Searles Castle (Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Searles Castle
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Searles Castle
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 389 Main Street, Great Barrington, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 64 acres (26 ha) |
| Built | 1883 |
| Built by | Norcross Bros. |
| Architect | Stanford White (McKim, Meade & White) |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Chateauesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004953 |
| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1982 |
The Searles Castle is a beautiful, castle-like house in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It was built in the 1880s and looks like a French chateau. This amazing building has seven stories and even a "dungeon" in the basement! A famous architect named Stanford White helped design it. The castle has 40 rooms, over 54,000 square feet of space, and 36 fireplaces.
Contents
The Story of Searles Castle
Who Built the Castle?
The castle was started in 1885 for Mary Sherwood Hopkins. Her husband, Mark Hopkins, was a founder of the Central Pacific Railroad. Sadly, Mark Hopkins passed away in 1878.
Mary then married Edward Francis Searles. He was 30 years younger than her. Edward helped design the inside of the castle while it was being built.
Life at the Castle
Mary Hopkins passed away in 1891. Edward Searles continued to live in the castle until he died in 1920.
After Edward's death, the castle was used for different things. For 30 years, it was a private school for girls. Later, it became a training center for an insurance company. It was also an all-girls boarding school and a country club.
Searles Castle Today
Since the mid-1980s, Searles Castle has been home to the John Dewey Academy. This is a special school for smart teenagers who need extra support. The castle continues to be used as a school today.
Cool Features of the Castle
Amazing Architecture
In 1888, the castle property was huge, covering 229 acres. The outside of the castle is made of blue dolomite stone. Inside, many pillars in the main hall are hollow.
One special room, the Louis XV Versailles Room, was brought all the way from Venice! The castle also had a large organ in its music hall, but it was later removed.
Hidden Secrets and Smart Designs
You can find three safes on the first floor. One is in the dining hall, and two are in the kitchen. When the castle changed owners, one kitchen safe still had silver inside!
The wooden floors are built using a special method called "finger locked construction." This means no nails were used to put the wood together. The castle was also one of the first places to have its own built-in walk-in cooler.
Unique Pond and Secret Passageway
The pond on the property was built in the shape of a cross. This was done so it would perfectly reflect the castle. People could enjoy tea by the castle's front while admiring the reflection.
There's even a secret stairway! It connects Mary Hopkins' bedroom on the second floor to Edward Searles' bedroom on the third floor. They used it to visit each other's rooms.
The carriage house you see today is not the first one. The original burned down a few years after the castle was finished. A new one was then built in its place.
Movies Filmed at Searles Castle
Searles Castle has been a star in a few movies!
- The 1996 movie Before and After was filmed here. It starred famous actors Liam Neeson and Meryl Streep.
- The 2016 movie Like Lambs was also filmed at the castle.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo Searles (Massachusetts) para niños
