An Heiress Was Convinced She Was Being Haunted, So She Built A Massive Mansion To Please The Ghosts

Sarah Winchester simply couldn’t live with her in-laws’ dark history. And when the people closest to her began to die, a heartbroken Sarah was convinced vengeful ghosts were haunting her. Desperate to save herself and those she loved from their seemingly imminent fate, Sarah took a proactive approach. Instead of running away from her demons, she decided to build the ghosts their own spooky mansion.

It started so promisingly

This would be no ordinary mansion, though. It would be full of doors and stairs leading to... absolutely nowhere. The eerie saga began when Sarah fell madly in love with a wealthy man named William Winchester. And despite appearances, money played no part in her romance. Several people who were close to the couple recall a genuinely loving relationship, making what happened next all the more tragic.

Her love had a dark secret

William had his finger in a rather unsavory pie, you see. And despite her love for the suave, bearded businessman, Sarah couldn’t help feeling unsettled by the source of his enormous wealth. It had come at a very high cost — not to him personally, but to other families in the U.S. who were mourning loved ones.

Could he have blood on his hands?

What was the source of William’s riches? The Winchester Rifle Company, of which he was the second owner. William’s father, Oliver, had founded the company in 1866, and much of his fortune had come from the success of the Winchester repeating rifle. Once Sarah understood how this weapon worked, she would have a fateful change of heart.

The truth hits home

At first, Sarah thought nothing of how her love had acquired his money, as William’s earnings were hefty and consistent. But reality eventually struck when she saw the repeating rifle in action. Soon, she would become haunted by thoughts of ghosts — and she would blame them for the tragedy that would fall upon her family.