There is a lot more to American architecture than glass skyscrapers dotting the city skylines. Don’t recall seeing any? Well, that’s because you don’t know where to look!
All across the country we’ve got a few amazing castles that you don’t need to travel to places around the world to see.
American castles? You bet there are.
In fact, you might have already visited some of the American Castles we’ve already featured around the country. But, if you’ve been looking for a few more American castles, well you’re in luck, we’ve got another five castles for you to discover.
Let’s check them out.
Belvedere Castle
You’d probably consider the heart of Manhattan to be the last place you’d find a castle. Well, the next time you’re in New York City head to Central Park and take a look at Belvedere Caste.
It was built in 1865 for no other purpose than being a pretty building to catch a beautiful view of the great lawn and the turtle pond. Now, it’s actually used by the National Weather Service to measure windspeed and rainfall.
Castello di Amorosa
As you pull up to the Castello di Amorosa in California’s Napa Valley, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to Renaissance Italy.
What might surprise you (as you take in the views of a number of nearby vineyards), is that the castle was actually only built in 1994. It took builders 14 years because the owner asked that they construct the castle using the methods and materials from medieval times.
Castle in the Clouds
By Fletcher – Own work, CC BY 4.0
Offering spectacular views from it’s mountaintop perch, the Castle in the Clouds, also known as the less exotic name the Lucknow Estate after it’s original owner.
The castle is located in New Hampshire and features a truly American Arts and Crafts Style of design, as opposed to many others that borrow from various European styles. The castle now sits in trust and you can take a trolley ride up the mountain to visit.
Castle Farms
Via Castle Farms on Facebook
You’ll find Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan. It was built by the infamous Loeb family, who ran Sears, and the castle was built to actually showcase farm equipment sold in the catalog.
The style you’ll encounter at Castle Farms was inspired by the Renaissance castles that were nestled into the hills and fields of Normandy, France. In the last fifty years, the castle has been a performance hall, art studio, and is now home to a large model railroad on its grounds.
The Breakers
One of the families most know as “American Royalty” during the late 1800s and early 1900s was the Vanderbilt Family. They’ve provided us with a number of home grown castles.
While many flock to their North Carolina estate, The Biltmore, the Vanderbilt’s themselves would spend the summers in their “cottage” known as The Breakers. Perched overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Newport, Rhode Island, it’s over 125,000 square feet!
There you have it, five more American castles for you to explore across the country, from the beaches of Rhode Island to the vineyards of California. Looking for more American castles? Check out our original article for 5 favorites!
What are some of your favorite homegrown castles? Let us know in the comments!
