Once upon a time..
This enchanting medieval looking castle located just outside of Lexington, KY is going to be turned into Bed & Breakfast. At last.. it will be ok 'to trespass' ;) Can hardly wait..
more close-up photos
"It stands on a hill overlooking U.S. 60 between Lexington and Versailles, a silent sentinel keeping watch over the cattle that graze around its ramparts. Little is known about its past, and its future remains cloaked in mystery as well. The castle 'has been the subject of more speculation than any other building in the Bluegrass, and it's great fuel for a child's imagination,' said 1997's The Insider's Guide to Lexington and the Kentucky Bluegrass..."
-Greg Kocher
'Its dozen turrets, four corner towers and 12-foot walls still prompt motorists to stop and take snapshots. But a sign warns that trespassers will be prosecuted. Owner Rex B. Martin could not be reached for comment through a Woodford contact. Tax records in Woodford County list his address as Punta Gorda, Fla., but there is no telephone listing for him there.
Rex and Caroline Martin got the idea for the castle on a trip to Europe. Plans called for seven bedrooms, 15 bathrooms and an Italian fountain in the driveway. Ground was broken in 1969. The Martins divorced while the castle was still under construction. It was never finished.
The area has once been considered for a Medieval style restaurant but the area is considered residential zone.
A turreted castle that rose amid horse farms as an incongruous landmark was heavily damaged in a fire on May 10, 2004. The property, which Martin had built with the stated intention of living there but was never actually inhabited, had been sold and renamed The Castle Farm of Thomas R. Post. Post, a Miami lawyer and real-estate investor, bought the castle for nearly $1.8 million after Martin died August 2003. He and his wife were were renovating the castle and planned to convert it into a bed and breakfast.
It is going to be re-built to look like like it originally did. It is going to have 12 ft. wooden doors, which will open up to 30 ft. ceilings, solid stone walls and massive chandlers. It will have a dining room that will seat 40 plus people, and a ballroom. The castle will have mid-evil type splendor. The 4 corner turrets are going to be used as office, children's play area, a greenhouse, and a cabana to complement the Olympic sized pool behind it.'
http://www.dupontcastle.com/castles/martin.htm
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php?offset=5&tip_AttractionNo==535
more close-up photos
"It stands on a hill overlooking U.S. 60 between Lexington and Versailles, a silent sentinel keeping watch over the cattle that graze around its ramparts. Little is known about its past, and its future remains cloaked in mystery as well. The castle 'has been the subject of more speculation than any other building in the Bluegrass, and it's great fuel for a child's imagination,' said 1997's The Insider's Guide to Lexington and the Kentucky Bluegrass..."
-Greg Kocher
'Its dozen turrets, four corner towers and 12-foot walls still prompt motorists to stop and take snapshots. But a sign warns that trespassers will be prosecuted. Owner Rex B. Martin could not be reached for comment through a Woodford contact. Tax records in Woodford County list his address as Punta Gorda, Fla., but there is no telephone listing for him there.
Rex and Caroline Martin got the idea for the castle on a trip to Europe. Plans called for seven bedrooms, 15 bathrooms and an Italian fountain in the driveway. Ground was broken in 1969. The Martins divorced while the castle was still under construction. It was never finished.
The area has once been considered for a Medieval style restaurant but the area is considered residential zone.
A turreted castle that rose amid horse farms as an incongruous landmark was heavily damaged in a fire on May 10, 2004. The property, which Martin had built with the stated intention of living there but was never actually inhabited, had been sold and renamed The Castle Farm of Thomas R. Post. Post, a Miami lawyer and real-estate investor, bought the castle for nearly $1.8 million after Martin died August 2003. He and his wife were were renovating the castle and planned to convert it into a bed and breakfast.
It is going to be re-built to look like like it originally did. It is going to have 12 ft. wooden doors, which will open up to 30 ft. ceilings, solid stone walls and massive chandlers. It will have a dining room that will seat 40 plus people, and a ballroom. The castle will have mid-evil type splendor. The 4 corner turrets are going to be used as office, children's play area, a greenhouse, and a cabana to complement the Olympic sized pool behind it.'
http://www.dupontcastle.com/castles/martin.htm
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php?offset=5&tip_AttractionNo==535