Searles Castle (New Hampshire)

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The Searles Castle is located in Windham, New Hampshire, in the United States. It was ordered to be built by Edward Francis Searles. Construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1915. It is a 1/4-scale replica of the medieval Tudor manor of Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire, England.

[edit] History and construction

Edward Francis Searles hired architect Henry Vaughn to design Searles Castle to be a 1/4-size replica of the medieval Tudor manor of Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire, England. It is built of cut granite, fieldstone, and dark red sandstone, most of which came from Searles' own quarries in Pelham, New Hampshire. Its construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1915 at a cost of about one and a quarter million dollars ($1,250,000) and is situated high atop the 175 acre Searles estate.

The castle consists of an Entrance, a Reception Hall, a Foyer, a Dining Room, a Music Room, a Sun Porch, a Library, a Grand Stairway, a Second Floor Guest Suite, a Third Floor Guest Suite, a Second Floor Rotunda (or Balcony), Servants Rooms, a Kitchen, a Butlers Pantry, Butlers Rooms, and a Master Bedroom Suite which consists of; a Master Bedroom, a Sitting Room, a Bathroom, and a Sunroom and today, there is also a Castle Gift Shop.

[edit] Next ownership

When Searles died on August 6, 1920, he left the castle to his executive secretary Arthur T. Walker. When Mr. Walker died seven years later, he left the castle to his niece Iva C. McEachern who sold it to real estate broker Frank M. Andrew in 1930 for two million dollars.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrews lived in the castle from 1943 to 1952 at which time it was sold to the Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy. For a while, they used it as a novitiate for young women who were entering the Sisters of Mercy. From 1962 to the mid 1980s, classes were held in the castle. Due to water damage and other problems, the castle was closed for about five years. The roof was replaced and in 1990, the decision was made to reopen the castle.

[edit] Current usage

In 1991, in an effort to restore the interior of the castle, a "Decorators' Showcase" was held. Through the generosity of those interior designers and contributions received over the years from many benefactors, the interior of the building has been refurbished. Since that time, the castle has been available to the public for social, cultural, religious, and business events.

In November 2001, the Sisters of Mercy contracted David and Linda Kolifrath of Salem, New Hampshire to organize and manage events held at the castle. At this time it was decided that operations would be expanded to include weddings and receptions in the castle courtyard in an effort to better utilize the facility, better serve the needs of the public, and to raise additional funds to further the charitable programs of the Sisters of Mercy.