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Posted in Virginia March 25, 2015 by Anna Strock

Most People Dont Know These 9 Castles Are

Hiding In Virginia
Perhaps its because Virginias history was so tied to the Old World England, that when we got
our independence from King George, we rejected the palace fortresses and stone compounds so
common in Europe. Instead, Virginia adopted her own architecture, moving away from Georgian
influences and opting for structures of wood and local stone that blended more aesthetically with
the geography of the New World.

But for some Virginia residents, the romance and intrigue of a real-deal castle, complete with
turrets and towers was just too much to resist. And who can blame them? These 9 gems in
Virginia range from historical landmarks to modern-day medieval and are used for everything
from offices to residential homes. But regardless of their current purpose, they are all full of
romance, mystery and lofty ambitions just like castles should be.
Melrose Castle, Fauquier County, Virginia

Jerrye and Roy Klotz, MD / Wikimedia Commons

Built c.1853 by Scottish brothers, James and Edward Murray, Melrose castle was named after
Melrose Abbey and served as both a Confederate hospital and a Union Army camp during the
Civil War. This real-life castle comes complete with a three-story tower, parapets and a spiral
staircase leading to the roof. The home cycled through a number of owners until it went into
foreclosure in 2013. Sorry to say for all of you who dream of owning your own castle, you
missed your chance when the house sold again later that year at a discount, no less. I guess for
some people, fairytales do come true.
Bacon's Castle, Surrey, Virginia

Photo Phiend / flickr

Built in 1665 by the Allen family, Bacons Castle has more than one claim to fame. Not only is it
the oldest remaining brick home in the United States, but like any good castle, it comes with
some political intrigue. The castle was given its name in 1676 when supporters of Nathaniel
Bacon, the leader of Bacons rebellion, drove the colonialist Allens from their home. Fortunately,
they returned and the home remained in the family until 1844. The castle is now held by
Preservation Virginia and is open to the public.
Pratt Castle, Richmond, Virginia

whitewall buick / flickr

Although this architectural beauty was demolished sometime between 1958 and 1962, it was one
of the most remarkable and remarked upon houses in Richmond. Built in 1854 by William
Pratt, the house survived multiple fires, the Civil War and more than 100 years of use before it
was torn down to make room for office buildings. But legends remain and history books record
that Pratts Castle was full of mysterious passages, hidden tunnels, secret staircases and even a
concealed room where observers could watch others through the eyes of a painting. Now if thats
not straight-up creepy castle goodness I dont know what is. Pratt's Castle shows the value of
efforts to preserve our historical monuments - it's a shame we lost this one.
Maymont, Richmond, Virginia

David
Also known as Maymont Mansion or The Dooley House, this 12,000 square foot castle was
built by James Dooley in 1893 on 100 acres of farmland overlooking the James River during
what was known as the Gilded Age of Richmond. He named the house after his wife, Sally
May, and together they lived there for 32 years. When Sally died in 1925, she gave the house and
land to the city where it is now one of the most treasured parks and historical museums in
Richmond. The house and park are open to the public and show a near-perfect preservation of
Victorian elegance.
Bull Run Castle, Loudon County, Virginia

Leslie Johnson / flickr

They say a mans home is his castle but for John Miller, a castle is his home. Tired of working
for others, John Miller quit his job in 1986 and set about livin the dream and that meant
building his very own castle/antique store/bed-and-breakfast combo right off Route 15 in Loudon
County. Miller has since sold the property and it is closed to the public. But that doesnt mean
you cant look and lucky for you, it can be seen from the road. Trust me, it may not be Windsor
Castle, but it definitely provides a distraction from the afternoon commute.
Burruss Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia

Garret Nuzzo-Jones / flickr

Ok, maybe Im cheating a little bit here, because this isnt TECHNICALLY a castle. But you
have to admit, its pretty amazing. Burruss Hall serves as the administration building for Virginia
Tech and houses several academic departments, as well as a 3,000+ seat auditorium Completed
in 1936, the hall was named after then President of Virginia Tech, Julian Burruss. I think all you
Hokies out there can agree with me, its an auspicious sight and one that never gets old.
Virginia House, Richmond, Virginia

Stephen Mahoney / flickr

This castle-like home was designed and built in 1925 by Alexander and Virginia Weddell using
material from a 16th-century English Manor house that had been deconstructed and shipped to
Richmond. But before you go on Amazon for your own mail-order castle, keep in mind that the
Virginia House took nearly 4 years to build and cost close to $250,000 a hefty price tag back in
the day. The house is now run by the Virginia Historical Society and is open for tours and special
events.
Old City Hall, Richmond, Virginia

Valerie / flickr
No, the word castle is not in this buildings name. But thats a castle if Ive ever seen one. And
like most historical castles, Old City Hall in Richmond served as a place where politics played
out, serving as the city seat from 1894 until the 1970s. Built from local granite, the Hall features
an atrium, arched cloisters, a grand staircase and a stunning clock tower I guess bell towers
were out of fashion by then. Shame, really.
Pythian Castle, Norfolk, Virginia

Doug Kerr / Wikimedia Commons

What could be more appropriate for the Knights of Pythias than a castle? Built c. 1898 to house
the fraternal order of Pythias in Norfolk, Virginia, the building was sold in 1979, but added to the
National Register of Historic Places a year later. Apparently, the first floor is now a pub. Drinks
in a castle? Yes, please.
When we think of castles, we think of kings and queens, knights and ladies, and most
definitely shadowy dungeons and murky moats. But castles come in all shapes and sizes and
while these 9 castles in Virginia may not have fair maidens trapped in towers or dragons
guarding a treasure, what they do have is character and no shortage of their own Virginia flair.
Please remember that some of these castles are private home and should be respected as such,
but for those that are open to the public, few things could be more fun than walking through a bit
of history and old world style. Just dont forget to pack your tiara.
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Anna Strock
Virginia staff writer for Only in Your State, freelance writer and journalist. Even though Anna
has lived other places, somehow Virginia is where she always seems to land.

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Richmond Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Baroque castle in Braunschweig, see Schloss Richmond.

The 12th-century keep is 100 feet (30 m) high

Richmond Castle in Richmond, North Yorkshire, England, stands in a commanding position
above the River Swale, close to the centre of the town of Richmond. It was originally called
Riche Mount, 'the strong hill'. The castle was constructed from 1071 onwards following the
Norman Conquest of England, and the Domesday Book of 1086 refers to 'a castlery' at
Richmond.

Contents

1 History

2 Layout

3 See also

4 Notes

5 References

6 Further reading

7 External links

History

Richmond Castle from across the River Swale

In 1069 William the Conqueror had put down a rebellion at York which was followed by his
"harrying of the North" - an act of ethnic cleansing which depopulated large areas for a
generation or more. As a further punishment, he divided up the lands of north Yorkshire among
his most loyal followers. Alan Rufus, of Brittany, received the borough of Richmond[1] and
began constructing the castle to defend against further rebellions and to establish a personal
power base. His holdings, called the Honour of Richmond, covered parts of eight counties and
amounted to one of the most extensive Norman estates in England. The Dukes of Brittany
became the owners of the castle as Earls of Richmond though it was often confiscated for various
periods by English Kings.
A 100-foot (30 m)-high keep of honey-coloured sandstone was constructed at the end of the 12th
century by Duke Conan IV of Brittany. The Earldom of Richmond was seized in 1158 by Henry
II of England. [a] It was King Henry II who probably completed the keep which had 11-foot
(3.4 m)-thick walls. Modern visitors can climb to the top of the keep for magnificent views of the
town of Richmond. At the same time that the keep was probably completed, Henry II
considerably strengthened the castle by adding towers and a barbican. Henry III and King
Edward I spent more money on the site including Edward's improvements to the keep interior.
In addition to the main circuit of the wall, there was the barbican in front of the main gate which
functioned as a sealed entry space, allowing visitors and wagons to be checked before they
gained entry to the castle itself. On the other side of the castle, overlooking the river, was another
enclosure or bailey called the Cockpit, which may have functioned as a garden and was
overlooked by a balcony. A drawing of 1674 suggests there was another longer balcony
overlooking the river side of Scolland's Hall, the Great Hall.

The castle seen from the south

Richmond Castle had fallen out of use as a fortress by the end of the 14th century and it did not
receive major improvements after that date. A survey of 1538 shows it was partly in ruins, but
paintings by Turner and others, together with the rise of tourism and an interest in antiquities, led
to repairs to the keep in the early 19th century.
In 1855 the castle became the headquarters of the North Yorkshire Militia, and a military
barracks block was constructed in the great courtyard. For two years, from 1908 to 1910, the
castle was the home of Robert Baden-Powell, later founder of the Boy Scouts, while he
commanded the Northern Territorial Army but the barracks building was demolished in 1931.
The castle was used during the First World War as the base of the Non-Combatant Corps made
up of conscientious objectors - conscripts who refused to fight. It was also used to imprison some
conscientious objectors who refused to accept army discipline and participate in the war in any
way. These included the "Richmond Sixteen" who were taken to France from the castle, charged
under Field Regulations, and then sentenced to death, but their death sentences were commuted
to ten years' hard labour.

An illustration of the dungeon of the keep

As presented today Richmond Castle has one of the finest examples of Norman buildings in
Britain including Scollands Hall, the Great Hall of the castle. The keep has a restored roof and
floors but is shown with the original 11th-century main gate arch unblocked. This arch is now in
the basement of the later 12th century keep which was built in front of it, the main gate then
being moved to its present position which was dominated by the adjacent keep while the original
arch we see today was filled-in to secure the keep.
The castle is a Scheduled Monument,[2] a "nationally important" historic building and
archaeological site which has been given protection against unauthorised change.[3] It is also a
Grade I listed building and therefore recognised as an internationally important structure.[2][4]
Today the castle is in the care of English Heritage which publishes a guidebook written by John
Goodall PhD FSA. English Heritage provides a visitor centre for the castle with an informative
exhibition containing artefacts form the castles history, they also hold regular events there
throughout the year.
According to legend, King Arthur and his knights are sleeping in a cave underneath the castle. It
is said that they were once discovered by a potter named Thompson, who ran away when they
began to awake. Another legend tells that a drummer boy was lost while investigating an
underground tunnel, and that his ghostly drumming is sometimes heard around the castle.[5]

Layout

A plan of Richmond Castle's main enclosure, keep, and the small enclosure around the keep. The
outer enclosure is off to the east.
Richmond Castle consists of four main parts: a triangular main enclosure, an outer enclosure to
the east, a keep at the northern corner of the main enclosure, and a small enclosure around the
keep.[6]

See also

List of castles in England

Notes
1.
1.

Henry II had intervened in the succession of Conan IV as the Duke of Brittany.

Henry II had come into control of Nantes. Conan IV marched on Nantes and quickly took
control of it. Henry II responded by seizing Conan IV's Earldom of Richmond

References
Notes
1.
Alan the Red, the Brit who makes Bill Gates a pauper The Sunday Times - 9 October 2007
Historic England, "Richmond Castle: eleventh to fourteenth century enclosure castle
(1010627)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 10 March 2012
"Scheduled Monuments", Pastscape, English Heritage, retrieved 10 March 2012
"Frequently asked questions", Images of England, English Heritage, retrieved 10 March
2012

 Ash, Russell (1973). Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain. Reader's Digest Association
Limited. p. 351. ISBN 9780340165973.
Clark 1886, p. 39

1.
Bibliography

Clark, G. T. (1886), "Richmond Castle", Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 9: 3354

Further reading

Goodall, John (2001), Richmond Castle and St Agathas Abbey, Easby, English Heritage,
ISBN 9781850747932

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richmond Castle.

English Heritage's page on Richmond Castle

Gatehouse record for Richmond Castle, containing a comprehensive bibliography

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/york/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8342
000/8342995.stm

Coordinates:

54.4017N 1.7376W
[hide]

England - Castles in North Yorkshire

North
Yorkshire

Bolton

Burton in Lonsdale

Buttercrambe

Cawood

Crayke

Duffield Castle

Gatherley

Gilling

Helmsley

Hornby

Knaresborough

Middleham

Mulgrave

Pickering

Ravensworth

Richmond

Scarborough

Sheriff Hutton

Skipton

South Cowton

Spofforth

Upsall

Whorlton

York

Also See: Castles in England

Categories:

Castles in North Yorkshire

Grade I listed buildings in North Yorkshire

English Heritage sites in North Yorkshire

Ruins in North Yorkshire

Scheduled Ancient Monuments in North Yorkshire

Richmond, North Yorkshire

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