Photos: Famous haunted houses
Winchester House in California
Credit: flickr/harshlight
As one of two homes in California sanctioned by the U.S. Commerce Department as being haunted, the magnificent Winchester House stands alone as perhaps the most bizarre haunted home in the U.S. It was inspired and designed by Sarah Winchester, widow of William Winchester, founder of Winchester rifles. Legend goes that Sarah was deeply affected by the deaths of her daughter, Annie, in 1866 and then her husband, William, in 1881. Sarah consulted a medium who instructed her to build a house to ward off evil spirits. Construction on the Winchester House started in 1884 and continued for 38 years — until Sarah’s death in 1922. Sarah's ghost reportedly remains in the mansion. Source: zillow.com
