House Tour: Winchester Mystery House
House Tour: Winchester Mystery House
In July, I was fortunate enough to travel to Northern California. Along with Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and San Francisco, I toured the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. This 24,000 square-foot home featured 160 rooms, 47 fireplaces, four elevators, and 10,000 panes of glass. The house, built by the widow of the Winchester Rifle Company heir, was never completed. She designed every aspect of the house, renovating and adding on more than 600 times over 38 years. The mystery namesake is appropriate. As the widow had no architectural training, the house contained hallways to nowhere, exterior doors on the second and third levels leading to 18-foot drops, windows installed in the floor, and other bizarre features. Of all the houses I've toured, save for House on the Rock (to be covered in a future issue), this is by far the strangest house I've encountered. It was truly worth the price of admission ($30). But it reminded me of two things. First, the size of the house isn't so important. Mrs. Winchester had lots of space, but it wasn't usable space. Second, a house is meant to be lived in and enjoyed. Mrs. Winchester had no guests to fill her 40 bedrooms. Her ballroom never hosted a ball. Her six kitchens never prepared a meal for friends. You see, a house full of family and friends is what makes it a home. May your home always be full of warmth and love.