WHAT IS A CASTLE

Several people have asked me how I define a castle for the purposes of the castles web page. I'm looking for something that captures the imagination, that has the ability to transport you to another time and place.

When I think of a castle, I think of the kind that they have over in England and Scotland that were built about 800 years ago. I think of a building that is well fortified with towers, a drawbridge, crenelations around the top and a guy sitting up there with a crossbow. I think of a building made of stone, although a brick castle is okay too. Some of the buildings that come closest to what I think of as being a castle are Howden Castle in Calif, Hammond Castle in Mass, Gould Castle in New York, Bull Run Castle and Melrose Castle Both in Virginia and the power house which is part of the Boldt Castle in New York. I would be happy to live in their power house. It looks more like a castle than most of the castles on my web page.

Unfortunately, there are not many castles that look like this in this country, so I have to settle. I have been putting castles on the web page that do not have all of the attributes of a "real" castle, but at least for now they are all I can find. I give a little leeway to a building that may only have one of the physical attributes, but has the word "castle" in its name. If you know of a building that you think might be suitable for the Castles of the United States web page, please leave me E-Mail to let me know where it is. Thanks.

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