty fireplaces four 115 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: thousand square feet. It's also known as one of the 116 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: most haunted houses in the United States. It was commissioned 117 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: by Sarah Winchester, who was able to afford building such 118 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: a spectacle because she inherited the Winchester Rifled fortune after 119 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: her husband died. She received a stipend of one thousand 120 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: dollars a day. I need that in twenty nineteen, that's 121 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: equivalent to twenty six thousand dollars a day. That's a lot. 122 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: Can someone give me that. I we can work on that. Okay, 123 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: we can work on that. So that's what it is 124 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: modern ly. But what about historically, how did we get 125 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: this spectacle of a supposedly haunted house. Well we'll get 126 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: into that after a quick break forward from our sponsor 127 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: and we're back, Thank you sponsor, And we're back with 128 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: another disclaimer. What as with our Female Serial Killers episode. Uh, 129 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: there's a lot of a lot of legend out there 130 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: about this place, a lot of um, I guess, exaggeration, 131 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 1: embellishment of details throughout history of why it exists. And Um, 132 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: Sarah Winchester was a very private person, so there isn't 133 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,439 Speaker 1: too much that we have concrete evidence wise when it 134 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: comes to her and her motivations for building this house. Um, 135 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: the official tour guides at the Winchester House are quick 136 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:54,560 Speaker 1: to point that out themselves. UM. So as such, Yeah, 137 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:57,679 Speaker 1: we've filled in the blanks with our modern interpretation that 138 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:01,599 Speaker 1: essentially she was mentally ill and or a recluse. But 139 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: according to the guides, this was probably not the case. Um. 140 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: For instance, a lot of people like to point to 141 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: the seance room. There's a room that seems to have 142 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: been used for seances. It might not have been, but 143 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: that's what the historians seemed to agree upon. But those 144 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: were actually kind of common back then seances. So it's 145 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: not like she was being super weird in quotes that 146 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: that was actually something people did. Um. There are two 147 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: main narratives that she built the house to confuse ghosts, 148 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,679 Speaker 1: or that she built it as a hobby and the 149 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: house's uniqueness was a result of her changing her mind 150 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: or simply mistakes, or because she didn't have any design experience. 151 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: There were no blueprints for this house. She was just like, hey, 152 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: you know what, never mind, forget that hallway, let's go 153 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: over here. But okay, let's get into some of the history. 154 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: Sarah Winchester was born as Sarah Lockwood Party and was 155 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 1: born in New Even, Connecticut, in eighteen thirty nine. She 156 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: grew up comfortably in a well off family. She attended 157 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 1: some of the best schools in the area and learned 158 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: four different languages. In eighteen sixty two, when she was 159 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: twenty three, she married William Whart Winchester. William and Sarah 160 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,479 Speaker 1: wedd And started their life as a married couple in Connecticut. 161 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: But then William got to work at w else but 162 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: the family business, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. This company 163 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: made the Winchester Repeating rifle, essentially a single barrel rifle 164 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: capable of holding a couple of rounds, and this business 165 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: made them rich. Oh yeah. Four years into their marriage, 166 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty six, Sarah gave birth to a daughter. 167 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: They named her Annie. Tragically, the baby died only a 168 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:47,319 Speaker 1: few weeks later, stricken by marasmus. Perhaps obviously, Mrs Winchester 169 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: was never the same. Meanwhile, the gun that won the West, 170 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: a K Model seventy three, was released in eighteen seventy three. 171 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: In eighteen eighty, William's father and the owner of Winchester 172 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: Peating Arms, died, leaving his company to his son. William 173 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:09,559 Speaker 1: himself died from tuberculosis, leaving Sarah with half of the 174 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: shares of the Winchester company, and also that twenty six 175 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: thousand dollars a day we mentioned earlier, and a lump 176 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: sum of twenty million dollars or five hundred million dollars 177 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: in today's money. This was another blow to Sarah's psyche 178 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: her husband's death. Some believe, to seek comfort from her grief, 179 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,839 Speaker 1: she sought out a medium. In the popular telling of 180 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 1: the story, the medium did not provide comfort, but instead 181 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: added to Sarah's turmoil, insinuating that vengeful spirits were targeting her, 182 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: in particular vengeful ghost who had died at the wrong 183 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: end of a Winchester rifle. They were behind the deaths 184 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 1: of her husband and child, according to this medium and 185 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: in this story, and if Sarah wasn't careful, she would 186 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 1: be their next victim. How can you imagine getting that 187 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: advice from a medium? Thank omn sleep we all night. 188 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: The medium advised Sarah to go out west and build 189 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:08,959 Speaker 1: a house large enough for all the spirits haunting her. 190 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: And again this seeing a medium wasn't uncommon at the time. 191 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,839 Speaker 1: A lot of women lost their loved ones during the 192 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: Civil War and we're looking for ways to communicate with them. 193 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: During this time, people were bombarded with advertisements for moving 194 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: out west. And this is because California had only recently 195 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: been incorporated into the US and the government wants folks 196 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: to move out there. So maybe the medium was working 197 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: for the government, or maybe Sarah just saw an ad 198 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: and acted upon it. You know, we do that all 199 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: the time now, not that specifically, but so so win Chester. 200 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: She didn't need to be told twice, and she made 201 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 1: her way out west to San Francisco, California, very quickly. Yes, however, 202 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,439 Speaker 1: she found the weather they really messed with her arthritis, 203 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: so she moved to stand hoste A. By eighty four, 204 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: she had purchased forty acres of land, which grew into 205 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: a hundred sixty acres, and began building on it. She 206 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: would continue building on it until her death nearly forty 207 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: years later in nine At first, she contracted construction workers, 208 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 1: perhaps numbering thirteen at the time, to build an eight 209 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: room house. Over the years, the project ballooned, growing bigger 210 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 1: and bigger. Her original intent was to build a house 211 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 1: big enough for her sisters and herself, so no plans 212 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: were drawn up, and she designed it somewhat haphazardly, or 213 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 1: perhaps designed it. It's a strong word, you know. She 214 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: called it Yaada Villa. She paid her workers well and 215 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,079 Speaker 1: often purchased them homes to live in while they worked 216 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: on her home. On top of the construction crew, she 217 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:47,079 Speaker 1: employed eighteen servants and eighteen gardeners. They split shifts so 218 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 1: that they could work twenty four seven. Allegedly, they only 219 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: stopped when Sarah died and left so abruptly that nails 220 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: were left half hammered. I find that hard to believe, 221 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: but that is how the Internet tells it in several places. 222 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 1: Its story. It is a good story. She insisted that 223 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: only red would be used, even though she didn't like 224 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,199 Speaker 1: how it looked, so workers were instructed to cover it 225 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: up with a stain and faux grain, which ended up 226 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: being twenty tho gallons of paint. The house also featured 227 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: some technological rarities of that time, like indoor plumbing including 228 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: indoor running hot water, forced air heating, and gas lighting 229 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: operated by pushing a button. So, of course, it didn't 230 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: take too long for rumors to start spreading about the 231 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: house and its owners. Locals and workers on the project 232 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: believed it to be haunted all kinds of things, bells 233 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: rained by themselves, window opening closing seemingly on their own. 234 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: Some workers purportedly claimed every day she held seances to 235 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: reach good spirits. Some believed her communications with these good 236 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: spirits were the impetus behind her Ever, shifting design ideas. 237 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: Stories abound about Sarah that she refused to be photographed, 238 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 1: that she refused to grant Teddy Roosevelt's request for an 239 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: audience with the Winchester widow. And we have to remember two. 240 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: At this time, any woman living by herself, owning your 241 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 1: own property was caused for gossip. Take that and multiply 242 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 1: it by an enormous, eye catching mansion, and stories were 243 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: sure to be rife. Even these days. A few things 244 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: are scarier than a woman living by herself. Agreed, all 245 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: of this haunted stuff is fun, but historian jen and 246 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: bow him Um apologies if I'm mispronouncing your name, argues 247 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: that it was less a protection against angry ghost and 248 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: more of a hobby. A lot of these stories don't 249 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: come from Winchester herself or any historical records, kind of 250 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: like we said, but books written in the nineties sixties, 251 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 1: after the tourist attraction had been open for several decades. 252 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: The house's quirks could have been a result of a 253 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 1: changing mind and like design experience, as we said, and 254 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: or could have been away for Sarah to remind herself 255 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: of the good time she had with her husband William. 256 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: Building their house in New Haven. But let's talk about 257 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 1: some of those quirks. Yes, let's go. So. Winchester thought 258 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: that the sounds of constant construction would cover up any 259 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: supernatural sounds smart to me. She sought to confuse ghosts 260 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: with hidden passages, windows and the floors upside down pillars, 261 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: ridiculously shallow cupboards, and dead end stairwells, not stairweys to heaven. 262 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: Different thing. Yeah, exactly one door opens the door to nowhere, 263 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: to a twelve foot drop about three point seven meters 264 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: is nicknamed the mother in law Suite, which seems odd 265 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: as she loved the stained glass windows there are heavily 266 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: featured throughout the house, and many of them designed by 267 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: Tiffany and Company, Which is they? I like that? Let 268 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: me go see. Those two are inscribed with quotes from 269 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: Shakespeare wide unclassed, the tables of their thoughts, and these 270 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: same thoughts people, this little world. People have put a 271 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: lot of thought to why each of those two quotes. 272 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: I would have to think on that for a while. 273 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: We'll get back to you. The house is also rife 274 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 1: with iterations of the number thirteen. Like we said earlier, 275 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 1: there are some stories that she hired construction workers and 276 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: shifts of thirteen hard to say if that's actually true, 277 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: but you can't say that it's true in the house 278 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 1: because there's evidence u thirteen coat hooks, thirteen panels on 279 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:26,160 Speaker 1: the ceiling, thirteen bathrooms, but only one functioned to prevent 280 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: ghosts from haunting it, particularly this what is it called this? 281 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 1: Piggott Yeah Um. Decorative spider web patterns appear throughout the 282 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 1: house as well, which at the time I believed to 283 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:42,679 Speaker 1: be good luck. One staircase near the cure dream as 284 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: forty four steps and seven turns. The historian we mentioned 285 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: earlier believes that this has more to do with Sarah's 286 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: arthritis and less to do with bamboozling spirits. The room 287 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 1: that is thought to have been a seance room has 288 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: one entrance and three exits. One cabinet extends through thirty rooms. 289 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 1: I have got to see this place, Samantha. Um. There's 290 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: a section of the house referred to as the Hall 291 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: of Fires due to the seven sources of heat feeding 292 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: into it. Um and that historian thinks again that this 293 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: has to do with providing really for Sarah's arthritis, and 294 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: according to legend, each night she slept in a different 295 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,440 Speaker 1: bed and took secret passageway to us not to be followed. 296 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: Some theories suggests she believed that when construction on the 297 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:28,640 Speaker 1: house stopped, she would die. Other theories positive she thought 298 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: the nineteen o six earthquake that took out three stories 299 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,199 Speaker 1: of the house was caused by spirits who realized her 300 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: project was close to completion. And yet another theory puts 301 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 1: forward that Sarah was actually a member of a mystic 302 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: society or mystic societies, and perhaps inspired by Francis Bacon, 303 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: the English philosopher. In Sarah's niece, Marian Merriman moved in 304 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 1: to the house and remained there for fifteen years. At 305 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: the time of Sarah's death to heart failure. In nWo, 306 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: the house posted a whopping ten thousand windows, two thousand doors, 307 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 1: not all that can be walked through, and then yes, 308 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 1: the one sixty rooms, which is actually an estimate series, 309 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: thirteen bathrooms, six kitchens, three elevators, and two basements. She 310 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,399 Speaker 1: had invested five point five million dollars in the mansion, 311 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: and in today's money that would be about seven point 312 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: seven million. And it's a beautiful piece of queen and 313 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: revival architecture. While she left most of her belongings to 314 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:27,120 Speaker 1: relatives and nonprofits, there were thirteen parts to her will. 315 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,920 Speaker 1: The will did not name anyone as the new owner 316 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 1: of the house. She did leave a lot of the 317 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 1: furniture to her niece, who auctioned off most of it. 318 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 1: One story goes that it took six months to get 319 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 1: all of the furniture out um The house itself was 320 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: auctioned off after praisers declared its strange designed rendered it worthless. 321 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,400 Speaker 1: So the house was leased by John and Main Brown 322 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: for one thirty five thousand dollars, who originally planned to 323 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: build one of the America's first roller coasters on the space, 324 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: but after the public expressed so much interest in the 325 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 1: house itself, they shifted gears, opening up for tours, which 326 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 1: is smart. The roller coaster was never built. They opened 327 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,239 Speaker 1: up Sarah's gardens, calling them Winchester Park, and a few 328 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 1: years later the Browns purchased the house outright on how 329 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: areeen nine. In ninety four, Harry Houdini, the Magician, stopped 330 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: by the mansion to get to the bottom of the 331 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: house's paranormal reputation. Instead, he left feeling even more confused 332 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 1: and debbed it the Mystery House. Within a decade it 333 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: was being marketed as such. So just to be clear, 334 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: this is a year after it's open for tours. They 335 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: already got like a celebrity coming in. Of course, in June, 336 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: John Brown dies, his wife and two daughters completely take 337 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 1: over running tours until Mamie Brown died in one. In 338 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties, a road was renamed Winchester Boulevard and 339 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: the gardens were closed to make way for Century theaters, 340 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,440 Speaker 1: and the Winchester Wax Museum opened and the Winchester Mystery 341 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: House was incorporated. The house was bestowed with State Historic 342 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 1: Landmark status and added to the National Red Street of 343 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 1: Historic Places in nineteen four. Throughout the eighties and nineties, 344 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: the property was updated and new tours added. It was 345 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 1: labeled as a San Jose Landmark. The two thousands saw 346 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: even more renovations, updates, and restorations. In sixteen, a secret 347 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: attic was discovered, containing an organ, a dress form and 348 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: sewing machine, a couch, and some paintings. Forty forty new 349 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: rooms were open to the public. And this is why 350 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 1: again the room number is an estimate, because they're not 351 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: sure they've found all the rooms in that dang house. 352 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: You just want to go say that for a month, 353 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: don't you. Yeah. I don't think they'd let me. But 354 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: if anyone listening as any connections, I'll go with you 355 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: for sure. Alright, perfect and then yes. The movies starring 356 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 1: Helen Murren called Winchester debut. For seventy two hours, the 357 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: house was closed to tourists for a jam packed filming schedule. 358 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 1: Mirren said of Sarah Winchester, she went into mourning and 359 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: stayed in mourning for the rest of her life. When 360 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: you lose someone, losses can be so unbearable, so difficult, 361 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: that the only way you can deal with your grief 362 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: is by feeling that they are still with you in 363 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: some way or another. And if you're interested, the costumes 364 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 1: from the movie are on display at the site. They 365 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: were donated to the site by the filmmakers. So clearly 366 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: we have an interest with this mystery house, which is 367 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: so fascinating because she was someone who it seemed, shy 368 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:31,120 Speaker 1: away from attention, wasn't into it. And now so many 369 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 1: tourists have gone and tried to get to the bottom 370 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: of her motivations. What was she really thinking? And we've 371 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 1: made up all of these stories about many legends, so 372 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: many legends. Um. I want to see it so badly. 373 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:49,960 Speaker 1: I wonder how many horror films have started with the 374 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:53,879 Speaker 1: burniture to being sold and being cars or something. I 375 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,520 Speaker 1: myself was in a horror movie where it started that 376 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: way and it did not end well for me. I 377 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 1: didn't what a fun death scene that was. Um. Yeah, 378 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: the just the interest we have with with these kinds 379 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 1: of things, I mean, it's fascinating. It's it's historical one 380 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: as well as you never know creativity and thought processs 381 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:23,440 Speaker 1: is fantastic. And it is beautiful. I mean, looking outside 382 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 1: before you go in, if you know that it's a 383 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: mystery house, you can see some signs that there's something 384 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 1: kind of wonky going on in there. But from the outside, 385 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:36,119 Speaker 1: it's just it looks beautiful and I can just like 386 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 1: imagine her living there, right. And if you've actually visited it, 387 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: please send us pictures. We would love to see something 388 00:23:43,600 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 1: if you're able to get any. Um. So now we're 389 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: at the end, we're gonna do our little shout outs. Yeah, 390 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 1: I wanna shout out to Uh, We're gonna shout out 391 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: going the history route. Um, some of our podcasts, So 392 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:13,120 Speaker 1: What's Her Name Podcast with host Olivia and Katie talk 393 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: about fascinating women you may not have heard of, like 394 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: Mother Shipton and Infamous Witch from England. That was a 395 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: fun one. And then Notorious Women podcast which is a 396 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: fun podcast with Lovetta and Miriam taking a comical look 397 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: at women in history and it's super fun if you 398 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: get to get listen to those two. So shout out 399 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: to you guys like your podcast. Yes, um, and if 400 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 1: you have any shout outs that you want us to 401 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:40,440 Speaker 1: shout out, please send them, let it all out, send 402 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 1: it our way. And for for our listeners who are 403 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: celebrating Halloween, please have a fun and safe Halloween. If 404 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 1: you've got a feminist costume, oh we would love to 405 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: see this, We would love it. Let's feature those. I 406 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 1: was a panda, you were a panda? You were you 407 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:05,880 Speaker 1: were increasingly grumpy hot with the unicorn. Yeah, it was great. 408 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,719 Speaker 1: With my captain what are you? You're my Captain Bucky? Now, 409 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: Captain Bucky. I was the Winter Soldier because it's my 410 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 1: favorite costume and you didn't get to see it at 411 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,479 Speaker 1: Dragon Con, so to share to its good to Oh 412 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: thank you, that's all. I live for. You can send 413 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: to those costume pictures or your shoutouts or anything else 414 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,240 Speaker 1: to our email address, Stuff Media mom Stuff at iHeart 415 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: media dot com. You can also find us on Twitter 416 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 1: at mom Stuff podcast or on Instagram at Stuff I've 417 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: Never Told You. Thanks as always to superproducer Andrew Howard. 418 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: Thank you, Andrew, and thanks to you for listening. Stuff 419 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 1: I've Never Told You the production of I Heart Radio's 420 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works. For more podcast from I Heeart Radio, 421 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you 422 00:25:51,560 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows an