Friday The 13th

Does this day bother you? Are you being extra careful? Or could you care less? I never give Friday the 13^th much thought at all. There is place though where it means something, a place where Friday the 13^th is celebrated. At the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California there are special flashlight tours. They sell out every time. Why is this such a big deal? Well it’s not your ordinary house tour.The Winchester Mystery House is a maze of a building with a fascinating history. I’ve been to the house several times. It’s always a treat. I love Victorian houses with all their gingerbread trim and unique floor plans. This house though goes well beyond anything imaginable.The house was built by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, at the turn of the twentieth century. This was a time when $20,000,000 would really buy you something. Mrs. Winchester was a very superstitious woman believing in the spirit world. She had a nightly séance with the “good spirits” to find out what to build to keep the “bad spirits” from bothering her and taking over her house. The work on her home continued round the clock through weekends and holidays for decades. Rooms were added on and torn apart over and over. Today 160 rooms remain, though it’s estimated there were 500 to 600 at one time.Constant building lead to some remarkable results. The house is a maze of architectural oddities. Stairways that go nowhere, and a staircases with seven switchbacks rising only nine feet, to accommodate Mrs. Winchester’s arthritis. Doors that open onto walls and others open to a two story drop or a chimney. Not to mention many secret passages. This was all in an effort to confuse and confound any “bad spirits” that were following Mrs. Winchester.And the house also contains lots of 13s. Many windows have 13 panes and there are 13 bathrooms, with 13 windows in the 13th Bathroom. There are also 13 wall panels in the room prior to the 13th Bathroom, and 13 steps leading to that bathroom. The Carriage Entrance Hall floor is divided into 13 cement sections. It goes on and on as does the history and legends.So if today is a day you take care not to step on a crack and throw salt over your shoulder know that you have company, at least in the spirit world. If you are interested in learning more about or even visiting the fascinating world of Mrs. Winchester’s Mystery House you can find out more here.