By Jeffrey Weil
From the beginning of the 20th century, Sarah Winchester has been maliciously battered by slander and hearsay, local gossip. Sarah and her mansion are not a mystery and there is no connection with the supernatural or the afterlife. There is no evidence to be found whatsoever. So rather, I'd like to explore and share the facts versus fiction on this space.
After Sarah's death in September 1922, the mansion was purchased by John and Mayme Brown and quickly turned into a tourist attraction, capitalizing on the ghostly legends and the mysterious, Mrs. Winchester. The descendants of the Browns now own the property and have been reaping the financial benefits for over 100 years, slandering this woman's memory making her appear eccentric, quirky, demanding, reclusive, a complete lunatic. All of the tour information was absolutely false regarding the character of Sarah Winchester. All fabricated to perpetuate the local legend and attract tourists.
Not until 2010, with the detailed account of Sarah Winchester by Mary Jo Ignoffo, blasted a welcomed light on a life no one knew existed. The tourists only heard the guide script, there was no biography on Sarah. Until Ignoffo's book, Sarah's life and her house were basically a thrill ride.
In reality, Sarah Winchester was an educated, practical person. Being from New Haven, she witnessed first-hand what was happening in this country during the 1840s - 70s. Sarah grew up among progressive thinkers for the time, artisans, fine craftsman. With the internet, facts are emerging more and more about the true life and experiences of Sarah Winchester. What actually happened is fascinating enough without the paranormal angle. For over 100 years the true facts about Sarah were hidden to keep the mystery alive.
I believe there are more photographs to be found. They just have to be posted by someone. Hopefully, someone in the Winchester/Pardee family will share more information. This website is for information sharing, a collection of artifacts gathered through my own internet research through online archival documents.
If anyone has information regarding Sarah Winchester and/or the Pardee family, please leave a post and let's get the discussion going! 😀
2nd Edition!
It's wonderful to see Sarah's life coming even more into focus with Mary Jo Ignoffo's book. Ms. Ignoffo leaves no stone unturned and explores every nook and cranny of Sarah Winchester's remarkable life. Way long overdue, Ms. Ignoffo has made up for lost time in this detailed account of what actually happened with her first edition. Now a revised and updated version, with additional photos, is a fantastic read indeed.
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