Castle Hotel, York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castle Hotel |
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Castle Hotel, York in 2018
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Victorian Georgian and Federation Filigree |
| Location | 31°53′24″S 116°46′06″E / 31.8899°S 116.7682°E |
| Address | Corner of Avon Terrace and South Street |
| Town or city | York, Western Australia |
| Construction started | 1853 |
| Completed | 1905 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William George Wolf |
| References | |
| York municipal inventory | |
The Castle Hotel in York is thought to be the oldest hotel away from the coast in Western Australia. The Craig family built and owned it for a very long time – 137 years!
The hotel was built in three main parts. The oldest section on Avon Terrace was built in 1852 and made bigger in 1862.
The part added in 1905, at the corner, is in a fancy building style called Federation Filigree. The architect was William G Wolf. He was an American architect who also designed His Majesty's Theatre in Perth.
Experts in Australian building styles say the Castle Hotel is a great example of the Federation Filigree style. They describe it as a "corner pub" with a cool covered porch, like a balcony, around the outside.
Contents
History of the Castle Hotel
Early Days and Construction
The land for the Castle Hotel was first given to John Henry Monger in 1852. He bought it for £11. Monger also bought the land behind it.
Monger built a small inn there. Samuel Craig started running it as early as 1852. In May 1852, Samuel Craig got a special permit to run a hotel. It was first called the "Agricultural and Commercial Hotel".
By September 1853, it was known as the Castle Hotel. The local farming group, the York Agricultural Society, even held meetings there.
The oldest part of the hotel was built in 1853. It was constructed by men who had been convicts but were now allowed to work freely.
In December 1853, Samuel Craig officially bought the land from John Henry Monger for £20.
Grand Opening and Good Reputation
Samuel Craig announced the opening of the old section of the Castle Hotel on 1 November 1854. He promised "the largest and choicest selection of wines, spirits, etc ever brought over the hill."
From then on, the York Agricultural Society held all its meetings at the Castle Hotel. It became their unofficial main meeting place.
An advertisement from 1855 promoted the hotel's features. It mentioned "excellent beds" and "good Stabling" for horses. It also had "Private upstairs sitting and bedrooms." The ad promised "Superior wines, spirits, cordials, ale and porter etc, kept in a spacious, cool cellar."
In September 1856, a newspaper praised Samuel Craig. It said his rooms, especially the bedrooms, were well-arranged for light, air, and cleanliness. The newspaper felt the Castle Hotel was more modern than other hotels.
Changes and Challenges
The old part of the hotel was made bigger in 1862. The building even survived a big flood in July 1862. The water was three feet deep in the cellar!
In 1863, Samuel Craig said he wanted to retire because he was not well. He put the hotel up for sale.
In 1864, the Craigs temporarily lost their permit to run the hotel. This caused a lot of talk because the hotel was considered the "best appointed house in the Colony." It seems Joseph Monger helped out by holding the permit for them for a while.
Samuel Craig passed away at the Castle Hotel on 12 December 1869. His wife, Mary Craig, continued to run the business. She was known as the "hostess" of the Castle Hotel.
Mary later handed the business over to her son James and his wife Emily. Emily kept running the hotel after James passed away. She was responsible for building the new section in 1905. After World War I, Emily gave the hotel to her son Basil.
The Craig family continued to own the hotel until 1990. They did a lot of work to restore and enlarge the hotel over the years. Only the stables were damaged during an earthquake in 1968.
The Royal Coat of Arms
A painting of the royal coat of arms was once on the wall of the Castle Hotel's dining room. This special painting was found during renovations in 1989. Workers stripped off old paint and saw it.
The coat of arms was probably painted for a visit from a Governor. A good guess for this visit is when Governor Sir Frederick Weld came to York on 21 October 1869.
For about 600 yards (or metres) of Avon Terrace, from the north of the main street to the Castle Hotel, was decorated with streamers. Many buildings had flags. A special arch was built at the town's entrance. On one side of the arch were a crown, the letters "V.R.", a black swan, and the words "God Speed You". On the other side, it said "Welcome over the Hills".
Heritage Recognition
The Castle Hotel is recognized as an important historical building.
- It was listed on the York Municipal Inventory in 1995.
- The National Trust classified it as important in 1985.
- It was permanently added to the Register of the National Estate in 1978.
Images for kids
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Castle Hotel in about October 1877. This picture is from a large photo taken for an exhibition in Paris.
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Castle Hotel in 1904 with a sign that says "M Craig". "M" stands for May.
