Haunted Real Estate Blog by Mary Pope-Handy mary@popehandy.com

My friend, Deb Wible of San Jose, also collects local ghost stories. She sometimes gives tours of the haunted places of San Jose – with the proceeds going to charity. She is a preservationist and her interest in history nicely intersects with her interest in ghosts.

Window to nowhere at the San Jose Winchester Mystery HouseOne of my more interesting emails this week came from Deb and it was regarding the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose (the very heart of Silicon Valley).  Thought I’d share with you her words about whether this famous landmark is haunted.

When I tell people I do ghost tours, the FIRST thing they always ask me is if Winchester is haunted. I’ve heard yes and no. One authority said no, my son, who was a tour guide there for 6 months, said no.

Another worker there told me yes, and a man who used to work for BFI there told me yes.

Odd doors at the haunted Winchester houseAt a Preservation Action Council (www.preservation.org) event, I met an older man named Julius.

He lives in that DeAnza twin tower, which used to be (or is) a medical building with flats above.

When I told him that I wasn’t certain if Winchester was haunted, he told me it most assuredly is.

I asked him why.

He said he was walking by the front gates of Winchester, and heard Sarah, in her own voice, complaining about the “surly union workers” !!!!!

This had a ring of truth to it for a couple reasons.

One of the many stained glass windows from Sara Winchester's Daisy Room in San Jose, CAI’d heard a story that Sarah used to keep close track of her hardware. She was not happy when her workers used her solid gold bolts on the front gate!

Also, her house was being built as America was becoming unionized.

Sorry I don’t have more details, but there’s one Winchester haunting story. J