Joslyn Castle facts for kids
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Joslyn Castle
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View from the south
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 Location in Nebraska
Location in the United States
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| Location | Omaha, Nebraska |
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| Built | 1903 |
| Architectural style | Scottish Baronial |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000747 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | 1972 |
The Joslyn Castle is a beautiful old mansion in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was built in 1903 for George and Sarah Joslyn. The castle looks like something from Scotland, with its special Scottish Baronial style. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and became an Omaha landmark in 1979. Its official name was "Lynhurst," but most people know it as Joslyn Castle.
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The Joslyn Family and Their Castle
George Joslyn became very rich from his newspaper business. He owned a company called the Western Newspaper Union. The Joslyns were very generous people. They gave money to many groups in Omaha. Sarah Joslyn's gift even helped create the famous Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha.
The Joslyn Castle was designed by a local architect named John McDonald. George Joslyn bought the land outside Omaha in 1893. He then started making the grounds beautiful. A famous landscape architect, Jens Jensen, designed the gardens. He also created the rock work and pools inside the house's conservatory.
Castle Design and Features
The Joslyn Castle is a huge mansion with 35 rooms and four stories. It also has a carriage house tower, which was built even before the main castle in 1901. The property includes five acres of beautiful gardens and landscaping. There were also greenhouses, finished in 1899.
The Joslyns planted many large trees on their 5.5-acre property. Sarah Joslyn loved plants and collected rare ones from all over the world, including orchids. The Friends of Joslyn Castle say the home was built very quickly, in just eleven months. It cost $250,000, which was a lot of money back then!
Inside, the castle has many grand rooms. These include a reception hall, a music room, a ballroom, and a library. There's even a special gold drawing room. At one time, the basement had a bowling alley. With the music room added in 1906, the house grew to be about 19,360 square feet.
The castle and the carriage house were built using a special stone called Kansas silverdale limestone. The main door of the castle is made of wrought iron and weighs more than a ton!
The 1913 Tornado
On March 23, 1913, a very strong tornado hit Omaha. It destroyed many parts of the city, especially in the central and northern areas. The Joslyn Castle was lucky and only had slight damage. Inside, some furniture, artwork, and statues were ruined. George Joslyn said it would take fifteen years to make the gardens look as good as they did before.
The greenhouses were partly destroyed. The Joslyns decided not to rebuild them. Instead, they gave the greenhouse frame to Hanscom Park, where it was used for fifty years. In the castle's conservatory, many of Sarah Joslyn's special orchids and tropical plants died. This happened because of the cold and snow that came after the tornado. The storm also destroyed a small lake and a bridge near the castle. Today, the bridge is still there, and you can see where the lake used to be.
The home was repaired quickly. That fall, the castle hosted a big party for the wedding of the Joslyns' daughter, Violet.
Recent History and Today
In 1944, the Joslyn Castle became the main office for the Omaha Public Schools district. In 1958, the school district even used some of the original greenhouse walls to build a new office area.
In 1989, the school system moved to a bigger building. The castle then became property of the State of Nebraska. In 1996, the Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities moved in. This group was in charge of taking care of the historic property. In December 2010, the State of Nebraska sold the castle to the Joslyn Castle Trust. This is a private group created just to maintain the historic building.
Today, the castle gives its name to the neighborhood around it. It is also part of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, which is like a big plant collection for the whole state.
The Joslyn Castle and its grounds are open to the public. You can take tours, attend events, or even rent it for private parties.
