Famous Castles in the United States

Castles are beautiful and many people do not realize that the United States has its share of these beautiful structures still standing today.

Nemacolin Castle is located in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, proudly overlooking the Monongahela River, and it was once the site of Old Fort Burd. Previously known as Nemacolin Towers, the tudor style building dates back to the 1790's. The castle was built by Jacob Bowman who was appointed by George Washington as Brownsville's first postmaster. The castle was home to the Bowman family for many years. Today, it is operated by the Brownsville Historical Society and is open to the public.

Melrose Castle is located on Rt. 602 in Casanova, Virginia. It dates from around 1854 and is situated on a fifty acre parcel of land. It was built by the Murray family who named it Melrose after their homeland in Scotland. During the Civil War, the castle was occupied by forces of both the North and South.The castle is nestled on 50 heavily wooded acres with Gupton Run running through it.

Howden Castle is located on Highway 9 in Ben Lomand, California. Construction was started in 1927 and completed in 1932. It was built by Robert Howden, who modeled it on castles of his native country, Scotland. The stones of the original castle foundation walls were hand picked and set. Poems and scenes by Scottish authors Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns were etched into the windows of the castle. From 1939 until 1946, the castle was owned by a Santa Cruz doctor, Howard Sullivan and his wife. It remains a tourist attraction and in 1979 was determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Gillette Castle is located on a bluff overlooking the Connecticut River. The three-story structure was the home of director, actor, and playwright, William Gillette, who completed the castle in 1919. The castle is one of Connecticut's leading attractions, drawing more than 300,000 people in 1995.The castle was purchased in 1944 by the state and since then,it has been maintained as a state park. Gillette Castle is open daily for tours.

Gothic Revival Castle is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was built in 1849, restored in 1882, placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1976, and again restored in 1995. Mark Twain once remarked that this was the "ugliest" building on the Mississippi river.

Hammond Castle is located on the coast of Massachusetts near Gloucester. The castle which was constructed between 1926 and 1929, was the home and laboratory of John Hays Hammond Jr. Mr. Hammond was an inventor who was a pioneer in remote control and held over four hundred patents. The building is a collection of 15th, 16th, and 18th century architectural elements and sits on a hill overlooking the Atlantic ocean.

Castle in the Clouds is located in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. It was built by the eccentric millionaire Thomas Plant. It is now part of the 5000 acre Castle Springs estate which is the location of the Castle Springs water bottling plant. Tours of the plant and the castle are available.

Biltmore Estate is located in Asheville, North Carolina and is the largest home in the United States. It is a replica of a French chateau with approximately 250 rooms. The castle offers guided tours through the garden and you can climb onto Biltmore's roof where mountains unfold before you.