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dragoness_eThis should be the last bit of the tour and house pictures. The Winchester Gun Museum pictures I haven't even begun to process.
One of the tours you can take is called the "Behind the Scenes" tour, and it goes into the works of the estate. As usual, I only took pictures of a few things because quite a few of the things just didn't make very interesting pictures, or so I thought at the time. Also, some of the "working" areas of the house I include in this, though not as much as I would have liked, because of my camera batteries failing during the first tour. (The Mansion Tour).
The $25,000 Storeroom
This storeroom was where the valuable building materials, such as stained glass windows and doors, wallpaper fabrics, fine marble tiles, etc, were stored until use in renovations. Mrs. Winchester always wanted materials to be on hand in case she got inspiration from the spirits for a new building project. The materials in the storeroom were valued at $25,000 at her death; now, of course, they are worth millions.
Laundry room sinks
As I recall, these are enameled soapstone. I love the polished wood frames, too.
Cold room
This was the equivalent of a walk-in refrigerator. It was lined with marble, and would be stocked with ice to keep wine and other things cold.
Elevator Machinery
The motor and fuse panel for one of the three house elevators, built by Otis Elevator Company, and the very latest in modern technology, at the time. I believe this one is actually the cargo elevator, which goes all the way down into the basement, and up several floors, to move furniture and such like.
Cargo elevator in basement
The basement is very large, though not quite as labyrinthine as the house upstairs. It also has a low ceiling, lots of low-flying pipes, and is a dark, gloomy place. Down in the basement was a lot of storage space, stored canned food, radio batteries used for the servant call button system, the steam radiators for the central heating, the coal storage bin, the ash bin, and the coal-fired, brick-lined boiler.
The boiler
One of the things found in the house was the operator's manual for the boiler. It's now posted on the wall in a glass case next to the boiler, and proudly proclaims this to be a "portable" boiler. It was portable; it was disassembled at the factory, shipped out to California, and re-assembled in the basement. That's "portable".
Coal dust in a boiler mixes with metal fragments to form 'clinkers'. These have to be shoveled out periodically before they really gum things up inside the boiler and lead to catastrophic failure. What's shovelled out is fed into a sorting machine that shakes out the still good chunks of coal and bigger clinkers from the ash; the coal is re-used, and the clinkers tossed. Apparently they kept on the job okay at Winchester house; the ash "bin" (room) is full nearly to the ceiling.
Coal and clinkers retrieved from the sorter
Coal is the shiny black rocks on the left; clinkers are the disgusting blops to the right.
Stable
Mrs. Winchester's horses had a posh stable. People are checking out the feed and water troughs, which were supplied through chutes in the back.
Prickly Pear
This nice prickly pear in full fruit was back by one of the pump houses/sheds.
Out back are less formal gardens. Kitchen gardens, the odd rose bed, flower beds, etc.
Rose bed near the pump house
Grapefruit tree
This grapefruit tree was also in full fruit. It's one of the original plantings, and is a very old grapefruit tree. There aren't many of the original plantings; after Mrs. Winchester died, the staff was dismissed and the estate was neglected for a time. Plants were not watered, and California is not kind to unirrigated, water-loving plants.
The estate used to have 160 acres of orchards attached, from which fruit was harvested, dried in the fruit drying building, and packaged under Sarah Winchester's own label and exported.
Flower beds and herbs
This area out back appears to be flower beds, and kitchen herb gardens. The herb gardens are sadly neglected; I only know they are herb gardens because I know old houses had them, and because there's herbs like mint growing in those beds.
Herb bed
For instance, this bed of what looks like weeds and small flowers is actually mint interspersed with weeds. Hopefully someday the Winchester House people will be able to maintain it properly.
Flower bed
Finally, there's a nice shady picnic and loafing area in the main courtyard, between the house and the tourist areas such as the restrooms, gift shop and cafe.
Benches under the trees
It's quite pleasant to wait here and look up at the Japanese maples.
Japanese maple
And that's it for Winchester House pictures. Eventually, I have some pictures of the Winchester gun museum exhibits to put up.
One of the tours you can take is called the "Behind the Scenes" tour, and it goes into the works of the estate. As usual, I only took pictures of a few things because quite a few of the things just didn't make very interesting pictures, or so I thought at the time. Also, some of the "working" areas of the house I include in this, though not as much as I would have liked, because of my camera batteries failing during the first tour. (The Mansion Tour).
In the house
The $25,000 Storeroom
This storeroom was where the valuable building materials, such as stained glass windows and doors, wallpaper fabrics, fine marble tiles, etc, were stored until use in renovations. Mrs. Winchester always wanted materials to be on hand in case she got inspiration from the spirits for a new building project. The materials in the storeroom were valued at $25,000 at her death; now, of course, they are worth millions.
Laundry room sinks
As I recall, these are enameled soapstone. I love the polished wood frames, too.
Cold room
This was the equivalent of a walk-in refrigerator. It was lined with marble, and would be stocked with ice to keep wine and other things cold.
Elevator Machinery
The motor and fuse panel for one of the three house elevators, built by Otis Elevator Company, and the very latest in modern technology, at the time. I believe this one is actually the cargo elevator, which goes all the way down into the basement, and up several floors, to move furniture and such like.
Cargo elevator in basement
The basement is very large, though not quite as labyrinthine as the house upstairs. It also has a low ceiling, lots of low-flying pipes, and is a dark, gloomy place. Down in the basement was a lot of storage space, stored canned food, radio batteries used for the servant call button system, the steam radiators for the central heating, the coal storage bin, the ash bin, and the coal-fired, brick-lined boiler.
The boiler
One of the things found in the house was the operator's manual for the boiler. It's now posted on the wall in a glass case next to the boiler, and proudly proclaims this to be a "portable" boiler. It was portable; it was disassembled at the factory, shipped out to California, and re-assembled in the basement. That's "portable".
Coal dust in a boiler mixes with metal fragments to form 'clinkers'. These have to be shoveled out periodically before they really gum things up inside the boiler and lead to catastrophic failure. What's shovelled out is fed into a sorting machine that shakes out the still good chunks of coal and bigger clinkers from the ash; the coal is re-used, and the clinkers tossed. Apparently they kept on the job okay at Winchester house; the ash "bin" (room) is full nearly to the ceiling.
Coal and clinkers retrieved from the sorter
Coal is the shiny black rocks on the left; clinkers are the disgusting blops to the right.
Outside
Stable
Mrs. Winchester's horses had a posh stable. People are checking out the feed and water troughs, which were supplied through chutes in the back.
Prickly Pear
This nice prickly pear in full fruit was back by one of the pump houses/sheds.
Out back are less formal gardens. Kitchen gardens, the odd rose bed, flower beds, etc.
Rose bed near the pump house
Grapefruit tree
This grapefruit tree was also in full fruit. It's one of the original plantings, and is a very old grapefruit tree. There aren't many of the original plantings; after Mrs. Winchester died, the staff was dismissed and the estate was neglected for a time. Plants were not watered, and California is not kind to unirrigated, water-loving plants.
The estate used to have 160 acres of orchards attached, from which fruit was harvested, dried in the fruit drying building, and packaged under Sarah Winchester's own label and exported.
Flower beds and herbs
This area out back appears to be flower beds, and kitchen herb gardens. The herb gardens are sadly neglected; I only know they are herb gardens because I know old houses had them, and because there's herbs like mint growing in those beds.
Herb bed
For instance, this bed of what looks like weeds and small flowers is actually mint interspersed with weeds. Hopefully someday the Winchester House people will be able to maintain it properly.
Flower bed
Finally, there's a nice shady picnic and loafing area in the main courtyard, between the house and the tourist areas such as the restrooms, gift shop and cafe.
Benches under the trees
It's quite pleasant to wait here and look up at the Japanese maples.
Japanese maple
And that's it for Winchester House pictures. Eventually, I have some pictures of the Winchester gun museum exhibits to put up.
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Date: 2007-10-01 05:47 am (UTC)