In the 1890s the house rose from a farmhouse to a seven-story Victorian giant. The San Jose News reported in 1897 that the tower had been torn down and rebuilt 16 times. The 1906 earthquake toppled it along with most of the chimneys and the third- and fourth-story additions; Sarah Winchester had the rubble cleared but did not rebuild, which left doors opening onto nothing and stairs ending in ceilings.
Questions people ask
How tall was the Winchester house?
At its height, seven stories, before the 1906 earthquake.