Searles Castle, Renaissance villa in Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Description
Searles Castle is a Renaissance villa in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, rising seven stories with 40 rooms and 36 fireplaces. The structure covers roughly 54,246 square feet of interior space and follows the model of French chateaux, with towers, bay windows, and stonework across its exterior walls.
History
Mark Hopkins commissioned construction in 1875 for his wife Mary, who married interior designer Edward Searles after her husband died. Searles completed the project in 1888 and later inherited the estate, which now carries his name.
Culture
Visitors can admire the Louis XV Room from Versailles, imported from Venice and fitted with gilded carvings. The wooden floors throughout were laid using finger-lock joinery that relies entirely on precision craftsmanship from the 19th century, with no nails holding the planks together.
Practical
The estate now serves as a venue for celebrations, ceremonies, and business gatherings in its halls and courtyard. Visitors should note that access is typically limited to booked events, and the rooms are spread across multiple flights of stairs.
Did you know?
A hidden stairway links Mary Hopkins' second-floor bedroom to Edward Searles' third-floor quarters. This discreet passage went unnoticed for decades and offers insight into the private arrangements of the residents after construction.
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