The Belle of New Haven

Chapter 1

In 1988 my husband Calvin and I and our 5 year old son John took a trip to San Jose, California. While there we decided to go and tour the infamous Winchester Mansion built by Sarah Lockwood Winchester. I will be honest with you, at the time I was nervous to enter into the house due to my past experiences with ghosts and knowing at this time, I was still an open vessel for these spirits to travel through. When we arrived at the the mansion, my curiosity took over any fear that I had so I decided to tour the house with Calvin and my son John. Although the house had the reputation for being a portal between the living and the dead, it's appearance said something quite different.

This large Queen Anne-style Victorian house was actually quite exquisite. The wood work alone was magnificent. One of a kind with great polishing and the uniqueness of the furniture screamed royal palace. At first sight, it was the most awesome form of architect that I had ever seen, however, the more that we ventured into the home, the more bazaar the house became. Something right out of a Steven King novel. There were stair cases that led up into the ceiling, windows that would open up into another room, doors that would open up into walls or that would open up to a drop 2 stories down. To have lived in this house, you would have defiantly needed to know your way around. One mistake could have been proven to have been fatal. Yes, this was the construction of either a complete madman, or should I say mad woman or it was the work of one of the most talented architectural genius of her time. But why would this Sarah Lockwood Winchester also known as Lady Lockwood, build such an extravagant labyrinth house? And what are the true secrets that these rooms hold? To find these answers we need to go back to the beginning. The beginning that starts out as a love story. A love story of two childhood sweethearts. William Winchester of the Winchester Estate and Sarah Lockwood also known as 'The Belle of New Haven.'

Chapter 2

William and Sarah were part of the socialites of that region. William being born to Oliver and Jane Ellen Winchester June 22, 1837 and Sarah being born to Leonard and Sarah Pardee in 1835. William coming from the socialites and politicians of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company responsible for the creation of the Winchester rifle and Sarah coming from the socialites of New Haven with her father being a famous architect and a member of the Free masonic. Allowing Sarah to be raised and educated in an environment ripe with Free masonic and Rosicrucian philosophy. Also as a child prodigy, Sarah was fluent in several different languages and quite the musician. Hence, why she was called 'The Belle of New Haven.'

William and Sarah met at a young age. Patiently awaiting the next socialite gathering so that they could be together. They would spend hours lying on a blanket in the fields daydreaming of their future and how their time was going to be together once they were married. The time had finally come after years of waiting. William and Sarah were married in 1862, in New Haven, Connecticut. It was said the be marriage of all marriages during that time. Socialites came from all over the country to see this extravaganza.

A new life for Sarah and William. William was working at his father's company and Sarah, of course, by Williams side. Everything was perfect for the young couple until the death of their newly born baby daughter. Annie Winchester, the daughter of William and Sarah, born on June 15th 1866 only to have her life cut short a few weeks later on July 25th of the same year from a mysterious childhood disease. Coincidentally, dying two months after the Winchester Repeating Arms Company was born. What was once known as the Henry rifle was now known as the Winchester rifle responsible for thousands of deaths from 1861 to 1865 what history calls 'one of the bloodiest wars of our country: 'The Civil War.' Later, being name 'The gun that won the west.' Many innocent lives lost. Much bloodshed across our beloved country.

They said that Sarah was never the same after the death of her daughter Annie refusing to have more children and becoming a recluse. What once was a vibrant woman whom was a lover of life, The Belle of New Haven was now a prisoner in her own mind. And then to lose her husband 15 years later to tuberculosis. With her child gone and the untimely death of her love from youth, Sarah feel into a deep depression. Her home becoming a tomb of darkness and despair. Desperate to reach out to her beloved husband again, she hired a medium to contact him. During that time period, mediums were quite common. The medium told Sarah that the death of her daughter and her husband was life's judgement on her family for all the innocent blood that was shed from the deaths of the Winchester guns and that her husband wanted her to leave New Haven and travel to California to be with her family. The medium further went on to tell Sarah that the spirits would keep her alive if she would build them a house. Sarah disappeared after that with no one knowing her where about until she re- appeared 3 years later in San Jose, California in 1884 where Sarah bought an eight room farmhouse on several acres. Sarah knew at first sight of this farm house that this is where she was to build the house that was going to host the spirits of the lives that were claimed by the Winchester rifle.

Chapter 3

Sarah's family had moved to California in 1849 during the gold rush of California. Sarah was happy to return to California to be closer to her Pardee family members. One of these members was Enoch Pardee, a highly respected physician and politician. It was rumored that Enoch and his son George was part of a secret society known as 'The Bohemian Club' which was an off shoot of the 'Yales Skull and Bones Society' also connected to the death of several African American deaths, also practicing in the occult. If these rumors are true, then Sarah was plagued with curses from the blood of the innocents on both sides of the family. The Winchesters and the Pardees. As if her life was doomed from the beginning.

It was said that in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt traveled to California to ask George Pardee to run as his vise president. While there, Roosevelt requested to meet Sarah because he was a great fan of the Winchester rifle but she denied his request. Sarah had become a complete recluse with only one thing on her mind. Building this house for these spirits. Being worth over 20 million dollars from her husbands estate, Sarah began the construction on her house in 1886 until 1922. The construction never ceasing day or night on this 24,000 square foot mansion until Sarah's death September 5th, 1922.

Chapter 4

Sarah began having seances every night reaching out to the spirits of the dead from the Winchester rifle seeking guidance on what and how they wanted this Queen Anne-style Victorian labyrinth mansion built. Each night a different spirit came to her wanting a room built like the one that they died in, others came telling her to build a labyrinth for the spirits that wanted to harm her so they would get confused and lost and would be unable to find Sarah. Others had her build rooms that the spirits could travel freely between the spirit world and the physical world, a portal if you will, connecting the two worlds. The 8 room farmhouse soon took on a life of it's own with the sound of hammering never ceasing for 38 years. The mansion became a labyrinth with miles of maze like hallways and hidden rooms inside of rooms. Passages and stairways serving as shortcuts allowing a virtual leap from one part of the house to another. 47 chimneys having an overhead, skylights above skylights including a skylight in the floor. Upside down pillars and hundreds of windows opening up to other windows. You name it, you will find it in the Winchester mansion. Was this the work of one women's incredible imagination thru madness or was Sarah truly a prisoner in her own house, never knowing a day of peace while this phenomenal labyrinth was being built by the spirits of Winchester rifle? And what was the significance of the prime numbers 7, 11, and 13. With the number 13 being the most significant through out the house.

Chapter 5

The number 13 was very important to Sarah , or should we say, to the spirits since they were the ones consulting Sarah on the construction of the house. It was rumored that these prime numbers allowed an opening from the spirit realm to the physical realm allowing the spirits free travel. It was said that Sarah's living will had 13 sections and that Sarah signed her living will 13 times.

In tarot, the 13 is named as death; meaning the death of a very difficult period with a new beginning following. But you have to wonder the true significance of 13's in Sarah's house including 13 window panes, 13 paneled ceilings as well as 13 step staircases leading no where. Could the 13's be an avenue for spirits to come and be released from their prison on earth, a way for them to get to the light. Heaven if you may.

The Catholic church believes in purgatory. A place where spirits have neither gained acceptance for heaven or for hell. In this belief, it is required for members to pray to the saints on All Hallows Day, November 1st, for their release from this purgatory into heaven and in return the member would receive a sweet cake. Centuries later, they started this prayer on All Hallows Eve known today as Halloween.

It is also rumored that if an individual dies of a sudden, tragic death, they are unaware that they are dead. Forever roaming the earth as a lost and ghostly soul. Since Sarah believed that the untimely death of her daughter and her husband were caused by the spirits of her husband's rifle, Sarah believed that she could open a door sending these spirits onward to another plane of existence giving them redemption for the deaths of her family.

So from 1886 til 1922 was a non ending construction of a 24,000 square foot, 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors,160 rooms, 52 skylights, 47 stairways and fireplaces, 17 chimneys, 13 bedrooms, 6 kitchens, and 1 shower built at the cost of 5 million dollars. This hardly sounds like a mansion of built by the madness of a woman. Something more powerful, more sinister had to have been guiding this project. An open door for spirits to just come and go at will. A terrifying scenario. And since the Winchester mansion is now a tourist attraction, the door seems like it forever going to be open. A bridge, will you, to the other side. Out of all the mysteries and unanswered questions, none baffle people the most as the mystery of what happened to all of Sarah's money.

Chapter 6

This beautiful woman of only 4 feet and 4 inches was worth 20 million dollars when her husband died. With Sarah being the only living relative of the Winchester fortune, she inherited it all. Plus she received 1,000 a day for 38 years. You do the math. That's 456,000 more dollars on top of the 20 million. The Winchester mansion took a total of 5 million to build, yet upon Sarah's death, her net worth with stock certificates and everything came to only 2.9 million dollars. It is rumored that Sarah hid the money in the house, in one of the many undiscovered rooms. One being found recently in 2018 by a maid cleaning. A small attic room off of the west wing of the house. Can you only imagine if the treasure of Manchester was found one day by a guest of the Victorian mansion that is now a museum. So if you plan on visiting 525 S Winchester Blvd in San Jose, California. The sight of this elaborate labyrinth, Take a large duffel bag with you, you never know if a spirit might lead you to a hidden room or to the hidden money, maybe even by the spirit of Lady Winchesters herself. After all, anything is possible in the world of the paranormal.

The End