“The thing that fascinated me about the castle is that everybody thinks that it’s haunted, that people were locked up in the courtyards…None of its true. What did strike me as very unusual is from the time that I’m able to record; no one has ever been able to live on that land. That struck me as bizarre.” – Dr. Joyce Conroy – Historian
When I first heard about an abandoned castle in upstate NY I all but booked my plane ticket before even researching it! The prospect of exploring a castle deep in the overgrown woods of NY was irresistible. I started researching and making phone calls, and in doing so made contact with a local historian who had done extensive research on the castle and its history. Her name was Dr. Joyce Conroy and she not only provided us with useful information, she also gave us a 35 minute interview in person, and also gave us copies of historical images of the castle for us to you in our write up and video. Here is some of what we learned from her:
Before the castle was constructed, a small hunting lodge called the “Beaverkill Lodge” was built on the almost 1000 acre plot of land. This was built by Bradford Lee Gilbert in the late 1880’s. Gilbert frequented the lodge only once or twice a year and only for a few days at a time. When Ralph Werts Dundas bought the land in 1915, he constructed the castle on and around the original lodge and then expanded it out from that.
Gothic windows, turrets, towers, and steep parapeted roofs are just a few of the beautiful architectural features that make the castle an amazing oddity to find hiding in the woods. R. W. Dundas was a bit of a recluse but he had money, and dreams of being a Scottish laird. He was married and had a child. His wife was very emotionally disabled, and his daughter was taken care of by a number of nannies. They visited the site while construction of the castle was going on but they never lived there for any length of time. A great deal of money was spent on the inside of the castle. Electricity and steam radiators were installed in almost every room, an incredible luxury at the time. In addition to marble floors and countertops, and porcelain tiles, there were also reports of a gold leafed fireplace in one of the rooms.
However in 1921, before the castle could be completed Dundas died, leaving a reported fortune to his wife and daughter. Unfortunately, after his death, his wife was then taken to a sanitarium due to her existing mental illness. The daughter was suddenly extremely wealthy and in need of a guardian. The castle caretakers who were watching over the daughter, basically robbed her blind. She went on to get married and eventually headed over to England with her husband on an expedition to find “St. John’s Gold”. The expedition fell apart when eventually they fired the historians and scientists helping in the search, and hired a dowser/mystic with a willow wand. At this point the daughter’s mental health was called into question and she was subsequently placed in a sanatorium in England. The castle changed hands a few times over the years and is now owned by the Prince Hall Mason’s.
I flew up to NY and met up with fellow photographer A. D. Wheeler, and his colleague Jon. We set out on our first day of exploration with the castle set in our sights. We made the trip from Elmira to the site of the castle without knowing much about how to get in or even its exact location. We neared the castle and after a few miles of unmarked back roads we spotted one of the towers of the castle up on a hill buried deep in the woods and overgrowth. After parking our car and gathering our gear, we trudged up a steep ravine and into a clearing which revealed the outer bulwarks of the castle. It’s gothic windows and ‘witch’s hat’ spires that adorned its towers loomed through the trees and immediately hinted at the mystery and fantastical stories that this location might hold.
We quickly ducked in under a beautiful stone archway and into the sprawling courtyard. We all stood in awe of what we were seeing. It was like being transported back to medieval times, as if somewhere in the woods we stepped into Narnia without knowing it. I quickly checked my back to see if any talking beavers or goat-men named Mr. Tumnus were sneaking up on me! :-)
After taking in the awe-inspiring architecture of the inner courtyard we ducked into the first open doorway we saw, and found ourselves in the kitchen of the castle. Tiled floors and marble window sills surrounded us. Every window and door we encountered was beautifully peaked, and every corner we rounded and room we entered spoke of mystery and an untold history.
It was a strange juxtaposition to be exploring the hallways and rooms of what one would imagine to be a castle out of the dark ages and then notice an old push button switch on the walls which was once used to turn on the electric lights. It was like a modern day fairytale gone wrong. I felt like Alice going through the rabbit hole discovering crazy distorted visions of reality that immediately clashed with my senses and perception of what should and should not be.
The majority of rooms were completely cleared out of anything that would have resembled human habitation . The only vestiges that remained were bathroom fixtures, and electric heaters, which only furthered the surrealistic perception that what appeared to be something from the dark ages was still indeed a modern ruin.
We explored all three main levels of the castle, poking our heads into every room, and even ventured down into the depths of the blackened basement. We spent hours peering into abandoned rooms and speculating on the stories and history that the castle held.
A few days later we had the honor of speaking with local historian Dr. Conroy who donated her time to give us a full interview and history lesson regarding the castle. There are very few websites dedicated to this location and many of them contain historical information that is not entirely accurate. We were able to talk with Dr. Conroy to uncover what was myth and what was factual. She was very generous and donated a number of digital scans of old historic photos of the castle.
The Mason’s Castle was an incredible location and a true gem of American history. Please note that due to the fact that the land is actively owned I am unable to disclose the exact location of the castle or provide any information regarding gaining entry. Please do not attempt to visit this location, as it would be considered trespassing. I hope you enjoy the photography and the history!
Super!!!! Loved this!!! This property is amazing….Thanks for sharing and for your dedication!!
Thank you for sharing this. It is absolutely amazing. I am so glad to have toured via you photos.
These images look great with my sunglasses on.
Great work as always Walter.
I think the castle is fascinating, and very well portrayed both photographically, and in your detailed story….
Absolutely STERLING photography! Complete capture of this castle including passionate response. I loved EVERYTHING about all of it. I
would so LOVE a BOOK of this! MAGNIFICENT work, Walter! Please continue and thank you so much for sharing!
Walter, I second Farlow, “absolutely STERLING” and a book would be wonderful! You are truly gifted.
this land and the home is own that you know of are there any plans to restore it?
It is owned by a Masonic Church group based in New York City. They’ve owned it for 50 years and have never done anything with it – a complete waste!
B.G.: I tired to contact them to get permission. Called and called, left messages… nothing… Even offered to donate pictures to them as a thank you and for historical preservation… Too bad..
I would love to see that kitchen restored to its original design and be able to cook there.
Somehow, I thought because of the condition of the outside it would still have looked nicer on the inside.
Out of all the other videos I’ve watched this one made me cry…silly…
Exciting place you found there. I did not know that there were castles in the United States.
And If I have my information correct wasnt that just supposed to be there summer home?
This reminds me *very* much of a good bit of the architecture at my undergraduate college–Swarthmore College. Looking through your pictures, it was uncanny, It actually left me feeling a bit sad because I couldn’t shake the idea that I was flipping through images of my old, beautiful campus in decay. Wharton Hall and Bond Hall especially, as far as architecture goes; the final picture of the iron gate reminds me of the one we have outside of our rose garden, and the third and fourth to the last remind me of the top of our bell tower. Stop by if you are ever in the Philadelphia area. It may help you imagine what this castle could look like with a little TLC and habitation! For full effect, make sure you convince someone to let you into Bond Hall so you can walk through the windy, labyrinth-like halls and staircases.
Also consider checking out the neighboring campuses of Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges. Many parts of their campuses have the same magical feel!
Oh, that makes me so sad to see it in such disrepair. Wonderful photography though.
Absolutly fantastic!
It’s hard to believe something like this can still exist.
Was inside in the late 1980′s, we were camping at Beverkill campground and snuck up there at dawn, thank you for photos as I have lost any I had from that visit. I seem to recall one of the spiral stairs going down from the first floor either went nowhere or was flooded. The dumbwaiter and call system is facinating.
Very interesting. I was born there in June, 1943. My grandfather and his wife, Charles and Anabel Hatch were caretakers there and my mother took the train from NYC
to Roscoe to be with them during her summer of preganacy. My pediatrician was Dr Benjamin Spock who vacationed in Roscoe and I believe lived in Utica or thereabouts. I still have a few of the photos being there as a child. My grandfather would also entertain his other daughters who would bring their children there during the summer and play in the Beaverkill. I am not sure how long he maintained the property and my mother died so I am not real clear of the length of time of his residency. I had never been back until this summer but I have a diary page of one of my cousins who described visiting him there around 1946 with some other cousins.
Great photos. I wish I had asked more questions of my mom, as I did not realize the historic significance it would turn out to be.
I also saw an email from a woman who said she was born there in 1941 which is an overlap with our family, unless there were 2 caretakers.
Very interesting Tom! Thanks for sharing. I’d love to see your old photographs sometime. If you have digital copies drop me a line sometime at walter@thedigitalmirage.com and share.
About 25 years ago I toured the castle with my children. I wish I could find the pictures I had taken. At that time it was being used by the Fresh Air Kids (I was told by the grounds keeper).
I am not sure how long that lasted as the kids could not apppreciate the opportunity they had been given to be in such a historic place. By your pictures, it looks as if time and the elements have taken a toll on it’s appearance. When I was there the paint was not peeling, the doors were intack and there was still an old stove in the kitchen. What a shame that such a beautiful place is going to waste.
I use to daydream of what life would be like to live there.
It’s amazing how quick these places fall apart… It’s a shame that the owners have done nothing with it.
nice pictures…..i also have a few sketches i did..i used to live acroos the bridge on ht ehill.i used to take my puppy up there for walks.its sad what the kids and the waether have done to her but stii beautiful to walk through or just hang ut in the courtyard….i never did venture to the basement..thanks for the nice pictures.
So is anyone allowed up there? I would love to go and take some pictures as well! I live near the area (canandaigua) I was actually just at another place called “Castle on the hill” in Dansville NY, AMAZING.
Im making a trip there very soon. I have always LOVED exploring abandoned places. Can not wait to walk around with my camera!
I have visited this castle on many occasion. I have an entire photo album dedicated to the castle along with alot of memories. My girlfriends and I befriended one of the caretakers of the property and we did a seance there at 2am. It was extremely dark inside the castle. Lots of memories. I noticed you did not take a photo of the stove or the fireplace in the main dining hall. Unfortunately alot of young boys from NYC would camp at camp Eureka on the castle grounds and did alot of damage to the walls with graffiti. Such a shame to ruin such a historic site