The Architecture of Paranoia\n\nAfter the deaths of her husband and infant daughter, Sarah Winchester sought the advice of a medium who told her she was cursed. The medium claimed the spirits of thousands killed by the 'Gun that Won the West' were seeking revenge. To appease or confuse them, Sarah was told she must move West and build a home that would never be finished. If the hammering stopped, the medium warned, Sarah would die.\n\nFor the next 38 years, 24 hours a day, crews worked on her San Jose mansion. Sarah did not use an architect; instead, she sketched bizarre additions daily. The house eventually grew into a sprawling labyrinth of 160 rooms. To baffle the supernatural, she installed secret passages, chimneys that stop short of the roof, and a 'Seance Room' where she reportedly received building instructions from the spirits. \n\n- Labyrinthine Design: The house contains staircases that lead directly into ceilings and windows built into the floor.\n- The Number 13: Almost everything in the house is centered on the number 13, from the number of ceiling panels to the number of drains in the sinks.\n- Continuous Labor: The construction only ceased the moment she passed away in 1922, leaving behind one of the world's most baffling architectural puzzles.