There is a literal medieval castle located in Gloucester, MA. How have I never heard of this place? I also just discovered the amazing fantasy illustrations of Eric Pape. The castle had a special exhibition of his artwork and so lucky me got to experience both.
It’s hard to imagine someone actually living there. Like, what was the heating situation like in the winters? I shiver at all the dusting the staff probably had to do day in and day out.
John Hays Hammond, Jr., who had the castle built, was an inventor’s inventor. He’s technically the “Father of Radio Control,” but he also spent time inventing random kitchen appliances among many many other things. He actually planned for the castle to be a museum and his legacy, because he had a feeling that his scientific work would be forgotten once he was gone … unfortunately, kind of true. Had it not been for this castle, I would’ve never know anything about the man and his contributions.
Everyone always talks about the secret wine room, but for me, the library was the real showstopper. I could have stayed in there forever.
The castle is beautiful, but also a little bit creepy, and it’s perched right there on the water. It was a tough time navigating all the tight rooms, passageways and steep staircases, but that made it all the more fun.
It’s definitely worth a visit if you get the chance.
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