By Jeffrey Weil
Sarah Winchester has been treated unfairly from the first news reports and gossip that occurred around 1900. Building such a large rambling house and being reclusive was considered eccentric, erratic, obviously the behavior of a lonely, guilt-ridden spiritualist. Sarah and her mansion are not a mystery and there is no evidence whatsoever in connection with the supernatural or the afterlife. 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 leased, and eventually purchased, by John and Mayme Brown and quickly turned into a tourist attraction, capitalizing on the ghostly legends and the mysterious widow Mrs. Winchester. The descendants of the Browns (I call them "the Family") now own the property and have been reaping the financial benefits for over 100 years, slandering this woman's memory making her appear eccentric, demanding, reclusive, laughable. The tour information was absolutely false regarding the character of Sarah Winchester. All fabricated to perpetuate the local legend and attract tourists.
It's true, without the hyped-up spiritualism angle given to tourists and regarded as fact, the mansion probably wouldn't be here today. So, the ghostly tours and the "oddities" of the mansion did save the place from ruin. Fortunately, today the mansion and surrounding gardens are kept in good repair. The tour script now states the facts along with the legends, not just legends only.
Not until 2010, did a detailed account of Sarah Winchester by Mary Jo Ignoffo, blast a welcomed light on a life no one knew existed. The tourists only heard the guide script; there was no biography on Sarah. When tours began, there was no real mention of spiritualism. The tour noted the earthquake damage only. In the 1950s the Family created an elaborate backstory for Sarah and turned the mansion into a popular attraction. Until Ignoffo's book, Sarah's life and her house were basically an amusement ride.
In reality, Sarah Winchester was an educated, artistic, practical person with a lot of business acumen. 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, businessmen. 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.
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 images gathered through my own internet research through online archival documents. All images are gathered from the internet unless otherwise stated.
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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