| Pennsylvania Castle | |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Castle - geograph.org.uk - 527899.jpg | |
| General information | |
| Type | English country house |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Location | Isle of Portland, Dorset, England |
| Construction started | 1797 |
| Completed | 1800 |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | John Penn |
| Architect | James Wyatt |
Pennsylvania Castle is a Gothic Revival mansion on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is a Grade II listed building.[1] The castle was formerly a hotel, was returned to use as a private residence at the end of the 20th century, and now is once more available for reservations and events.
The castle was built in 1797-1800 to designs by James Wyatt, for John Penn, Governor of Portland and grandson of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. It is alleged that Churchill and Eisenhower planned part of the D-Day invasion there.[2]
In the 1980s the building was converted into a hotel. It later became a private residence once more, before being sold in 2011 by the widow of the former owner, Stephen Curtis, a solicitor with business interests in Russia, who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2004.
Originally a rectangular block constructed of squared and coursed Portland stone, with projecting corner turrets, embattled parapets and a circular tower, the castle was extended in the 20th century.[2]