Before the Mansion, there was Sarah...

Back in the early '60s, a group of WED Imagineers traved north to San Jose to visit Sarah Winchester's Mansion, commonly known as the "Mystery House," as research for the still-in-development Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. In today's edition of the Santa Maria Times, Julia McHugh takes readers on a quick tour of the San Jose attraction:

"I watch my 8-year-old daughter’s eyes grow large as Mr. Chapels talks about Mrs. Winchester’s eccentricities: how she became a recluse, refused to be photographed and kept a black veil over her face at all times.

"'She lived here alone and consulted no architects,' he says, 'simply constantly built, tore down, and rebuilt until her house towered seven stories high.'

"My 13-year-old leans over. 'Demented,' she says with a grin. I smile, but I’m nervous to be here. I take her hand..."

Read the entire article here.

RIP.