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Captive of the Labyrinth: Sarah L. Winchester, Heiress to the Rifle Fortune
The first full-length biography of Sarah Winchester, the subject of the movie Winchester starring Helen Mirren.
Since her death in 1922, Sarah Winchester has been perceived as a mysterious, haunted figure. After inheriting a vast fortune upon the death of her husband in 1881, Sarah purchased a simple farmhouse in San José, California. She began building additions to the house and continued construction on it for the next twenty years. A hostile press cast Sarah as the conscience of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company—a widow shouldering responsibility for the many deaths caused by the rifle that brought her riches. She was accused of being a ghost-obsessed spiritualist, and to this day it is largely believed that the extensive construction she executed on her San José house was done to appease the ghouls around her.
But was she really as guilt-ridden and superstitious as history remembers her? When Winchester’s home was purchased after her death, it was transformed into a tourist attraction. The bizarre, sprawling mansion and the enigmatic nature of Winchester’s life were exaggerated by the new owners to generate publicity for their business. But as the mansion has become more widely known, the person of Winchester has receded from reality, and she is only remembered for squandering her riches to ward off disturbed spirits.
Captive of the Sarah L. Winchester, Heiress to the Rifle Fortune demystifies the life of this unique American. In the first full-length biography of Winchester, author and historian Mary Jo Ignoffo unearths the truth about this notorious eccentric, revealing that she was not a maddened spiritualist driven by remorse but an intelligent, articulate woman who sought to protect her private life amidst the chaos of her public existence. The author takes readers through Winchester’s several homes, explores her private life, and, by excerpting from personal correspondence, gives the heiress a voice for the first time since her death. Ignoffo’s research reveals that Winchester’s true financial priority was not dissipating her fortune on the mansion in San José but investing it for a philanthropic legacy.
For too long Sarah Winchester has existed as a ghost herself—a woman whose existence lies somewhere between the facts of her life and a set of sensationalized recollections of who she may have been. Captive of the Labyrinth finally puts to rest the myths about this remarkable woman, and, in the process, uncovers the legacy she intended to leave behind.
Since her death in 1922, Sarah Winchester has been perceived as a mysterious, haunted figure. After inheriting a vast fortune upon the death of her husband in 1881, Sarah purchased a simple farmhouse in San José, California. She began building additions to the house and continued construction on it for the next twenty years. A hostile press cast Sarah as the conscience of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company—a widow shouldering responsibility for the many deaths caused by the rifle that brought her riches. She was accused of being a ghost-obsessed spiritualist, and to this day it is largely believed that the extensive construction she executed on her San José house was done to appease the ghouls around her.
But was she really as guilt-ridden and superstitious as history remembers her? When Winchester’s home was purchased after her death, it was transformed into a tourist attraction. The bizarre, sprawling mansion and the enigmatic nature of Winchester’s life were exaggerated by the new owners to generate publicity for their business. But as the mansion has become more widely known, the person of Winchester has receded from reality, and she is only remembered for squandering her riches to ward off disturbed spirits.
Captive of the Sarah L. Winchester, Heiress to the Rifle Fortune demystifies the life of this unique American. In the first full-length biography of Winchester, author and historian Mary Jo Ignoffo unearths the truth about this notorious eccentric, revealing that she was not a maddened spiritualist driven by remorse but an intelligent, articulate woman who sought to protect her private life amidst the chaos of her public existence. The author takes readers through Winchester’s several homes, explores her private life, and, by excerpting from personal correspondence, gives the heiress a voice for the first time since her death. Ignoffo’s research reveals that Winchester’s true financial priority was not dissipating her fortune on the mansion in San José but investing it for a philanthropic legacy.
For too long Sarah Winchester has existed as a ghost herself—a woman whose existence lies somewhere between the facts of her life and a set of sensationalized recollections of who she may have been. Captive of the Labyrinth finally puts to rest the myths about this remarkable woman, and, in the process, uncovers the legacy she intended to leave behind.
280 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2010
130 people are currently reading
1217 people want to read
About the author
Mary Jo Ignoffo
12 books8 followersMary Jo Ignoffo, author of Captive of the Labyrinth: Sarah L. Winchester, Heiress to the Rifle Fortune, available from the University of Missouri Press, is a historian committed to reaching beyond academia to present history to the public through exhibits, books, articles, lectures and forums.
The Chicago-born, Los Angeles-raised, longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay Area has spent much of the last twenty years researching and writing about California and community history. Her work with museums includes the permanent outdoor Orchard Heritage Park Interpretive Exhibit in Sunnyvale, California and permanent and changing exhibits at Heritage Park Museum, also in Sunnyvale. She has been curator for more than ten installations at the California History Center at De Anza College in Cupertino, and historian and author for the 2010 exhibit on Sarah Winchester at the Los Altos History Museum in Los Altos, California.
Her Gold Rush Politics (2000) is a detailed narrative about Californias first legislature convened in 1849 as the Gold Rush erupted, and as people in California waited on the U.S. Congress to admit the territory as the nations thirty-first state. This publication was sponsored by the California State Senate as its Sesquicentennial Project, celebrating Californias 150 years of statehood, and earned Ignoffo a Resolution from the California State Legislature. Ignoffos articles have appeared in the San Jose Mercury News, Santa Clara Magazine, and The Californian. She has been interviewed for documentaries including Sunnyvale Voices, a film compilation of stories about the defense and agricultural industries in California, and Million Dollar Dirt about the demise of farmland in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ignoffo has worked as a preservation consultant, participating in surveys of historic buildings undertaken in compliance with Californias Office of Historic Preservation.
Mary Jo Ignoffo teaches U.S. history and topics in California history at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. She resides in Santa Clara with her husband and two children.
"
The Chicago-born, Los Angeles-raised, longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay Area has spent much of the last twenty years researching and writing about California and community history. Her work with museums includes the permanent outdoor Orchard Heritage Park Interpretive Exhibit in Sunnyvale, California and permanent and changing exhibits at Heritage Park Museum, also in Sunnyvale. She has been curator for more than ten installations at the California History Center at De Anza College in Cupertino, and historian and author for the 2010 exhibit on Sarah Winchester at the Los Altos History Museum in Los Altos, California.
Her Gold Rush Politics (2000) is a detailed narrative about Californias first legislature convened in 1849 as the Gold Rush erupted, and as people in California waited on the U.S. Congress to admit the territory as the nations thirty-first state. This publication was sponsored by the California State Senate as its Sesquicentennial Project, celebrating Californias 150 years of statehood, and earned Ignoffo a Resolution from the California State Legislature. Ignoffos articles have appeared in the San Jose Mercury News, Santa Clara Magazine, and The Californian. She has been interviewed for documentaries including Sunnyvale Voices, a film compilation of stories about the defense and agricultural industries in California, and Million Dollar Dirt about the demise of farmland in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ignoffo has worked as a preservation consultant, participating in surveys of historic buildings undertaken in compliance with Californias Office of Historic Preservation.
Mary Jo Ignoffo teaches U.S. history and topics in California history at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. She resides in Santa Clara with her husband and two children.
"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
March 30, 2023
“Ariadne in the labyrinth. The most alive of worlds, human beings with the tenderest flesh, are made of marble. I strew devastation as I pass. I wander dead-eyed through cities and petrified populations.”
- Our Lady of the Flowers
Captive of the Labyrinth tells the story of Sarah Winchester and one of the most haunted houses in the world.
Or so mystery enthusiasts would have you believe. I expected a cross between Charmed and American Horror Story: Murder House, with a touch of Greek mythology. What I got was the truth.
The Winchester House is legendary. This architectural wonder, located in San Jose, California, is known for its beauty, as well as its ghosts and legends. 10,000 windows. 2,000 doors. 160 rooms. 52 skylights. The creator and mastermind behind the design is a woman. A woman as famous as the mansion itself. Sarah Winchester.
Sarah Winchester was born Sarah Pardee in 1839. She was the fifth of Sarah Burns and Leonard Pardee's seven children. Sarah developed a passion for architecture and design early in her life. She married William Winchester, her childhood friend and heir to the Winchester fortune. Yes, Winchester, as in Winchester rifle, aka 'the gun that won the west.' Sarah and William's only child, Annie Pardee Winchester, died shortly after birth. The tragedy didn't end there. Sarah lost not only her daughter but also her husband, mother, and sister. Following the death of her husband, Sarah became the sole heir of the Winchester rifle fortune. And that is where the mystery begins.
Sarah poured all her resources and attention into a picturesque property she called Llanada Villa, later known as the Winchester Mystery House. According to the lore, Sarah was haunted by the ghosts of those killed by a Winchester weapon. She began building the extraordinary, labyrinth-like mansion to appease the dead. Llanada Villa, designed with Egyptian, Persian, and Japanese influences, was constructed over a period of 38 years. The mansion was constantly reimagined and renovated. To confuse the spirits, to evade them, to outsmart them. At least, that's how the legend goes. Sarah's home is a beautiful labyrinth with staircases that seemingly go nowhere, doors that lead into walls, and bizarre hallways.
As the house has become more well known, the person of Sarah Winchester has receded further and further from reality. She was the subject of scores of newspaper articles beginning in about 1895. Initially these articles introduced her as a bit unusual because she was building such a large house over such a long period of time. Before long, she was being described as superstitious and guilt-ridden, and in later years, she was presumed mad. Rumors piled on top of each other almost as fast as she added rooms to her house. Time has woven the multiple story lines into a tight and complex web of intrigue.
Here's my conclusion. Sarah was a brilliant innovator, weighed down by sadness, and misunderstood by her contemporaries. She did not like to hang out with vapid socialites. She avoided her snoopy neighbors. She refused to host two U.S. presidents (that's such a flex). Despite rumors to the contrary, she was extremely generous to her workers.
How I imagine it all went down :
Sarah : *uses her vast imagination to build a masterpiece*
Citizens of San Jose : She's a crazed occultist
Sarah died in 1922. The famed mansion opened to the public in 1923. Some visitors claim to have seen ghostly apparitions. Others dismiss the stories as fake or exaggerated. Whatever you choose to believe, the mansion is magnificent and well worth the visit. The 1906 earthquake destroyed the large Observation Tower and several cupolas. Despite rumors and natural disasters, this mystifying house still endures.
Sarah Winchester built the big San José house for two reasons: one, to keep craftsmen employed with good provision for their families; and two, to give expression to her artistic vision. She did not want public attention, yet she caused quite a stir by building a maze of a house out on a quiet country road. She wanted to work in peace, plodding along in a labyrinth of her own making, perhaps reflective of an equally complex interior life. Despite her best efforts, Sarah Winchester could not maintain the privacy she desired. Neighbors who wished to know her or have access to her were rebuffed. To the local people, she was an enigma. They did not know what to make of her. Eventually, they just made fun.
P.S. I highly recommend watching Kaz Rowe's video on the Winchester Mystery House, as well as Beyond the Ghost Stories of the Winchester Mystery House by HouzzTV.
- Our Lady of the Flowers
Captive of the Labyrinth tells the story of Sarah Winchester and one of the most haunted houses in the world.
Or so mystery enthusiasts would have you believe. I expected a cross between Charmed and American Horror Story: Murder House, with a touch of Greek mythology. What I got was the truth.
The Winchester House is legendary. This architectural wonder, located in San Jose, California, is known for its beauty, as well as its ghosts and legends. 10,000 windows. 2,000 doors. 160 rooms. 52 skylights. The creator and mastermind behind the design is a woman. A woman as famous as the mansion itself. Sarah Winchester.
Sarah Winchester was born Sarah Pardee in 1839. She was the fifth of Sarah Burns and Leonard Pardee's seven children. Sarah developed a passion for architecture and design early in her life. She married William Winchester, her childhood friend and heir to the Winchester fortune. Yes, Winchester, as in Winchester rifle, aka 'the gun that won the west.' Sarah and William's only child, Annie Pardee Winchester, died shortly after birth. The tragedy didn't end there. Sarah lost not only her daughter but also her husband, mother, and sister. Following the death of her husband, Sarah became the sole heir of the Winchester rifle fortune. And that is where the mystery begins.
Sarah poured all her resources and attention into a picturesque property she called Llanada Villa, later known as the Winchester Mystery House. According to the lore, Sarah was haunted by the ghosts of those killed by a Winchester weapon. She began building the extraordinary, labyrinth-like mansion to appease the dead. Llanada Villa, designed with Egyptian, Persian, and Japanese influences, was constructed over a period of 38 years. The mansion was constantly reimagined and renovated. To confuse the spirits, to evade them, to outsmart them. At least, that's how the legend goes. Sarah's home is a beautiful labyrinth with staircases that seemingly go nowhere, doors that lead into walls, and bizarre hallways.
As the house has become more well known, the person of Sarah Winchester has receded further and further from reality. She was the subject of scores of newspaper articles beginning in about 1895. Initially these articles introduced her as a bit unusual because she was building such a large house over such a long period of time. Before long, she was being described as superstitious and guilt-ridden, and in later years, she was presumed mad. Rumors piled on top of each other almost as fast as she added rooms to her house. Time has woven the multiple story lines into a tight and complex web of intrigue.
Here's my conclusion. Sarah was a brilliant innovator, weighed down by sadness, and misunderstood by her contemporaries. She did not like to hang out with vapid socialites. She avoided her snoopy neighbors. She refused to host two U.S. presidents (that's such a flex). Despite rumors to the contrary, she was extremely generous to her workers.
How I imagine it all went down :
Sarah : *uses her vast imagination to build a masterpiece*
Citizens of San Jose : She's a crazed occultist
Sarah died in 1922. The famed mansion opened to the public in 1923. Some visitors claim to have seen ghostly apparitions. Others dismiss the stories as fake or exaggerated. Whatever you choose to believe, the mansion is magnificent and well worth the visit. The 1906 earthquake destroyed the large Observation Tower and several cupolas. Despite rumors and natural disasters, this mystifying house still endures.
Sarah Winchester built the big San José house for two reasons: one, to keep craftsmen employed with good provision for their families; and two, to give expression to her artistic vision. She did not want public attention, yet she caused quite a stir by building a maze of a house out on a quiet country road. She wanted to work in peace, plodding along in a labyrinth of her own making, perhaps reflective of an equally complex interior life. Despite her best efforts, Sarah Winchester could not maintain the privacy she desired. Neighbors who wished to know her or have access to her were rebuffed. To the local people, she was an enigma. They did not know what to make of her. Eventually, they just made fun.
P.S. I highly recommend watching Kaz Rowe's video on the Winchester Mystery House, as well as Beyond the Ghost Stories of the Winchester Mystery House by HouzzTV.
April 7, 2014
I grew up just miles from The Winchester Mystery House, totally accepting the local lore of Sarah Winchester being a crazy old bat. I loved learning the truth about the quirky house, the history of the Santa Clara valley, and how the negative public perception of Sarah Winchester came about. Sarah was well-loved and respected by those in her inner circle, as well as her employees. She was a generous philanthropist and savvy business woman. All of the reports of her superstitions and spiritualism were fabricated.
I did find a few areas of the book a little dry, and wished for more pictures of the house. But, overall this was a very satisfying read.
I did find a few areas of the book a little dry, and wished for more pictures of the house. But, overall this was a very satisfying read.
April 29, 2021
It is so rare to find anyone challenging the accepted view of things, that I delighted in the very idea of a writer/researcher asking "how do you know that?" and going right to primary sources. I celebrated when she discovered that the treasure trove of a crazy old widow's papers were not lost to time (or worse, non-existent) but in the hands of her attorney. No one had bothered to look.
At the base, this is simply a thoroughly good biography. Where Ignoffo consistently debunks the haziest of myths, by showing how newspapers can make up news, then cite each other as news sources... it is also compelling research.
And a reminder that sometimes the most obvious answer (for why a house built in turn of the century California might be missing hallways and staircases) is indeed the correct one.
At the base, this is simply a thoroughly good biography. Where Ignoffo consistently debunks the haziest of myths, by showing how newspapers can make up news, then cite each other as news sources... it is also compelling research.
And a reminder that sometimes the most obvious answer (for why a house built in turn of the century California might be missing hallways and staircases) is indeed the correct one.
September 8, 2017
Since I was a little girl growing up with parents who loved history, especially American West history, I'd been told stories about the Winchester Mansion (I never refer to is as the "Winchester Mystery House") and the eccentric Sarah Winchester who out of pain, guilt, and tragedy was trying desperately to keep spirits at bay...my friends and I even played an imagination game we dubbed "Escape From the Winchester Mansion" when we were kids. But having visited the house several years back and in maturing over the years, I felt like there had to be more to the story. So I was extremely excited when I saw this booked recommended by a friend. I tore through it, reveling in all it had to share not about a desperate, scared, and maybe crazy rich woman trying to trick ghosts but of a strong, independent woman who survived loss of loved ones, wars, and even an earthquake. She was private and yet fiercely loyal and caring to the few she let into her life. Hearing the real story doesn't make the existence of the Winchester Mansion any less fascinating to me...if anything, I appreciate it even fuller and look forward to visiting it again with open eyes and updated knowledge.
December 25, 2013
Everything you know about Sarah Winchester is wrong.
Ignoffo's book is a great example of how local history should be done. Some readers have criticized the book for being repetitive, but it is obvious that the chapters have been published separately as journal articles. I appreciate how each chapter stands alone, and explores different themes, although they progress temporally. There were many widows living in the SF Bay area at the turn of the century in huge Victorian Mansions. Most of them were torn down. The irony that lead to the preservation of Winchester's house, and the woman herself, is so weird, and so Californian.
Ignoffo's book is a great example of how local history should be done. Some readers have criticized the book for being repetitive, but it is obvious that the chapters have been published separately as journal articles. I appreciate how each chapter stands alone, and explores different themes, although they progress temporally. There were many widows living in the SF Bay area at the turn of the century in huge Victorian Mansions. Most of them were torn down. The irony that lead to the preservation of Winchester's house, and the woman herself, is so weird, and so Californian.
April 28, 2016
This book is the real behind the scenes tour of the Winchester Mystery House. It is wonderfully written, and in many cases, emotionally moving. I recommend it highly but with caution: it will be somewhat of a shock for any of those who grew up a fan of the attraction.
October 28, 2016
Here's everything interesting about the book distilled into a few sentences: Sarah Winchester was not superstitious, did not hold seances, did not believe she was being haunted by the ghosts of people killed by Winchester rifles, and was not convinced that she would die as soon as she stopped construction on what later became the Winchester Mystery House tourist trap. After her husband died of tuberculosis and she moved to California, she kept to herself. The local press interpreted her preference for privacy as her being uppity, and so writers and columnists were pretty quick to create and/or spread baseless rumors about Winchester's supposed superstitious beliefs. Any quirks about the "mystery house" can be explained by the fact that she shared an interest in architecture with her late husband, but she wasn't so great at designing buildings that her amateur designs held up when the town was hit by a massive earthquake in 1906. She didn't rebuild the house afterward, and the people who bought the house after her death hastily added elements that capitalized on rumors of Winchester's supposed beliefs about ghosts and about being haunted. Winchester also was instrumental in funding a New Haven hospital dedicated to treating tuberculosis.
I definitely was surprised to learn a lot of these details about Sarah Winchester, but personally I only cared about the first and final three chapters of this book. If you don't want to learn about Sarah Winchester's family history going back generations before she was born, I suggest you skip pretty liberally when reading it.
I definitely was surprised to learn a lot of these details about Sarah Winchester, but personally I only cared about the first and final three chapters of this book. If you don't want to learn about Sarah Winchester's family history going back generations before she was born, I suggest you skip pretty liberally when reading it.
April 21, 2014
Got this book because I was fascinated by the Winchester house, but once I began the book I realized Sarah herself was the more fascinating of the two! Enjoyed reading about her life and the times she lived in.
July 31, 2016
This was a really interesting biography. I've been to the Winchester Mystery House many times. Little did I know that the tour script is not even remotely close to the reality of Sarah Winchester.
August 6, 2020
Nice to have a book that actually discusses who Sarah Winchester was as a person as opposed to the standard "oooh spooky ghosts!!!" legend.
April 22, 2015
Fascinating. I've loved the Winchester Mystery House all my life, and this book exposed the real truth behind the enchanting but misleading legend. The real Sarah Winchester was an intriguing local figure in her own right. If you've ever visited the house, it's time to treat yourself to the truth.
November 16, 2022
I was curious about Mrs. Winchester, since I had visited the house in San Jose on a couple of occasions. The stories seemed far-fetched, and after reading this, I understand why.
I didn't get into this book until after the first third of it. The family tree was dull, and it took hours and many pages to get through. Once we got into the story of Mrs. Winchester herself, and the history of San Jose and Santa Clara, it got interesting.
I didn't get into this book until after the first third of it. The family tree was dull, and it took hours and many pages to get through. Once we got into the story of Mrs. Winchester herself, and the history of San Jose and Santa Clara, it got interesting.
July 25, 2023
Truly admirable how much research this author did to tell a story that no one else before seemed interested in telling……
As this book will show you, literally no part of the legend of Sarah Winchester you’ve been told (other than her husband and daughter meeting untimely deaths) is true. Sure, a wealthy Victorian woman with a strong interest in architecture and design who abandoned her project after it was ravaged by a massive and traumatic earthquake may not be as exciting or romantic as a woman driven mad by grief and guilt haunted by ghosts, but it’s the truth, and that deserves to be heard.
Now this book does go into a lot of detail that readers may or may not find necessary, but as someone who’s lived her entire life within a few miles of the Winchester House I’d definitely recommend it to other people from the area interested in local history because there’s some pretty interesting stuff about the history of the area.
Anyway R.I.P. Sarah Winchester you would have loved HGTV
As this book will show you, literally no part of the legend of Sarah Winchester you’ve been told (other than her husband and daughter meeting untimely deaths) is true. Sure, a wealthy Victorian woman with a strong interest in architecture and design who abandoned her project after it was ravaged by a massive and traumatic earthquake may not be as exciting or romantic as a woman driven mad by grief and guilt haunted by ghosts, but it’s the truth, and that deserves to be heard.
Now this book does go into a lot of detail that readers may or may not find necessary, but as someone who’s lived her entire life within a few miles of the Winchester House I’d definitely recommend it to other people from the area interested in local history because there’s some pretty interesting stuff about the history of the area.
Anyway R.I.P. Sarah Winchester you would have loved HGTV
November 1, 2022
This isn't my usual type of read and it definitely had a lot of "so and so begat so and so" but I also really thought it was an interesting look at the Silicon Valley back before it was known for high-tech. Also I've been to the Winchester house a few times and it was interesting to learn more about the reality and not the myth behind it.
June 6, 2011
A little academic in tone, it was good to hear the truth of Sarah Winchester. I think if I ever went to see the house, which I would like to for the architecture, I would want to set the record straight. Unfortunately, Mrs. Winchester couldn't set the record straight when she was alive.
November 1, 2012
17 book of 2012
This book not only shed some light on the real Sarah Winchester but it also educated me on the early days of California and the big players of that time (think James Lick and the Stanford family)
October 12, 2022
The popular story of the Winchester house is the product of yellow journalism and marketing hucksters. The reason why Winchester house looks strange inside and out is that after the 1906 quake, Sarah decided not to rebuild the badly damaged house and just did enough work to seal the house up. There was no fear of 'ghosts' or other nonsense that caused her prior constant changes on the house, she was a wealthy amateur architect and liked building.
Interesting historical tidbit, the land prices sound unreal, we have had a tremendous amount of inflation. Also even the wealthy could be screwed by the all powerful Southern Pacific railroad, AKA the Octopus. Also her fortune sounds so small at just around $4 million! The general state of woman's right comes up, and it looks ugly even for wealthy women in the 19th century.
An interesting look at early Silicon Valley as experienced by Sarah Winchester.
Interesting historical tidbit, the land prices sound unreal, we have had a tremendous amount of inflation. Also even the wealthy could be screwed by the all powerful Southern Pacific railroad, AKA the Octopus. Also her fortune sounds so small at just around $4 million! The general state of woman's right comes up, and it looks ugly even for wealthy women in the 19th century.
An interesting look at early Silicon Valley as experienced by Sarah Winchester.
January 11, 2022
This book basically ruins the mystery behind the weird Winchester house. All of the intriguing aspects of her story were shit posted by facts. So basically if you want to read a boring book about politics and heritage money, go ahead. Complete waste of my time.
April 27, 2023
A really wonderful biography and place history, especially if you live in the area. Not completely polished or proofread but a fascinating read nevertheless.
July 3, 2024
Very informative!
October 2, 2021
Totally disappointed in this one. I felt the title and back cover, even the chapter titles, were very misleading. I did find the history very interesting but I learned very little about the actual house and the history/tales of it since Sarah Winchester's death.
December 5, 2024
Mi sono interessata alla Winchester Mystery house grazie a vari programmi sul paranormale, tra cui Ghost adventures, e in seguito al film con Helen Mirren.
Quindi che questo saggio scacci qualsiasi traccia di paranormale dalla storia, un po' mi ha seccato.
Capisco dover riabilitare il nome di Sarah Winchester, e capisco che il film abbia esagerato (ma i costumi sono belli e la casa anche), purtroppo il tutto è diventato una serie interminabile di nomi di parenti, vicini di casa, artigiani che lavoravano alla casa, il tutto condito dalla contabilità, perchè l'autrice ci tiene a dirci i prezzi di ogni singola cosa dell'epoca.
La vedova Winchester è stata una benefattrice della sua comunità, ha costruito una casa che è visitabile ancora oggi, fantasmi o no.
Ma non è piacevole leggere un libro di contabilità e parentame.
Quindi che questo saggio scacci qualsiasi traccia di paranormale dalla storia, un po' mi ha seccato.
Capisco dover riabilitare il nome di Sarah Winchester, e capisco che il film abbia esagerato (ma i costumi sono belli e la casa anche), purtroppo il tutto è diventato una serie interminabile di nomi di parenti, vicini di casa, artigiani che lavoravano alla casa, il tutto condito dalla contabilità, perchè l'autrice ci tiene a dirci i prezzi di ogni singola cosa dell'epoca.
La vedova Winchester è stata una benefattrice della sua comunità, ha costruito una casa che è visitabile ancora oggi, fantasmi o no.
Ma non è piacevole leggere un libro di contabilità e parentame.
October 29, 2011
Very detailed historical account of the life and doings of Sarah Winchester. It focused so much on portraying Winchester in an accurate light (i.e. she was NOT a haunted, crazy, spiritualist) that I found myself longing for the excitement and mystery of the embellished modern day perception of the matron of the Winchester "Mystery House." I suppose I don't need the myth of the woman as much as I crave more details and photos of the actual house and its construction. Ignoffo seemed to want to debunk the myths surrounding Winchester and her famed house so much that the actual house, which is very interesting and remarkable, was barely noted in the book, except to accuse the subsequent owners and promoters of perpetuating rumors and lies about Winchester. If anyone knows of a book which only focuses on the architecture of the house, which apparently was Winchester's true passion, please let me know!
Read
April 28, 2011This book caught my attention at our midwest city library. I had visited the Winchester house while on vacation years ago with my sister because she had heard of the unusual structure. This compilation of facts and stories was interesting and informative about the history of New Haven and the California areas where Sarah Winchester lived. Thank you to the author and all who contributed to give a factual accounting of a woman who made a difference in the lives of many people.
April 14, 2014
This seemed dry as dust to me. It was basically a long winded account of her life from birth to grave with no real substance in between. The author spent so much time telling us why the Winchester legacy is not supernatural, that any romance, mystery or awe of Sarah's house is snuffed out. I was highly disappointed.
January 16, 2018
This book was full of information but I wished it had focused on Sarah winchester's life only. Too many extra details made it more laborious to read.
July 20, 2023
I was led to this book by Sarai Walker, who cited it in her research for The Cherry Robbers. Sarah L. Winchester, heir to the Winchester rifle fortune, was said to be an influence for the mother, Belinda, in Walker's novel. However, Ignoffo, from the beginning disputes that Sarah Winchester had remorse over her connection to the Winchester rifle. The author maintains that the stories around Sarah Winchester, both during her lifetime and since her death, are mostly manufactured by a hostile press and the purchaser of her unusual San Jose, CA home.
Okay, but what I didn't like about Captive of the Labyrinth was the telling of the story. There was a lot of repetition and a lot of tangents. (See paragraph quoted below for one example.) While I could appreciate the author's research and premise, I didn't care for the way the story was told, although it was somewhat chronologically. I skipped over some chapters and almost did not finish reading.
The following is part of the description of Winchester's funeral:
"Despite Winchester's careful preparations, the weather was one eventuality that she could not control. September 8 was the hottest day of 1922, with temperatures soaring near one hundred degrees. The odor of fermenting fruit hand over the valley as tons of prunes succumbing to the heat lay on the ground. The Santa Clara Valley produced more prunes than any other spot on the globe. The yield from an estimated 7.5 million prune trees, worth more than $30 million, was due to be picked within the week, and the extreme heat threatened the crop. A healthy harvest at Llandada Villa also awaited picking." (198)
One interesting tidbit to me is that one of Winchester's nieces married a man, Henry "Harry" Ruthrauff, a writer. A similar surname is part of my husband's extended family. I did not, however, immediately see any connection. For my own, possible future reference, I am noting some information here.
Henry Fitzgerald Ruthrauff, born May 5, 1870, died March 28, 1942 in LA. His father was Alonzo; his mother, Helen Fitzgerald (information from FAG). He was the 2nd husband of Sarah "Saidee" Louise Gerard (1868-1925), daughter of Sarah Winchester's sister, Estelle L. Pardee (1845-1894) and George Lyon Gerard.
A Pittsburgh connection: John Brown and his wife, Mayme, who bought the Winchester property in 1923, a few months after Sarah Winchester's death, and subsequently opened the home as a tourist attraction, capitalizing on Sarah's reported eccentricities. The couple had come from Pittsburgh and John invented one of the early roller-coasters, the "backity-back." The roller-coaster was installed at an amusement park at Crystal Beach Resort on the Canadian shores of Lake Erie, near Niagara Falls. In 1910, a woman was killed when she was thrown from the ride. The Browns susequently moved to California. (208)
Okay, but what I didn't like about Captive of the Labyrinth was the telling of the story. There was a lot of repetition and a lot of tangents. (See paragraph quoted below for one example.) While I could appreciate the author's research and premise, I didn't care for the way the story was told, although it was somewhat chronologically. I skipped over some chapters and almost did not finish reading.
The following is part of the description of Winchester's funeral:
"Despite Winchester's careful preparations, the weather was one eventuality that she could not control. September 8 was the hottest day of 1922, with temperatures soaring near one hundred degrees. The odor of fermenting fruit hand over the valley as tons of prunes succumbing to the heat lay on the ground. The Santa Clara Valley produced more prunes than any other spot on the globe. The yield from an estimated 7.5 million prune trees, worth more than $30 million, was due to be picked within the week, and the extreme heat threatened the crop. A healthy harvest at Llandada Villa also awaited picking." (198)
One interesting tidbit to me is that one of Winchester's nieces married a man, Henry "Harry" Ruthrauff, a writer. A similar surname is part of my husband's extended family. I did not, however, immediately see any connection. For my own, possible future reference, I am noting some information here.
Henry Fitzgerald Ruthrauff, born May 5, 1870, died March 28, 1942 in LA. His father was Alonzo; his mother, Helen Fitzgerald (information from FAG). He was the 2nd husband of Sarah "Saidee" Louise Gerard (1868-1925), daughter of Sarah Winchester's sister, Estelle L. Pardee (1845-1894) and George Lyon Gerard.
A Pittsburgh connection: John Brown and his wife, Mayme, who bought the Winchester property in 1923, a few months after Sarah Winchester's death, and subsequently opened the home as a tourist attraction, capitalizing on Sarah's reported eccentricities. The couple had come from Pittsburgh and John invented one of the early roller-coasters, the "backity-back." The roller-coaster was installed at an amusement park at Crystal Beach Resort on the Canadian shores of Lake Erie, near Niagara Falls. In 1910, a woman was killed when she was thrown from the ride. The Browns susequently moved to California. (208)
May 4, 2020
Ms. Ignoffo has done everyone who appreciates good local history a great service by correcting the historical record of a remarkable and admirable woman. Sarah "Sallie" Winchester deserves much better than being the star of an invented ghost story. The real woman is far more interesting than the fake one. It is a great shame that many supposedly reputable organizations including the San Jose Historical Society perpetuated a completely fictitious story. The Brown family can operate their supernatural amusement, but the state of California should place an accurate historical plaque at the house. I suggest it should read: "Locally known as the Castle, this house was owned by Sarah Lockwood Winchester from 1886 until sold by her heirs in 1933. A native of New Haven, Connecticut, Mrs. Winchester inherited a 30% share of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company upon the death of her husband William W. Winchester from tuberculosis in 1881. Mrs. Winchester, known as Sallie, used her wealth to provide improved treatment of that disease, endowing numerous clinics including what is now the Yale-New Haven Hospital. She bought several parcels of land in California where she eventually owned five homes in addition to the Castle. Created from an existing two-story, wood-frame farmhouse built before 1876, the house was vastly enlarged by Mrs. Winchester. When construction ended about 1895, the house had over a hundred rooms on six floors, numerous turrets, and a seven-story tower. The Castle originally stood at the center of a sprawling ranch of 140 acres with a caretaker's house, stable, barns and other outbuildings. After 1903, Sallie Winchester resided primarily in Fair Oaks (now Atherton), where she owned two homes, and the Castle had no permanent residents. The earthquake of 1906 caused the tower and the two upper floors to collapse. Mrs. Winchester had the house repaired but declined to restore it resulting in the odd configuration seen today. After Sallie's death in 1922, her other homes were sold, but the Castle was appraised as having no value. In 1923, the furnishings were sold and the house leased to amusement promoters John and Mayme Brown who opened it as a public attraction. The Browns purchased the house ten years later, and their descendants own the house today. No plan of the original house exists nor do any photos of its original interior. The house today bears little resemblance to the original structure and all the furnishings are replacements." If her spirit is in the vicinity, Aunt Sallie is certainly laughing at the gullible tourists wandering through the house! Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys real local history.
June 13, 2019
Having lived in the Bay Area my entire life, I'd assumed that there was nothing more I needed to know about Sarah Winchester or her spooky haunted house. I was very happily (and frustratingly) proved wrong by Mary Jo Ignoffo's book on the subject.
Seeking to undo the century of misinformation and flat out fiction that surrounds Winchester's "legacy", Ms. Ignoffo meticulously researched documents that, it seems, nobody ever bothered to look for. Land titles, photos, and person correspondences are laid bare along with the unproven "truths" that we've been told our entire lives. Winchester built this San Jose maze to keep safe from the ghosts of those killed by Winchester rifles. Stairs to nowhere, windows where windows shouldn't be, non-stop building because she thought she'd die if she stopped!
All those shocking tales and more... are dispatched with ease by Ignoffo and her most dangerous weapon; actual facts. What's most fascinating? The fact that Sarah Winchester was just as remarkable (if not more) WITHOUT supernatural tall tales. An architecture enthusiast, savvy investor, philanthropist, and recluse who single-handedly shaped the Bay Area as we know it. Sarah Winchester was a singularly successful woman at a time when that wasn't particularly the fashion, which goes a long way toward understanding why the slander began.
This is the story I had hoped the Helen Mirren "Winchester" film would be. Instead, the absurd paranormal narrative continues. With any luck, any field trip a school takes to the house will also include a thorough cross-check with this record. Mary Jo Ignoffo has done a great service to a tremendous figure in history.
Seeking to undo the century of misinformation and flat out fiction that surrounds Winchester's "legacy", Ms. Ignoffo meticulously researched documents that, it seems, nobody ever bothered to look for. Land titles, photos, and person correspondences are laid bare along with the unproven "truths" that we've been told our entire lives. Winchester built this San Jose maze to keep safe from the ghosts of those killed by Winchester rifles. Stairs to nowhere, windows where windows shouldn't be, non-stop building because she thought she'd die if she stopped!
All those shocking tales and more... are dispatched with ease by Ignoffo and her most dangerous weapon; actual facts. What's most fascinating? The fact that Sarah Winchester was just as remarkable (if not more) WITHOUT supernatural tall tales. An architecture enthusiast, savvy investor, philanthropist, and recluse who single-handedly shaped the Bay Area as we know it. Sarah Winchester was a singularly successful woman at a time when that wasn't particularly the fashion, which goes a long way toward understanding why the slander began.
This is the story I had hoped the Helen Mirren "Winchester" film would be. Instead, the absurd paranormal narrative continues. With any luck, any field trip a school takes to the house will also include a thorough cross-check with this record. Mary Jo Ignoffo has done a great service to a tremendous figure in history.
January 30, 2022
I don’t read many biographies. I generally find that they give me far too much information about things I care nothing about, and not enough detail about the things I want to know. This book isn’t much different, though it was better than most I’ve read.
What I most wanted to know was more about why Mrs. Winchester really built her fascinatingly weird “Mystery House.” I remember reading about the house in a magazine when I was a child, and I’ve been fascinated ever since, but I also never believed the stories about ghosts and her feeling haunted by guilt over getting rich from her husband’s rifle business. For that reason alone this book was the perfect choice for me to read. Ms. Ignoffo is on a mission to refute and correct years of misinformation and outright lies told about Mrs. Winchester and she does a very thorough job. All kinds of stories are debunked thoroughly here, including all the hooey told by the guides on the “Mystery House” tours.
I am really more interested in architecture than silly ghost stories and superstitions so it was fascinating to read more about how Sarah designed rooms and designs herself building as she went. She had a life-long interest in architecture and design, so it makes sense that it was what she did for fun or to distract herself from her loneliness and pain after the untimely death of her husband and infant daughter.
Bottom line: If you’re interested in the *true story* and real facts of Mrs. Winchester and her house, this is the book to read. If you want the fun, silly ghost story stuff, look elsewhere.
What I most wanted to know was more about why Mrs. Winchester really built her fascinatingly weird “Mystery House.” I remember reading about the house in a magazine when I was a child, and I’ve been fascinated ever since, but I also never believed the stories about ghosts and her feeling haunted by guilt over getting rich from her husband’s rifle business. For that reason alone this book was the perfect choice for me to read. Ms. Ignoffo is on a mission to refute and correct years of misinformation and outright lies told about Mrs. Winchester and she does a very thorough job. All kinds of stories are debunked thoroughly here, including all the hooey told by the guides on the “Mystery House” tours.
I am really more interested in architecture than silly ghost stories and superstitions so it was fascinating to read more about how Sarah designed rooms and designs herself building as she went. She had a life-long interest in architecture and design, so it makes sense that it was what she did for fun or to distract herself from her loneliness and pain after the untimely death of her husband and infant daughter.
Bottom line: If you’re interested in the *true story* and real facts of Mrs. Winchester and her house, this is the book to read. If you want the fun, silly ghost story stuff, look elsewhere.
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