Editor’s note: Every weekday in October, former Mystery House blogger Stephen will post an excerpt from his in-progress guide to the Winchester Mystery House. Previous entries can be found here.

Stop 11: The Oriental Bedrooms

It is a well-known fact that Mrs. Winchester lived alone in her mansion, with frightened servants as her only companions. Only her fame as an eccentric eclipses her well-known status as a recluse, and no visitor ever passed through the ornate front doors of the Winchester House. While all of this makes for a good legend, it’s also quite untrue.

The first time I toured the mansion, on my first day of work as Mystery House guide, I was surprised to learn just how many supporting players figured in to the story of Sarah Winchester and her weird house. One of these, her niece Marion Merriot, lived in the Oriental Bedrooms.

I mention this because I find the idea of someone else being drawn into Mrs. Winchester’s compulsive life fascinating. Though Marion worked as Mrs. Winchester’s secretary and companion, her standing in the house would have been far above the servants and other employees. I can’t help but wonder if she used this station to influence her Aunt toward a more normal existence, or if she too was drawn in to Mrs. Winchester’s private world.

Unfortunately, not many resources are available to tell us about Marion. We know she married, and some additional tour information indicates that she was active in social causes for children. A family tree on display in the Carriage Entrance indicates she died in 1949, in an automobile accident I’ve been told.

The Oriental Bedrooms, named for their decor, sit in the portion of the mansion that remained in use after the 1906 earthquake. They’re convenient to Mrs. Winchester’s bedroom from that period, but also close to the quarters Mrs. Winchester used prior to the quake, giving me the impression that Marion’s time on the estate straddled this period.

Once you leave the Orientals, you’ll pass through the South Conservatory and move on to the Linen Rooms. On your way out of the bedroom, take a look at the hallway on your left. This is the Sun Porch, and also held flowers. The doors at the opposite end lead to the bedroom where Mrs. Winchester died.