On a recent mini-vacation to Rockport, Massachusetts, we made a side trip to the nearby, picturesque town of Gloucester.
There, we experienced one of the most fascinating tours of a lifetime, namely, a jaunt through Hammond Castle Museum.
Construction on this true gem began in 1926 by John Hays Hammond, Jr.
An incredible tidbit is that the castle was a bridal present for his wife, Irene.
Imagine getting a castle as a bridal gift!
The Hammonds moved into the castle three years after construction began, according to literature distributed at the museum.
It opened as a museum in 1930.
Mr. Hammond, who was born in San Francisco in 1888, was just a boy when his family moved to England in 1898.
It was there that Hammond "fell in love with castles and life in earlier times," according to the information sheet.
So the seed for his interest in one day building his own castle had been planted early in life.
Mr. Hammond was quite the inventor, with more than 800 inventions to his credit!
Some of them included "synchronization of motion pictures, radio dynamic controls, and the dynamic amplifier (today's stereo)."
He also worked on the "radio control of boats."
The photo below is what is seen behind the castle!
Anyone who loves all things medieval would thoroughly enjoy Hammond Castle Museum.
I loved the sculptures, the nooks and crannies, the elegance and courtyards. What a place! Wowsers.
It made for an extremely fascinating afternoon.
I was so glad it was too overcast for the beach in Rockport because we would have missed this self-guided castle tour.
Guess what?
We'll show you more photos of the inside of the castle in an upcoming post so, if interested, stay tuned!
HAVE YOU EVER TOURED A CASTLE?
7 comments:
A castle in Massachucetts? How old could it be? 1926, but it looks ancient.
Seems like it would be a dream come true, but looks like they turned it into a museum pretty quickly.
the answer to your question is yes I've toured several castles in Europe but none in Massachusetts. I'm so glad you enjoyed your tour. I would never want to live in such a place though...too drafty...unless it had all the modern updates..ha ha.
How quaint to tour a castle. It looks lovely indeed. What a wonderful bridal gift.
We were there a couple of years ago, but it was closed. We toured the grounds. Years ago we toured the mansions and castle in Rhode Island. It was a fascinating.
What a beautiful place! Wouldn't that be something to be able to live there? :) Kit
What a fascinating tour of the castle. I have a blog friend who would love to visit this place. She loves castles. wow, what a nice bridal present this would be. The sea picture with the clouds is so pretty, Susan. Thanks for taking me along.
love, ~Sheri
Oh dear this castle is just remarkable!!!
i loved looking at this quite old historic place which captivate the mind with it's marvelous structure and beauty!
i clicked to enlarged to enjoy the photos more closely but could not .
thank you for sharing this wonderful trip my friend!
I visited museums though but no castles yet
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