castles of new england

Table of Contents

Introduction.3

New Hampshire....4

Massachusetts7

Vermont14

Connecticut...15

Rhode Island..19

Maine..21

Photo Credits.23

3

The Castles of New England

Introduction

Castles adorn the landscape of New England as they do in Old England, though

here they werent built to house royalty or to defend against invaders. New

Englands castles serve quite different purposes than those in the old country.

Here, Gilded Age millionaires showed off their wealth by building homes modeled

after castles they had admired in Europe. Militias signaled their strength by

building fortress-like armories in the midst of crowded cities. The Civilian

Conservation Corps built crenellated stone towers to give people work and to let

the public enjoy sweeping views of the countryside.

The New England Historical Society put together a guide to the best castles and

towers of New England. Some can be found among other historic attractions:

Chateau-sur-Mer, for example, stands among a cluster of opulent 19th-century

mansions in Newport, R.I., while the Armory of the 1st Corps of Cadets is in the

heart of Bostons Back Bay. Some are destinations in themselves. Wilson Castle in

the Green Mountains of Vermont and Castle in the Clouds in New Hampshires

Ossipee Mountains are just two. Camden, Maine, boasts two castles: an

observation tower on top of Mount Battie and a seaside bed-and-breakfast

modeled on several different European castles.

All the castles on our list are open to the public, if only seasonally. Some are

house museums. Some are bed and breakfasts or hotels. Some can simply be

climbed. Many can be rented for weddings, conferences or parties.

4

New Hampshire

Castle in the Clouds

Castle in the Clouds is a 16-room Craftsman-style mansion on a mountaintop in Moultonborough. It was built by rags-to-riches shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant for his wife. The estate sits on 5,500 wooded acres and can be reached by trolley. It was designed by J. Williams Beal with furniture and interior appointment by well-known designers, including Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Plant lost his fortune and the mansion was ultimately taken over by the Lakes Region Conservation Trust and managed by the Castle Preservation Society. The castle is open on weekends from May 9 to May 31, and daily from June 6 to October 25 from 10:30-5. Admission ranges from $8 for children to $16 for adults. The Carriage House Restaurant is open for lunch during the season. (Click here for a menu.)

Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the house, which features such innovations as central vacuuming and circular showers. The grounds, with 28 miles of hiking trails, can also be explored. The Carriage House features various art exhibits throughout the season. Small children can go on a scavenger hunt and feed the rainbow trout in Shannon Pond.

For more information, click here.

Address: 455 Old Mountain Rd, Moultonborough, NH

5

New Hampshire

Rindge Castle

Rindge Castle is a Gothic-style castle built in 1995 on 500 acres of ski and hiking trails. It can be rented to parties of up to 22 people for family reunions, retreats or housing wedding parties. It has secret rooms, Gothic archways, authentic tapestries, a bar in the basement and a playroom on the third floor.

The 11,000 sq. ft. building has views of Mt. Monadnock to the north and lake and beach to the south. It also has an outdoor hot tub and swimming pool. Minimum price per night is $1,300. To check availability, click here.

Address: 165 Sunridge Road, Rindge, NH

Searles Castle

Searles Castle is an English Tudor castle in the New Hampshire woods 30 miles north of Boston. It's open for weddings, parties and business events.

It was built by Edward Searles, an interior decorator who married a wealthy widow, Mary Frances Hopkins, who was 22 years older than he. He had been designing the interior of her chateau in Great Barrington, Mass. She died four years after their marriage and Searles added to the real estate holdings he inherited by building grand homes.

Searles traced his ancestry to the English Harcourt family, and hired Henry Vaughan to design a castle in the style of Stanton Harcourt Manor in England. Most of the manor had been torn down in the 19th century, so what became

6

New Hampshire Searles Castle bore little resemblance to the historic home. The 20-room castle, completed in 1915, took 10 years to build.

Searles died in 1920, leaving Searles Castle to his executive secretary, Arthur T. Walker. After Walker died the castle passed through a succession of owners until the Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy bought it in 1952. In 2001, the sisters contracted to have the castle rented out for special occasions.


Address: 21 Searles Rd, Windham, NH

7

Massachusetts

Blantyre Castle

Blantyre Castle is now a luxury hotel and restaurant in Lenox, Mass., the Switzerland of America. It was built in 1903 as a summer home for Robert W. Paterson, a successful New York merchant, and his family. Blantyre was modeled after his wife's ancestral home in Lanarkshire, Scotland, in the town of Blantyre. Paterson wanted towers, turrets and gargoyles, and he got them. All the furniture came from England, and Patersons extensive art collection adorned the walls.

The building fell into disuse until 1981, when it was reopened as a hotel. By 2005 Blantyre was winterized and opened year round.


Address: 16 Blantyre Road, Lenox, MA

Castle Hill

Castle Hill is the name of the mansion on the Crane estate in Ipswich, which is open to the public. It is a National Historic Landmark now owned by The Trustees of Reservations. The mansion is open to guided and self-guided tours May 26 through October 16 (click here for hours and days).

8

Massachusetts

The Inn at Castle Hill offers overnight accommodations. There is a grab-and-go Castle Hill Caf open Tuesdays through Saturdays during the season. Hikers, canoers and kayakers can explore the Crane Wildlife Refuge, which Is surrounded by the largest salt marsh in New England. Hikers, bathers, picnickers and bicyclists can enjoy Crane Beach. Throughout the year the Trustees of

Reservations offer programs such as free appraisal sessions, lectures and photography workshops. Click here for the calendar of events.

The grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsteds firm, while the building was designed by Chicago architect David Adler. The estate is featured in three movies: Witches of Eastwick, Flowers in the Attic and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

Address:

290 Argilla Rd, Ipswich, MA

Herreshoff Castle

Herreshoff Castle in Marblehead is a reproduction of Erik the Red's 10th-century Viking castle with a carriage house thats now a bed and breakfast.

The stone castle has parapets, turrets and gothic features. Its located in Marbleheads historic Old Town, near shops, the waterfront and public landing. It was built by Francis Herreshoff, the

famous yacht designer, which may be why its so near the Boston Yacht Club.

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Massachusetts The one-unit bed and breakfast is open from May 1 to Nov. 1. It has a living room, kitchen and courtyard, and is surrounded by perennial gardens and gargoyles.

For more information click here.

Address: 2 Crocker Park, Marblehead, MA

Hammond Castle

Hammond Castle in Gloucester is a medieval-style oceanfront castle built in the late 1920s by John Hammond, known as the father of the remote control. Only Thomas Edison held more patents than Hammnd did. He built the castle as his home and as a showplace for his Roman, medieval, and Renaissance artifacts. People can visit the castle on self-guided tours, which includes a video presentation and exhibits about Hammonds life and inventions. Visitors are welcome to stroll the grounds and enjoy the view of the Atlantic Ocean. Special events such as psychic fairs and candlelit tours are held throughout the year. At Halloween, the castle holds a haunted house, and it can be rented for weddings. Address: 80 Hesperus Dr., Gloucester, MA

10

Massachusetts

Lawson Tower

Lawson Tower in Scituate is a water tower transformed into a German castle turret with a carillon on top. The Scituate Historical Society calls it the most beautiful, most photographed and most expensive water tower in the world. Visitors can climb the tower and enjoy the sweeping views of South Shore, Old Scituate Light, Minot's Ledge Light and the First Trinitarian Congregational Church.

Lawson Tower was built by Thomas Wilson Lawson, a controversial stock speculator-turned reformer. He had the water companys steel standpipe covered with a shingled shell to complement his country estate, Dreamworld, at the turn of the century. Lawson became a multimillionaire speculating in copper stocks and forming the Amalgamated Copper Co., but he broke with his partners and wrote a book exposing the crimes committed in forming the company. He died penniless. Bell concerts are held from time to time and the tower is open on special days. Contact the Scituate Historical Society for more

information. Address: 330 First Parish Rd., Scituate, MA

11

Massachusetts

Castle at Park Plaza

The Castle at Park Plaza, also known as the Armory of the 1st Corps of Cadets, in Bostons Back Bay used to be the headquarters for Massachusetts elite militia unit. Now you can order a steak in the gun room, as it is home to a Smith & Wollensky restaurant.

The 1st Corps of Cadets was organized in 1741 as a company of young gentlemen who had the time and money to serve as the ceremonial honor guard for the royal governors. Members had to buy their own uniforms and pay dues. John Hancock was elected commander of the 1st Corps in 1772, but tangled with Royal Gov. Thomas Gage, who dismissed him in 1774. The outraged 1st Corps disbanded, but later reformed and provided officers for regiments fighting the American Revolution. The 1st Corps mission evolved over the years, and by 1890 members decided they needed a place to meet, train and store their weapons. They commissioned William Gibbons Preston to design a granite, castle-like structure that could withstand

crowd violence. Preston included a six-story tower. To pay for the building, the 1st

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Massachusetts Corps raised money through public subscription and popular comic operettas, 19th century drag shows. The Park Plaza Hotel next door took over the armory and used it as a banquet facility. It has since been transformed into a restaurant and facility for special events, including weddings. The bar and main dining room are on the first floor gunroom, social hall and museum floor. Private parties can be held on the fourth floor Battle Room. For more information, click here. Address: 97-105 Arlington St., Boston, MA

Prospect Hill Tower

Prospect Hill Park and Memorial Observatory in Somerville is an observation tower with several adjoining towers. Visitors can climb halfway up to see panoramic views of Boston or have a picnic on the surrounding grounds or both.

Continental soldiers watched British troop movements from atop Prospect Hill. According to legend, it is the first place an American flag was raised: The Grand Union flag was unfurled on top of the hill on Jan. 1, 1776, an event reenacted every year by the City of Somerville. The hilltop was used as a prisoner of war camp later in the Revolution, and as a U.S. military encampment during the Civil War. In 1903, Ernest Bailey designed the Gothic Revival-style towers as a memorial to the important role Prospect Hill played in the Revolutionary and Civil wars. For a walking tour

of the area around Prospect Hill, click here. Address: Munroe Street opposite Greenville Street, Somerville, MA

13

Massachusetts Winnekenni Castle in Haverhill is a 19th century stone castle that now serves as the centerpiece of a recreational park offering concerts, plays, workshops, craft fairs, Halloween parties and fundraisers for the people of the city.

It was built by a local chemist between 1873 and 1875. The chemist, Dr. James Nichols, was inspired by the stone buildings he saw on a trip to England and decided to replicate them. Part of his purpose was to convince farmers that rocks could be used as building materials. We desire to prove to farmers and others in a practical way the value of boulder rocks (so common on almost

every New England Farm) as building materials, he said. Winnekenni Castle sits among the 700-acre Winnekenni Park Conservation Area, overlooking Kenoza Lake, in Haverhill. For a schedule of events at Winnekenni Castle, click here. For information about renting the castle, click here. Address: 347 Kenoza Ave, Haverhill, MA

14

Vermont

Wilson Castle

Wilson Castle in Proctor is an 1867 house museum designed in a mix of styles: Dutch neo-renaissance, Scottish baronial, Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival. It is open for tours from May to October and can be rented for weddings and private parties. The mansion was built with 32 rooms, 13 fireplaces and 84 stained glass windows. Dr. John Johnson built the castle with his wifes money. She was a wealthy invalid who he seduced into marriage. When she died the castle was repossessed because he couldnt afford its upkeep. Valuables were taken by unpaid employees. In 1939, the castle was purchased by Col. Herbert Wilson, who renovated it and filled it with art. The Wilson family opened it to visitors in 1962. Click here for information about cost and admission. Address: 2970 W Proctor Rd, Proctor, VT

Hubbard Tower

Hubbard Tower is a stone observation tower that rises 52 feet above a 185-acre park in Montpelier. It was completed in 1930 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and is open to the public daily from 7am to 9pm. Climb the tower for spectacular views of Montpelier, the state capital, and the Vermont countryside. The wooded park has seven miles of trails, picnic tables, shelters and fireplaces for campfires. For more information about Hubbard Park and Tower click here. Address: Corse St, Montpelier, VT

15

Connecticut

Castle Craig

Castle Craig in Meriden, Conn., is a stone observation tower in Hubbard Park. From the tower can be seen New Haven and Long Island Sound, the Berkshires foothills, the Hartford skyline and Mount Tom in Massachusetts. Connecticut industrialist Walter Hubbard donated the tower and the surrounding park to the people of Meriden, Conn., in 1900. There are hiking trails to the tower, and a road is open to vehicles from May 1 to Oct. 31 during the day. The park is open sunrise to sunset. Hubbard, a world traveler, may have been inspired by towers in Turkey, France or Scotland.

Address: 999 West Main St., Meriden, CT

Heublein Tower

Heublein Tower in Simsbury is a historic house museum and observation tower modeled after castles in Bavaria, native land of Gilbert Heublein. The grounds and tower, located in Talcott Mountain State Park, are open for tours seasonally.

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Connecticut The house was built in 1914 by Heublein, founder of the eponymous company that makes Smirnoff vodka and A-1 steak sauce.

He was hiking on Talcott Mountain with his fianc and promised her hed build a castle there for her. Heublein used it as a summer house. During World War II and the 1950s, the Hartford Times owned the buildings. The State of Connecticut acquired the house and grounds in 1965. The 165-foot tower is situated 1,000 feet above the Farmington River Valley. It can only be reached by a 1.25-mile walking trail. Climb to the top for panoramic views of Hartford and the valley. For more information, click here. Address: Route 185, Simsbury, CT

Gillette Castle

Gillette Castle looks like a medieval fortress but it was the private residence of William Gillette, famous as an actor who played Sherlock Holmes. The castle is open for self-guided tours from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. Gillette designed many of the castles unique feature himself, but it took 20 men five years to finish it. It sits high above the Connecticut River on a hill, and is surrounded by a 184-acre park. The State of Connecticut took over the castle in

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1943, renaming it Gillette Castle State Park. The castle and walking trails on the estate were opened to the public. For information about cost and admission, click here. Address: 67 River Road, East Haddam, CT

Sleeping Giant Tower

Sleeping Giant Tower in Hamden is an observation tower built by the Works Progress Administration in 1936.

It offers stunning views of the Mill and Quinnipiac valleys. The four-story stone tower is a popular spot for visitors, especially lovers. The Sleeping Giant is a mountain, also known as Mount Carmel, that resembles a slumbering giant. Most of it is located in Sleeping Giant State Park.

The Regicides Trail, which follows the path of two fugitive king-killers of Charles I, goes through the park. For more information about Sleeping Giant State Park, click here. Address: 200 Mt. Carmel Ave. at Mt. Carmel summit, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, CT

18

Connecticut Wadsworth Athenaeum

The Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford is a 196,000 sq. ft. art museum built around a castle-like Gothic Revival structure designed in 1842 by Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis. Hartfords prominent Wadsworth family donated the land and the art collection. The Wadsworth hosts dramatic and dance

performances, historical exhibits, social functions and benefits. For information about visiting the Wadsworth Athenaeum, click here. Address: 600 Main St., Hartford, CT

Waveny Park

Waveny Park was built by Texaco founder Louis Lapham in 1912 on 300 acres landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsteds firm. The Town of New Canaan bought the Tudor-style mansion from his descendant in 1967, and the building and grounds are now a recreation area for the community. Community events like Fourth of July fireworks and an Easter egg hunt are held at Waveny Park. A professional theatre runs in the summer under a large tent, and the manor house can be rented for weddings, parties and business events. For more information about Waveny Park click here. Address: 677 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT

19

Rhode Island

Smiths Castle

Smiths Castle, now a house museum, is the only structure on our list that doesn't look like a castle.

We included it because it is one of the oldest buildings in Rhode Island and because of its association with the story of Unfortunate Hannah Robinson. And though it doesn't have any towers, there's an observation tower named after Unfortunate Hannah Robinson down the road. Smith's Castle was built in North

Kingstown in 1678 to replace an earlier building destroyed during King Philip's War. The land on which it sits was once the site of Roger Williams' trading post. Williams sold the land to Richard Smith, one of the first Narragansett Planters, to pay for his trip to Great Britain to get a charter for Rhode Island. Forty soldiers were buried on the property during King Philips War. Unfortunate Hannah Robinson, the daughter of a well-to-do planter, eloped with her dancing teacher while on her way to a ball at Smiths Castle in the 1760s. Her father disapproved of the match, disinherited her and wouldnt have anything to do with her even after her husband abandoned her -- until she was on her deathbed. Finally her father relented and agreed to take her home. One their way back, she asked to stop at her favorite spot overlooking Narragansett Bay. She died soon after coming home in 1773. In 1938, the Civilian

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Rhode Island Conservation Corps built a watch tower at the site where Hannah watched the Bay. Its called the Hannah Robinson Tower. Today, Smiths Castle offers guided tours of the house during the season. The grounds, which include an 18th century garden, can be rented for weddings and special events, or used for free for picnics. Address: 55 Richard Smith Drive, North Kingstown, RI

Chateau-sur-Mer

Chateau-sur-Mer is one of Newport, R.I.s many castles of the Gilded Age rich.

The one that most resembles a castle, Belcourt Castle, is being renovated, but Chateau-sur-Mer is open to the public. Built in 1852 in the style of a French manor house, it was the most palatial residence in Newport until the Vanderbilts arrived in the 1890s. For information about the operating

schedule, click here. For more about Newports house museums, click here. Address: 474 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI

21

Maine

Norumbega Castle

Norumbega Castle in Camden, home to The Norumbega Inn, is also known as The Castle on the Sea. Anyone who has driven by it on Route 1 can understand why. Norumbega was a legendary settlement in Northeast North America (some put it in the Penobscot Region), inhabited by tall people who worshipped the sun and dressed in furs. In 1886 Joseph Barker Stearns, the inventor of the duplex telegraphy system, built a mansion that he named Norumbega after the mythical settlement. Stearns traveled Europe looking at castles, and incorporated the feaures he liked best in his Camden home. The castle was a privately owned home until it was turned into an inn in 1984. It is now an 11-room bed and breakfast run by Sue Walser and Phil Crispo. For information about staying at the Norumbega Inn, click here.

Address: 63 High St, Camden, ME

Mann Castle

The Mann Castle is actually a public library in West Paris, Maine. The town had long shuffled its collection of public library books among private homes and stores. In 1926, the collection was moved to the newly built Arthur L. Mann Library. Arthur Mann predeceased his father, Lewis Mann, who left $5,000 and a plot of land for the town to build a library in honor of his son. Another son, Edward Mann, matched his fathers financial bequest. Gibbs & Pulsifer of Lewiston designed the castle-like building, which was built with broken fieldstone from

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Maine neighboring fields. The library was opened on Sept. 4, 1926. It still has the original oak door with iron hinges. For information about the West Paris Library events, click here. To check the hours, click here. Address: Main St., West Paris, ME

Mount Battie Tower

Mount Battie Tower on top of Mount Battie in Camden Hills State Park offers spectacular views of the Penobscot Bay. Its a stone observation tower built in 1921 to honor World War I veterans and their families. Visitors can take an auto road or a hiking trail to the summit. For information about visiting Camden Hills State Park, click here. Address: 280 Belfast Rd., Camden, ME

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Photo Credits Searles Castle () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASearles_Castle_Gate.jpg By David Kolifrath.Hydnjo at en.wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], from Wikimedia Commons

Crane Estate () http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Crane_estate_%285%29.jpg By Djmcrenn (Own work) [CC BY 3.0(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Herreshoff Castle () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHerreshoff_Castle_-_Marblehead%2C_Massachusetts.JPG Daderot at en.wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Lawson Tower () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AScituate_Lawson_Tower.jpg ToddC4176 at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Castle at Park Plaza () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFirstCorpsC.jpg By Tom5 (Armory of the First Corps of Cadets) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

24

Prospect Hill Tower () https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6046186261/in/photolist-cgxQPb-adhhwH-cgxSZs-adk6PL-adhhy8-adhhFt Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.

Winnekenni Castle () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWinnekenni_Castle.jpg By Hotmop (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Heublin Tower () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHeublein_Tower%2C_2010-04-03.jpg By Sage Ross (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Gillette Castle () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AGilettes_Castle_KevinPepin_01.jpg By Kevinpepin at en.wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia) [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

Sleeping Giant Tower () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AGianttower.jpg StAkAr Karnak at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

25

Wadsworth Athenaeum () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWadsworth_Atheneum%2C_Hartford%2C_Connecticut.JPG Daderot at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Smith's Castle () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASmith's_Castle%2C_Wickford%2C_RI.jpg Daniel Case at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Chateau-sur-Mer () http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AChateau-sur-Mer_%2C_Newport%2C_Rhode_Island.jpg Daderot at en.wikipedia [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons.

3

The Castles of New England

Introduction

Castles adorn the landscape of New England as they do in Old England, though

here they werent built to house royalty or to defend against invaders. New

Englands castles serve quite different purposes than those in the old country.

Here, Gilded Age millionaires showed off their wealth by building homes modeled

after castles they had admired in Europe. Militias signaled their strength by

building fortress-like armories in the midst of crowded cities. The Civilian

Conservation Corps built crenellated stone towers to give people work and to let

the public enjoy sweeping views of the countryside.

The New England Historical Society put together a guide to the best castles and

towers of New England. Some can be found among other historic attractions:

Chateau-sur-Mer, for example, stands among a cluster of opulent 19th-century

mansions in Newport, R.I., while the Armory of the 1st Corps of Cadets is in the

heart of Bostons Back Bay. Some are destinations in themselves. Wilson Castle in

the Green Mountains of Vermont and Castle in the Clouds in New Hampshires

Ossipee Mountains are just two. Camden, Maine, boasts two castles: an

observation tower on top of Mount Battie and a seaside bed-and-breakfast

modeled on several different European castles.

All the castles on our list are open to the public, if only seasonally. Some are

house museums. Some are bed and breakfasts or hotels. Some can simply be

climbed. Many can be rented for weddings, conferences or parties.

4

New Hampshire

Castle in the Clouds

Castle in the Clouds is a 16-room Craftsman-style mansion on a mountaintop in Moultonborough. It was built by rags-to-riches shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant for his wife. The estate sits on 5,500 wooded acres and can be reached by trolley. It was designed by J. Williams Beal with furniture and interior appointment by well-known designers, including Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Plant lost his fortune and the mansion was ultimately taken over by the Lakes Region Conservation Trust and managed by the Castle Preservation Society. The castle is open on weekends from May 9 to May 31, and daily from June 6 to October 25 from 10:30-5. Admission ranges from $8 for children to $16 for adults. The Carriage House Restaurant is open for lunch during the season. (Click here for a menu.)

Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the house, which features such innovations as central vacuuming and circular showers. The grounds, with 28 miles of hiking trails, can also be explored. The Carriage House features various art exhibits throughout the season. Small children can go on a scavenger hunt and feed the rainbow trout in Shannon Pond.


Address: 455 Old Mountain Rd, Moultonborough, NH