These Most Beautiful Castles in the United States
While fairytale castles may be more associated with medieval Europe, the USA is actually home to many beautiful chateaus, mansions and palaces you just need to know where to find them. We round up the most enchanting American castles, from the grand Biltmore Estate in North Carolina to California’s Hearst Castle. Let find out These Most Beautiful Castles in the United States below.
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These Most Beautiful Castles in the United States
Biltmore Estate, North Carolina
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina, the Biltmore Estate took six years to build, beginning in 1889 after George Vanderbilt visited the area and became enchanted by its beauty. Architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the 250 rooms French Renaissance chateau, while acclaimed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned the grounds surrounding the castle, including the 15 acre Azalea Garden, as home to some of the finest native azaleas in the nation. Today, the estate has its own vineyard and winery, producing award winning wines and tours of the chateau including its stately banquet hall and bowling alley.
The Breakers, Rhode Island
Another Vanderbilt family creation designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, the Breakers is one of Newport’s most striking summer homes, built in the late 19th century when the picturesque Rhode Island coastal town was the playground of America’s wealthiest families. Taking inspiration from the Italian Renaissance palaces of 16th century Genoa and Turin, Hunt designed the 70 rooms mansion to include the grand dining room, with its dramatic freestanding columns and gilded cornice, and drafted contemporary talents like Austrian American sculptor Karl Bitter to create relief sculptures. It is open to visitors year round and is owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County.
Bannerman Castle, New York
A tiny island 60mi 96km or so up the Hudson River from New York City is the setting of the ruins of Bannerman Castle. Built in the early 20th century by Scottish American munitions merchant Francis Bannerman not as a home but as an arsenal, the castle was designed to resemble medieval Scottish fortresses.
Following his death in 1918, Bannerman Castle fell into disrepair, and much of the structure was destroyed by a fire that broke out in 1969. Today the island is overseen by Bannerman Castle Trust, which offers summertime island tours and hosts events including barbecue picnics and concerts.
Fonthill Castle, Pennsylvania
The former home of archaeologist and ceramicist Henry Chapman Mercer, Fonthill Castle was constructed between 1908 and 1912 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, as a means of showcasing Mercer’s extensive collection of tiles and prints. That is once of These Most Beautiful Castles in the United States.
Designed by Mercer himself, Fonthill Castle is a pastiche of medieval, gothic and Byzantine styles and comprises 44 rooms, 18 fireplaces and more than 200 windows and was donated by Mercer as a museum following his death in 1930. On the same grounds as Fonthill Castle are the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, built by Mercer in 1912 and where many of Fonthill’s tiles were made.
Lyndhurst Mansion, New York
Located on the edge of the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, the Lyndhurst Mansion is the creation of acclaimed architect Alexander Jackson Davis, who built the beautiful mansion in 1838. The gothic revival building is said to be one of the finest castles in America and has had several noteworthy residents since its construction, including New York City mayor William Paulding and railroad tycoon Jay Gould. Tours of Lyndhurst Mansion including its art gallery, home to paintings including French artist William Bouguereau’s 1866 work First Caresses are available on Fridays and weekends.
Hammond Castle, Massachusetts
Inspired by his time living in England as a child and falling in love with its castles, American inventor John Hays Hammond Jr. built the beautiful Hammond Castle between 1926 and 1929 to act as his home and laboratory. Constructed from a mix of local stone and various Roman, medieval and Renaissance artefacts Hammond had collected during travels to Europe, Hammond Castle overlooks
Massachusetts’ scenic Gloucester Harbor and is now a museum. Visitors are free to tour its enchanting rooms, such as the unique inner courtyard, which is partly made from medieval storefronts that Hammond found on a trip to France and took back to the US. That is once of These Most Beautiful Castles in the United States.
