Death of Sarah Winchester at the Winchester Mystery House

Sarah Winchester, widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester, died at her San Jose home (now the Winchester Mystery House) on September 5, 1922; contemporary reports list heart failure as the cause. The mansion at this address is notable for decades of continuous construction commissioned during her residency. Local folklore that she built constantly to appease or confuse spirits is widely circulated but debated by historians and not confirmed as fact. The house today operates as a museum that interprets both her life and the circumstances surrounding her death.