The Winchester Mystery House.

Post by **jones jones** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:31 am

The Winchester Mystery House is a well-known mansion in Northern California. It once was the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester. It was continuously under construction for 38 years and is reported to be haunted. It now serves as a tourist attraction. Under Winchester's day-to-day guidance, its "from-the-ground-up" construction proceeded around the clock, without interruption, from 1884 until her death on September 5, 1922, at which time work immediately ceased.[

The cost for such constant building has been estimated at about US $5.5 million (over $71 million today.)

The Queen Anne Style Victorian mansion is renowned for its size and utter lack of any master building plan. According to popular belief, Winchester thought the house was haunted by the ghosts of the people who fell victim to Winchester rifles, and that only continuous construction would appease them. It is located at 525 South Winchester Blvd. in San Jose, California.

(See First Reply)

Post by **jones jones** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:31 am

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:34 am

Pretty interesting place.

I have taken the tour a couple of times when in the neighborhood.

The first time was back when the area was still a lot of orchards and farmland.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:11 pm

I'm personally convinced that I'm apart of some grandiose joke that I , until this day even, have utterly failed to understand the minute details contributing to it's inevitable climax.

Haunted? Jesus H...

Haunted!?

Of course it's "haunted"! How else are the family supposed to make their money back from such a horrible business venture?

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:25 pm

K.Snyder;1384501 wrote: I'm personally convinced that I'm apart of some grandiose joke that I , until this day even, have utterly failed to understand the minute details contributing to it's inevitable climax.

Haunted? Jesus H...

Haunted!?

Of course it's "haunted"! How else are the family supposed to make their money back from such a horrible business venture?

What is it you are trying to say?

You really should read up on the place. It is quite a story.

It was not the house that was haunted, but the Widowed Mrs W.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 4:01 pm

LarsMac;1384503 wrote: What is it you are trying to say?

You really should read up on the place. It is quite a story.

It was not the house that was haunted, but the Widowed Mrs W.What should I read Lars? There was no link presented in the thread...

Let's say, hypothetically that everyone earns the exact same salary from any occupation they so choose, then let's apply that to how this mansion would have never been built to begin with, and surely not taking 38 years to construct! Perhaps you'd like to fill me in on the joke...

Since wikipedia is the very quote used in the OP I'll continue with it... Although this is disputed, popular belief holds that the Boston Medium told Winchester that she had to leave her home in New Haven and travel West, where she must "build a home for yourself and for the spirits who have fallen from this terrible weapon, too. You must never stop building the house. If you continue building, you will live forever. But if you stop, then you will die."

Winchester left her New Haven home and headed for California. In 1884 she purchased an unfinished farm in Santa Clara Valley, and began building her mansion. Carpenters were hired and worked on the house day and night until it became a seven story mansion.

The June 1937 issue of Modern Mechanix relates the story from then-current accounts as follows: "Winchester and the baby girl died suddenly and Mrs Winchester, stunned by the tragedy, fell into a coma so serious that physicians despaired of her life.

"Finally she recovered and, at a friend’s suggestion, visited a medium. During a séance, according to those familiar with her story, she received a communication from her dead husband in which he said: 'Sarah dear, if our house had not been finished, I would still be with you. I urge you now to build a home, but never let it be finished, for then you will live.' "

Another version of the story says that after the deaths of her daughter and later her husband, she consulted a medium who told her that she must build a house and never cease building it, otherwise the spirits that killed her family members would come after her, too. After that she began construction on the maze-like house full of twists, turns, and dead ends, so that the spirits would get lost and never be able to find her.

One version states "She believed her only chance of a normal life was to build a house, and keep building it. If the house was never finished, no ghost could settle into it. The house contains many features that were utilized to trap or confuse spirits. There are doors that are small or lead nowhere and windows that look into other parts of the house. The mansion may be huge but there are only two mirrors in the whole place. This is because Sarah believed that ghosts were afraid of their own reflection."

Winchester inherited more than $20.5 million upon her husband's death. She also received nearly 50 percent ownership of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, giving her an income of roughly $1,000 per day, none of which was taxable until 1913. This amount is roughly equivalent to about $22,000 a day in 2010. All of this gave her a tremendous amount of wealth to fund the ongoing construction.Winchester Mystery House - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm still waiting for the punchline

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:35 pm

Well, check it out for yourself. The ghost story is only a fraction of the thing, itself.

Photo Gallery - The world famous Winchester Mystery House

I am sure that many of the tourists are there because of the ghost story, but even without the ghosts, it is a fascinating place.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:10 pm

Very Interesting.

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:20 pm

I lived about four miles from this site during the late 50's. It's a fascinating place and has always drawn tourists.

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:21 pm

K.Snyder;1384508 wrote:

...

I'm still waiting for the punchline

Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar, My friend.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:09 am

LarsMac;1384535 wrote: Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar, My friend.

Yes, but I think his point is. Did the person, growing the tobacco, picking the tobacco, rolling the cigar, making the matches to light the cigar, emptying the ash tray after the cigar was smoked, all make the same income as the person smoking it? And if not which one was the Republican?

Post by **LarsMac** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:39 am

I dunno. I stole the thing from the humidor.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:42 am

LarsMac;1384566 wrote: I dunno. I stole the thing from the humidor.

Ahhh... Republican..LOL

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:05 am

LarsMac;1384535 wrote: Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar, My friend.Perhaps jones jones can fill us in on what his intentions were in posting this thread. So far all that the OP contributes is an excerpt from wikipedia.

Post by **LarsMac** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:22 am

Perhaps he is just getting a kick from sharing nifty stuff he finds while wandering the 'net.

Given the results when he does comment on his threads, though, I think it better not to ask him.

Just enjoy learning something new.

Post by **jones jones** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:23 am

LarsMac;1384601 wrote: Perhaps he is just getting a kick from sharing nifty stuff he finds while wandering the 'net.

Given the results when he does comment on his threads, though, I think it better not to ask him.

Just enjoy learning something new.

Well said my friend!

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:46 pm

LarsMac;1384601 wrote: Perhaps he is just getting a kick from sharing nifty stuff he finds while wandering the 'net.

Given the results when he does comment on his threads, though, I think it better not to ask him.

Just enjoy learning something new.
jones jones;1384603 wrote: Well said my friend!

Ok, good, now we're back at square one. It's only taken a day or so to do it...

I was asking what one's motivation was in posting about a mansion that was at the time among the most expensive in the world only to quote wikipedia including "It was continuously under construction for 38 years and is reported to be haunted. It now serves as a tourist attraction." being the extent of the OP's interest followed by the signature "”Women don’t want to be understood”, she said, “they just want to be loved.” without question as to who'd written it only to then be questioned by a gentleman with the signature "Question everything." - Euripides

"If you lose your sense of humor, it's just not funny anymore."- Wavey Gravey, which I find all too amusing.

If we go back to the haunted bit I'd be more than happy to pay attention when one of you inform me why it is you think this house intrigues you because of that. It's the only thing that can salvage the thread due to the links posted being an utter tourist trap, no doubt attempting to play you like fools. I have a sincere question that isn't dressed up in cow sh*t, this thread seems to have an answer bathing in it.

Post by **LarsMac** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:11 pm

OK, then let's look at the haunting.

It was not the house that was haunted, but Mrs Winchester.

She was convinced that the souls of all the people killed by Winchester's guns were out to seek revenge, and she was convinced that the only way to hold them at bay was to continue building the house.

She constantly sought out contractors to builds stuff that she dreamed up.

While all this was going on, the farm produced fruit and made a handsome profit.

The house is a work of art. I think, even without the ghost story, it is a wondrous place.

Even more so since the cities and suburbs have all but chewed up the agriculture that used to command the valley.

Besides, having grown up traveling about the country, I have always been fascinated by the "utter tourists Traps" in the world.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:01 pm

LarsMac;1384625 wrote: OK, then let's look at the haunting.

It was not the house that was haunted, but Mrs Winchester.

She was convinced that the souls of all the people killed by Winchester's guns were out to seek revenge, and she was convinced that the only way to hold them at bay was to continue building the house.

She constantly sought out contractors to builds stuff that she dreamed up.

While all this was going on, the farm produced fruit and made a handsome profit.

The house is a work of art. I think, even without the ghost story, it is a wondrous place.

Even more so since the cities and suburbs have all but chewed up the agriculture that used to command the valley.

Besides, having grown up traveling about the country, I have always been fascinated by the "utter tourists Traps" in the world.Ok, now that we seem to understand we need a single context agreed upon in order to make sense of this I respectfully move towards getting rid of the "Haunted" connotation that is painting our perceptions here the unpleasant shade of brown with hints of light brown specs.

I'll present me evidence...However, in 1866, disaster struck when their infant daughter, Annie, died of then mysterious childhood disease marasmus. Mrs. Winchester fell into a deep depression from which she never fully recovered. Fifteen years later, in March 1881, her husband’s premature death from tuberculosis added to Mrs. Winchester’s distress. It is said, she ultimately sought help from a spiritualist.

[...]

Supposedly the untimely deaths of her daughter and husband were caused by these spirits, and it was implied that Mrs. Winchester might be the next victim.

However, the medium also claimed that there was an alternative, Mrs. Winchester was instructed to move west and appease the spirits by building a great house for them. As long as construction of the house never ceased, Mrs. Winchester could rest assured that her life was not in danger. Building such a house was even supposed to bring her eternal life.

On a more practical note, maybe a change of scenery and a never-ending hobby were just what Mrs. Winchester needed to distract her from her grief.

Whatever her actual motivations, Mrs. Winchester packed her bags and left Connecticut to visit a niece who lived in Menlo Park, California.

[...]

The combination of her wealth and her eccentric building project gave rise to many rumors in the local community. [Emphasis is all mine]

Mrs. Winchester suffered greatly from arthritis in her later years. She passed away in her sleep from heart failure on September 5, 1922 and was buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut beside her beloved husband. Poor Mrs. Winchester...

The Mystery Lives On

What was Mrs. Winchester’s true motivation for devoting the second half of her life to building what is now known as the Winchester Mystery House™? No one can say with complete certainty, for no one ever interviewed her and she left not a single journal. Since Mrs. Winchester’s death, hundreds of wild stories have appeared about this mysterious woman and the sprawling mansion that bears her name. It seems odd that none of her relatives or former employees ever came forward to contradict these stories, despite that fact that some of them lived more than forty years after Mrs. Winchester’s death. For some reason, did they feel threatened by talking – or did they feel the need to continue to guard Mrs. Winchester’s privacy even after her death?

At the Winchester Mystery House™, we may never be able to separate fact from legend – so this book will present a variety of stories that have been told since the turn of the century. We leave it to our guests to decide for themselves why Mrs. Winchester really built the house in the manner she did. Sarah Winchester - The world famous Winchester Mystery House

Sounds to me like a bunch of greedy leaches trying to make money off of other people's tragedies...

Tragedies that involves the unimaginable and then later a constant desire for mere gossip at the torment of a woman that has suffered tremendously every second after losing her child and husband.

The OP expected I'd jump the bandwagon and join in on such a farse. The house may be nice but the story stinks like...

well...

Perhaps you'd had architecture in mind...

Post by **LarsMac** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:27 pm

Again, sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.

It is really, after all, just another house, though with a marketable history.

And this IS America, after all, where Marketing is the new Cotton.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:38 pm

LarsMac;1384639 wrote: Again, sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.

It is really, after all, just another house, though with a marketable history.

And this IS America, after all, where Marketing is the new Cotton.Yes, you're right, a cigar is just a cigar(Well unless of course one is addicted to tobacco and it's the last one on the market, then it's worth millions! - Me? If I obtained the last one I would place it in a glass box and charge outrages fees for people to come in and salivate over the mere thought of lighting the dismal thing on fire. Don't know who I'd get to clean up the slobber though that could be tricky!)

Although I would say a cigar is just a cigar to those that doesn't know any better. I still don't get the haunted bits though perhaps a straggler can walk by and tell me of their interest in the paranormal, I've forever failed to get the joke of it.

Post by **LarsMac** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 3:14 pm

I've oft wondered at the fascination folks have with ghosts and haunting and all that, myself.

While I once encountered a ghost, I never really wished to go out looking for them.

Paranormal stuff is of little interest to me.

Post by **jones jones** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 4:39 am

Mr. Snyder Sir; I know it’s no big deal, but I did have your name penciled in with the haters on my ignore list. However when one person, namely your good self, makes several critical replies comprising in total 191 lines and 1772 words to a thread about something as harmless as a “mystery mansion,” then I feel I should say something.

This may come as a surprise, but I hate confrontation and confrontational people; not because of what they might say to me, but because of what I, in a fit of pique might say to them. I am never intentionally cruel to anyone nor do I ever try to humiliate anyone in public. I was very recently castigated here on FG for sending a PM instead of posting a reply to a member, but I did it for the very reasons I have quoted above.

I won’t bore you or anyone else by going thru everything you posted in your replies, but take this remark for instance:

“Perhaps jones jones can fill us in on what his intentions were in posting this thread. So far all that the OP contributes is an excerpt from wikipedia.”

I wasn’t aware that having an “intention” was a prerequisite to posting a thread on FG. Suffice to say, my interest in history and eccentrics has been well documented here. First and foremost, I post threads that interest me and hope that they might also interest one or two other members.

Then this remark: “being the extent of the OP's interest followed by the signature "”Women don’t want to be understood”, she said, “they just want to be loved.” without question as to who'd written it.”

Mr. Snyder, are you accusing me of plagiarism? It is difficult to tell given the unique way you have of expressing yourself in writing, but I sincerely hope you are not. To falsely accuse any writer of such a crime on an open Forum, is not something that should be easily undertaken and could cause some problems. My signature is from a poem of which I am the author and this is clearly stated. The poem in its entirety has already been posted on FG.

“If we go back to the haunted bit I'd be more than happy to pay attention when one of you inform me why it is you think this house intrigues you because of that.”

But I didn’t ask you to pay attention Mr. Snyder and why the house intrigues me has nothing at all to do with you or with the thread. It was you, who for reasons best known to yourself, decided to turn it into a one sided debate.

“The OP expected I'd jump the bandwagon and join in on such a farse. [sic.]

The house may be nice but the story stinks like...”

I asked you to “jump the bandwagon? [sic] Wow, you could have fooled me!

And finally: “I still don't get the haunted bits though perhaps a straggler can walk by and tell me of their interest in the paranormal, I've forever failed to get the joke of it.”

Well I sincerely hope a "straggler" does exactly that.

This might be an appropriate time for me to end.

Mr. Snyder sir, you need to relax more and not be so intense. Have a nice day!

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:06 am

Covert-aggressives use this tactic to cloak their self-serving agendas in the guise of service to a more noble cause. It's a common tactic but difficult to recognize. By pretending to be working hard on someone else's behalf, covert-aggressives conceal their own ambition, desire for power, and quest for a position of dominance over others.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:17 am

Oh for gods sake.

Another thread descends Into a farce.

Why all the looking for ulterior motives.?

This Is just one of many many photographs that JJ posts. It Is what It Is... a Photograph of Interest.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:30 am

oscar;1384709 wrote: Oh for gods sake.

Another thread descends Into a farce.

Why all the looking for ulterior motives.?

This Is just one of many many photographs that JJ posts. It Is what It Is... a Photograph of Interest.

Sometimes a cigar isn't just a cigar, sometimes it's a sex toy.

Post by **LarsMac** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:18 am

Monica? Is that you?

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:09 am

jones jones;1384707 wrote: Mr. Snyder Sir; I know it’s no big deal, but I did have your name penciled in with the haters on my ignore list. However when one person, namely your good self, makes several critical replies comprising in total 191 lines and 1772 words to a thread about something as harmless as a “mystery mansion,” then I feel I should say something.

This may come as a surprise, but I hate confrontation and confrontational people; not because of what they might say to me, but because of what I, in a fit of pique might say to them. I am never intentionally cruel to anyone nor do I ever try to humiliate anyone in public. I was very recently castigated here on FG for sending a PM instead of posting a reply to a member, but I did it for the very reasons I have quoted above.

I won’t bore you or anyone else by going thru everything you posted in your replies, but take this remark for instance:

“Perhaps jones jones can fill us in on what his intentions were in posting this thread. So far all that the OP contributes is an excerpt from wikipedia.”

I wasn’t aware that having an “intention” was a prerequisite to posting a thread on FG. Suffice to say, my interest in history and eccentrics has been well documented here. First and foremost, I post threads that interest me and hope that they might also interest one or two other members.

Then this remark: “being the extent of the OP's interest followed by the signature "”Women don’t want to be understood”, she said, “they just want to be loved.” without question as to who'd written it.”

Mr. Snyder, are you accusing me of plagiarism? It is difficult to tell given the unique way you have of expressing yourself in writing, but I sincerely hope you are not. To falsely accuse any writer of such a crime on an open Forum, is not something that should be easily undertaken and could cause some problems. My signature is from a poem of which I am the author and this is clearly stated. The poem in its entirety has already been posted on FG.

“If we go back to the haunted bit I'd be more than happy to pay attention when one of you inform me why it is you think this house intrigues you because of that.”

But I didn’t ask you to pay attention Mr. Snyder and why the house intrigues me has nothing at all to do with you or with the thread. It was you, who for reasons best known to yourself, decided to turn it into a one sided debate.

“The OP expected I'd jump the bandwagon and join in on such a farse. [sic.]

The house may be nice but the story stinks like...”

I asked you to “jump the bandwagon? [sic] Wow, you could have fooled me!

And finally: “I still don't get the haunted bits though perhaps a straggler can walk by and tell me of their interest in the paranormal, I've forever failed to get the joke of it.”

Well I sincerely hope a "straggler" does exactly that.

This might be an appropriate time for me to end.

Mr. Snyder sir, you need to relax more and not be so intense. Have a nice day!jones, you're getting your suit up in a wrinkle...I'm merely asking why a haunted house would intrigue anyone. The fact is that a haunted house in the middle of Harlem would be written off as a crack house and we'd be surely speaking of psychological treatment instead. It offends me that people have an interest in mansions purely for the money involved, which is what the case is when the OP references a quote specifically sighting it's tourist agenda of which was entirely copied without a link posted(Technically this is the plagiarist part and any writer would never do it)

It's cool dude, honestly...Perhaps you could continue the thread and somewhere along the way I'll become convinced that people who believe in ghosts are all conspiring together for a grandiose punchline or else I'll forever be confused.

Post by **jones jones** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:26 am

I have no desire to continue the thread Mr. Snyder, except to ask you to please answer this question without anymore ducking and diving. It is important that I know your answer.

Mr. Snyder, are you accusing me of plagiarism? It is difficult to tell given the unique way you have of expressing yourself in writing, but I sincerely hope you are not. To falsely accuse any writer of such a crime on an open Forum, is not something that should be easily undertaken and could cause some problems. My signature is from a poem of which I am the author and this is clearly stated. The poem in its entirety has already been posted on FG.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:32 am

jones jones;1384757 wrote: My signature is from a poem of which I am the author and this is clearly stated. The poem in its entirety has already been posted on FG.

That's true... I've seen It In It's entirety

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:42 am

LarsMac;1384735 wrote: Monica? Is that you?

I have always aspired to have a sex act named after me. Or maybe not now that I think on it.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:49 am

jones jones;1384757 wrote: I have no desire to continue the thread Mr. Snyder, except to ask you to please answer this question without anymore ducking and diving. It is important that I know your answer.

Mr. Snyder, are you accusing me of plagiarism? It is difficult to tell given the unique way you have of expressing yourself in writing, but I sincerely hope you are not. To falsely accuse any writer of such a crime on an open Forum, is not something that should be easily undertaken and could cause some problems. My signature is from a poem of which I am the author and this is clearly stated. The poem in its entirety has already been posted on FG.

K.Snyder;1384618 wrote: without question as to who'd written it...which I find all too amusing.This is what I'd said leading up to your question...

Let's compare that with "with question as to who'd written it"...We can conclude that using the exact opposite of "without" we virtually change the very meaning of what was said and insert a dreamed up version to mean the exact opposite based entirely off of no good reason but one's ability to do so...