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In 1888, on a visit to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, George Washington

Vanderbilt II decided to build a home.

He had He hired two famous architects, Richard Morris Hunt and Frederick Law Olmstead to design the house and grounds. Construction began the next year and was mostly finished by 1899 House and

was mostly finished by 1895 when the house, known as the Biltmore, was first opened.

With 175,000 square feet, the B Morris considered America's largest private residence, one of the

most beautiful as well.

More than a million people every year line up to see its 250 rooms, 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, priceless

priceless art collection and indoor swimming pool. Meanwhile, 2,500 miles away in San Jose, California, people line up to see a very different kind of house.

Sarah Winchester bought an 8-room farm house in 1884

and started adding on.

She built, and built built and built until she died in 1922. By then the

rambling structure had grown to 160 rooms with a maze of passageways and no

discernible master plan. The Winchester Mystery House has staircases that lead

nowhere. Doors that open to nothing.

Beautiful stained glass blocked by walls and at least one window in the middle of the floor.

In 1906, while Vanderbilt was wowing High Society guests with his dazzling achievement,

Winchester admitted in a letter, this house looks like it was built by a crazy person.

But she wasn't crazy.

Some say Sarah Winchester was motivated by fear,

...