Norumbega Castle, Queen Anne style castle in Camden, Maine.
Norumbega Castle is a Queen Anne style structure built from stone and brick with a three-story central section crowned by a stepped gable and a conical turret on its right side. The building rises four stories and currently contains eleven guest rooms that overlook Penobscot Bay.
Built between 1886 and 1887 for Joseph Barker Stearns, an inventor who made his fortune through patents in duplex telegraphy, the castle emerged during a period when wealthy Americans constructed grand summer homes along the Maine coast. The timing of its construction coincided with the rise of coastal resort communities in New England.
The building sits within the High Street Historic District and reflects how wealthy residents of late 1800s Maine chose to display their status through architecture. Its distinctive tower and stone facade remain a prominent local landmark that shapes the character of the surrounding neighborhood.
The property now functions as Norumbega Inn with eleven guest rooms distributed across its four floors. Visitors should be aware that this historic structure has some narrow staircases and low doorways typical of late 1800s construction that may require careful navigation.
The castle retains original steam heating systems installed during its 1886-1887 construction that remain partially functional today. These early heating installations reflect the technological innovations that inventors like Stearns incorporated into their homes during this period.
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