Winchester House San Jose - the door to an architectural marvel

Heading to San Jose, California, USA? One of the popular attractions of this city is the Winchester Mansion, better known as the Winchester Mystery House, thanks to its many intriguing aspects that have lent it an aura of thrill and intrigue. However, you should not visit merely for the mysterious layout within, but also for the unique Victorian architecture that gives it a really charming touch. So this particular post will focus on giving you an insight into the elements of architecture that are part of this lovely house so as not to miss out on any during your audio-visual tour. The photos and some of the input for the write-up are based on a personal visit by my niece.

An overview

The Winchester Mystery House is made of redwood which is predominant in California, with faux grain and stain that was applied to make it look aesthetically appealing. It seems it was constructed with a floating foundation to withstand earthquakes. With over 160 rooms that include 40 bedrooms and two ballrooms, one of which was not fully completed, the house is really massive. Inside you will come across numerous fireplaces and will find it impossible to keep count of the glass panes of the innumerable windows. The chimneys and outside turrets are also plentiful. 

What you should do is to pay attention to the large board on the outside path that displays a sketch of the mansion's exterior. It is your main guide to identifying the architectural designs on the outside of the house. 

Looking at the above, you can then clearly identify the various beautiful architectural features and design elements that are showcased in the photos below.

The Witch's Cap

The windows

Next to it are a variety of windows, including leaded glass windows, opaque glass windows below the shingles that have shapes of fish scales, and on the ground floor level are the beveled glass windows. Don't miss the lovely balustrade as well above those windows.

Typical features and designs

In the same photo above you can see next to the beveled glass windows a sunburst in the square. Know more about this feature in architecture

Look up at the very top and identify other architectural elements- the cornice, gable, and cupola. Have a fascinating look at various types of cupolas.

Further architectural elements are when you face the right side of the above photo, such as a pediment and a lap siding. At the top are the turret and the inset balcony. 

In the above photo, you will also see a corbel, which is a typical architectural feature that has the important function of supporting the structure. Curious to know more? Know its origin and other fascinating facts.

A close up of the designs on the glass windows-

The door to nowhere

One of the most fascinating features is the door to nowhere. What was the purpose of this, you will wonder!

The Door to Nowhere

Finally, the side view of the house below has some more architectural elements you need to know about - a cartouche (an oval design element), the finials (the vertical decorative spokes that reach for the sky), and the ridge cresting (the ornamental design attached to the roof). 

As you can see, there is a lesson in architecture out there at the Winchester Mansion in San Jose! 

The history behind the architecture

To conclude, in order to understand the strange architecture of the house, it is a good idea to understand the history behind it. It seems this four-storeyed mansion was constructed by Sarah, the Lady of Winchester in 1866, who shifted to the USA in the early 1900s. After the unfortunate demise of her husband and children to diseases, she became very superstitious and consulted a medium. She was told to shift to the West and construct a house to appease the spirits of those who were killed by a Winchester rifle. Thus, she commissioned the making of the house, but with no architectural plan, merely based on what she believed was the right way to go about the same. The only obstruction she ever faced was the earthquake of 1906 that destroyed the top three floors of what used to be originally a 7-storeyed mansion, the 4th floor of which to date is not completely repaired. Not to be deterred she then continued to expand the house horizontally instead of making more floors. With a huge inheritance and a stake in the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, the construction spanned the years from 1844 till her death in 1922 as apparently, she was told to continue the construction work for her lifetime. You can check out various online sources, including the official website to know more about the history of this mansion and get some useful information here.