If you loved the sleuth-oriented TV drama Murder She Wrote, which starred Angela Lansbury as amateur gumshoe Jessica Fletcher and aired from 1984 to 1996, then you will be delighted to know that the house where it was filmed is now on the market.
Photos of the house on Instagram depict a tidy white Victorian complete with a white picket fence that harkens back to an earlier, more leisurely era. No wonder - it was built in 1888!
The Relationship Between The House And 'Murder She Wrote'
It Was A Stand-In For Jessica Fletcher's House In Maine
According to a website about the dwelling, which is a bed and breakfast called Blair House Inn and is located in Mendocino, California, only the exterior was used on the show; the interiors were filmed someplace else.
That house - at least the facade of it - seemed like a very good fit for Jessica Fletcher's abode. The character lived in a cozy little make-believe town, Cabot Cove, Maine, and the architecture of this particular house and its setting replicated off-the-beaten-path Maine quite nicely.
Angela Lansbury Said Cost Drove The Decision Not To Film The Show In Maine
According to the Blair House Inn web site, "Lansbury said Mendocino was chosen as the film location because of cost, stating it was too expensive to film in rural Maine. In addition, the architecture of Mendocino matched the quaint architecture of Maine, making it easy to transform local buildings into Cabot Cove businesses."
Visitors Could Book A Stay In Angela's Suite
For $275 You Could Experience Life Like Angela Lansbury's TV Character
The description of what was called Angela's Suite sure does sound inviting! "The Blair House's most coveted room is Angela's Suite. This lavish suite boasts two rooms, with ten-foot ceilings and bay windows. Unwind before bed in the cozy sitting room and enjoy the breathtaking vista of the village and ocean."
The Actual Interior Is Not Quite As Grand As It Was On 'Murder She Wrote'
It's Quaint And Beautifully Furnished
In a YouTube video about the house, a woman named Helen MacKenzie who is the innkeeper looks into the camera while she stands outside the house and says that, to some fans' disappointment, Angela Lansbury never stayed there.
Also, MacKenzie states that on TV, the house's interiors are "much different, much grander" than the ones in Blair House. "This is just an old Victorian with a lot of small rooms with high ceilings."
