Finding Berkeley's Castle
Colonel Samuel Taylor Suit built an imposing stone structure in the fashionable spa of Berkeley Springs as a summer cottage for his young bride, Rosa Pelham. Construction of the Berkeley Castle began in 1885 by Col. Samuel Taylor Suit and is a half-scale replica of the Berkeley Castle near Bath, England. He never lived to see it finished.
Colonel Suit, who fought in the Civil War, was appointed ambassador to England by President Grant. There, he became enthralled by Berkeley Castle near Bath. When he returned home, he settled on his Suiteland estate in Maryland, as a wealthy businessman. Suit was politically well connected and a successful businessman who marketed his popular brand of whiskey across the country in little brown jugs. Colonel Suite met and fell in love with a young woman named Rosa Pelham, the daughter of a Alabama Congressman. After two try’s of winning her hand, Colonel Suit finally persuaded Rosa to marry him when he pledged to build her a castle as a summer cottage. She was 22 when they married, he 51.
Colonel Suite chose Berkeley Springs as the location for his castle because he hoped the area would take off and become a really popular resort. After all, George Washington had brought his family to Berkeley Springs, as had many other Washingtonians. And back in the later part of the 1800’s, Berkeley Springs, which is a tiny town, boasted three hotels with no less than 500 rooms apiece, and of course, it had the mineral springs, which were a major draw, and still are to this day.
Perched on Warm Springs Ridge overlooking the famed springs, Suit’s cottage was the most extravagant example of the towns Victorian building boom. Although it always looked like a castle, it was not until the tall, blue-eyed, attractive widow returned in 1891 that the cottage became known as the Castle.
Rosa did see it completed, and soon began hosting elaborate parties in the castle, inviting friends from all around the country. She was Queen Rosa, famous for sophisticated friends and gala parties, but her lavish life-style soon had her broke. She began selling off her belongings until there nothing left and was evicted in the 1920’s. When she finally moved out of the castle, she was 40,000 dollars in debt, eventually moving on to live with one of her sons in the West.
The Berkeley Castle has gone through several hands since Rosa was evicted. It served at various times as a tearoom, summer camp and focus of tours. Living quarters were added in 1938. Most of the overblown stories were created for the tours.
The castle has 13 rooms plus a basement dungeon, which was popular during ghost tours. The Great Hall has a high ceiling, hardwood floor and stone fireplaces at each end. A pine-paneled dining room on the main floor also has a fireplace. A wide stairway curves up to second floor bedrooms and a paneled library. A narrow staircase leads to the turreted rooftop trimmed with battlements and offering a fabulous view of the town. Three crosses are sunk into the stone walls of the turret.
The castle, built of silica sandstone hand-cut and hauled up the mountain by horse and wagon, took three years to complete, and cost $100,000 to build.
However, After years of being open for tours, THE CASTLE IS NOW PRIVATELY OWNED AND IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.
SR9 now cuts through the castle property; a stone gate tower is stranded on the opposite side of the highway. By this Gate Tower is where you will locate this small cache. The recently completed Tower offers a SAFE view of the Castle from the traffic along Route 9.
Following the Parking coordinates below will get you to a small parking area with a short walk to the Gate Tower and this cache. Following the steps to the Guard Rail will give you the View of the Castle safe from traffic. Don’t forget your Camera.
** CAUTION - - DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS CACHE FROM ROUTE 9 **
To reach this parking area you will have to locate the springs at Berkeley Springs State Park, ( Follow Fairfax street past the Spring building to Cornelius Ave, heading up the hill. As you approach the crest you will arrive at the parking coordinates on your right with the Tower just ahead. Going just beyond the parking area will lead you to a turn around area or follow the road out to the end and back to Rt 522.
PARKING COORDINATES N 39* 37.596 W 078* 13.798
Inside this small lock-n-lock cache you will find a stash note, log and a small writing utensil and SWAG.
Theirs room for TB's with small travelers and geocoins inside.
**!!** Congratulations to dfox52 for his very first FTF !! **!!**