This Old House Season 24 Episode 18 The Winchester House - 18

This Old House season 24 episode 18, titled "The Winchester House - 18," takes the viewers on a journey to San Jose, California, where the crew explores the mysterious Winchester House. The house was first built in the late 19th century by the widow of William Wirt Winchester, the heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune. The house has 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, and numerous dead ends, making it one of the most bizarre and intriguing architectural marvels in the world.

The crew starts the episode by exploring the front of the house, where they take note of the unique architectural features that make the Winchester House distinct from any other house they have seen. They then move to the second floor where they discover one of the dead ends in the house. The crew is puzzled by the purpose of these dead ends and wonders if they were intentionally built to confuse any evil spirits that may have been following the widow.

Next, the crew meets Alison Martino, the great-great-granddaughter of Sarah Winchester. Sarah came to believe that she was cursed by the spirits of those who were killed by Winchester rifles, and that these spirits would seek revenge on her and her family. To ward off these spirits, Sarah began building the Winchester House in 1886 and continued until her death in 1922. Alison explains that Sarah was a deeply spiritual person, and many of the architectural features of the house were aimed at keeping the spirits at bay.

The crew then meets Janan Boehme, the tour guide of the Winchester House. Janan takes the crew on a tour of the house and explains some of the unique features of the house, including the door that leads to nowhere, the staircase that has seven steps leading to the ceiling, and the room that was built just for the seance.

Later in the show, the crew meets Ron Pierce, the lead carpenter of This Old House, who takes up the challenge of replicating one of the unique features of the Winchester House – the door that leads to nowhere. Ron's idea is to build a door for the show house similar to the door in the Winchester House, but with a few modifications that make it more practical for everyday use.

As the episode comes to a close, the crew reflects on the unusual lifestyle of Sarah Winchester and how her spiritual beliefs influenced the design of the Winchester House. The crew leaves the house with a newfound respect for the craftsmanship and the spiritual beliefs that went into building this marvel of architectural engineering.

In conclusion, This Old House season 24 episode 18, titled "The Winchester House - 18," is an intriguing exploration of one of the world's most mysterious architectural wonders. The episode offers a glimpse of the bizarre world of Sarah Winchester and her spiritual beliefs that influenced the design of the Winchester House. The episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in architecture, history, and spirituality.