Winchester House

This bronze was placed with the company that runs the house as an attraction, and it repeats the company's story: building without interruption from 1884 until 1922. Sarah Winchester's biographer, Mary Jo Ignoffo, found letters in which she sent her workers away for months, and several accounts date her arrival in San Jose to 1886. The stairways to nowhere trace largely to the 1906 earthquake, after which she sealed damaged sections rather than rebuild. The haunted-widow legend grew in the press and was embellished by the operators who took the house after her death.

What the plaque says

Winchester House Built by Sarah Winchester, widow of rifle manufacturer William Winchester, this unique structure includes many outstanding elements of Victorian architecture and fine craftsmanship. Construction began in 1884 and continued without interruption until Mrs. Winchester's death in 1922. The continual building and remodeling created a 160 room house covering an area of six acres. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 868 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Winchester Mystery House, Inc., May 13, 1974. This property Winchester House has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior Winchester House Home of Sarah Winchester Built from 1884 to 1922 San Jose Historic Landmark No. 101

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Moreland School — 2.0 mi
• Mission Santa Clara — 2.2 mi
• Charles Copeland Morse Residence — 2.3 mi
• Santa Clara Campaign Treaty Site — 2.3 mi