This lovely old mansion started life in 1780s as a modest trading post, with a single room on top, at the end of the Nemacolin Trail, a trading route frequently used by Native Americans. The trading post was near the site of Fort Burd, built by British colonists during the French and Indian War. Construction […]
castles
Revisiting an Incredible American Castle at Fonthill
One man’s dream home is a great American castle. We don’t have many of those, but this one is what we imagine when we dream of castles. Towers, great halls, a maze of rooms — Fonthill Castle has them all. It all started when he was 13. Henry Mercer accompanied his aunt, who was quite […]
Six Historic House Museums You Should Visit!
If you’re looking for great daytrip destinations as winter slowly turns into spring, consider visiting a house museum! Here are six of my area favorites! 6. Bushong Farm (New Market (VA) National Historic Battlefield)Although not the largest house museum, this one is interesting. Sitting in the middle of the national battlefield, it depicts a farm […]
Exploring Two Castles of Whimsy and Treasures
There once lived a man who, in the early part of the 20th century, built two castles. He was a visionary, for he recognized the importance of preserving items of a fading way of life for future generations. He was a artist, creating tiles that were reknown for their beauty. And he was a bit […]
Singer Castle
Who can resist exploring a castle? And that’s a problem with America for us castle-lovers — there simply aren’t enough of them around. So when you get to tour one, even if it isn’t five centuries old, I jump at the chance! I’d like to say that even Boldt Castle isn’t castle enough — it’s really […]
Valentine’s Day Special: Boldt’s Castle Is the World’s Best Love Letter
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I decided to write about a visit to Bold’s Castle in New York’s Thousand Islands region — one of the most extravagant valentine’s day gifts ever! Middle class men give Hallmark cards to their wives; multimillionaires build castles. George C. Boldt started work on his love letter to his wife […]