<P> When Winchester died , all of her possessions ( apart from the house ) were bequeathed to her niece and personal secretary . Her niece then took everything she wanted and sold the rest in a private auction . It supposedly took six trucks working eight hours a day for six weeks to remove all of the furniture from the home , an account disputed by Winchester 's biographer . Mrs. Winchester made no mention of the mansion in her will , and appraisers considered the house worthless due to damage caused by the earthquake , the unfinished design and the impractical nature of its construction . It was sold at auction to a local investor for over $135,000 , and subsequently leased for 10 years to John and Mayme Brown , who eventually purchased the house . In February 1923 , five months after Winchester 's death , the house was opened to the public , with Mayme Brown serving as the first tour guide . </P>
<P> When Winchester died , all of her possessions ( apart from the house ) were bequeathed to her niece and personal secretary . Her niece then took everything she wanted and sold the rest in a private auction . It supposedly took six trucks working eight hours a day for six weeks to remove all of the furniture from the home , an account disputed by Winchester 's biographer . Mrs. Winchester made no mention of the mansion in her will , and appraisers considered the house worthless due to damage caused by the earthquake , the unfinished design and the impractical nature of its construction . It was sold at auction to a local investor for over $135,000 , and subsequently leased for 10 years to John and Mayme Brown , who eventually purchased the house . In February 1923 , five months after Winchester 's death , the house was opened to the public , with Mayme Brown serving as the first tour guide . </P>
when did the winchester house open to the public
when did the winchester house open to the public
1923
1923