Most Haunted Places in America: Thornewood Castle
How do you get a 16th century medieval English style castle to Tacoma Washington? Dismantle one in England and ship the bricks, stone, stained glass and all the other building material over on a boat. Thornewood Castle was started in 1908 by businessman Chester Thorne and three years later the 54 room (including 28 bedrooms and 22 bathrooms) was completed. Now it is one on a very short list of castles in the United States and one of the most haunted places in America.
The 27,000 sq. foot castle sat on 100 acres in which 37 were turned into a formal English Garden. The garden alone required 28 full time gardeners; there were also 40 servants, all taking care of Mr. Thorne, Anna, his wife and their daughter Anita. Chester Thorne died in 1927 and the castle stayed in the family until 1959. There have been several owners of the castle since then and the land has been divided up, but the Thornewood Castle has been owned by the Robinsons since 2000 and after some renovation is currently a Bed and Breakfast sitting on 4 acres.
Thornewood Castle also will be remembered by many as the star in the ABC mini-series, Rose Red. Coincidentally, this is a Stephan King story of a paranormal researcher who takes a team of psychics into a haunted house. Though the Robinsons claim nothing like the TV movie has happened in the castle, there have been a few paranormal events since they have lived there.
Mrs. Robinson has reportedly had a couple run-ins with Chester Thorne over light bulbs and glassware in the home during the initial restoration. She claims that in the Gentleman’s Parlor, Chester would unscrew the light bulbs in the room each evening after everyone went to bed. After a couple weeks, it stopped but other glassware in the home would break and the glass would be crumbled. She assumes that eventually Chester Thorne approved of the changes because soon after the restoration was completed, the glass shattering stopped. Though they claim to still hear glass breaking, none can be found.
The groundskeeper at the castle has claimed to see Chester on several occasions on the lawn in a brown riding suit with jockey spurs. This apparition has also been seen by a family friend in the home itself. The friend claimed to see a man in a brown riding suit standing behind her. The man asked her what she was doing and then vanished.
Anna has also been reported as being seen in her old bedroom. Guests have claimed that when walking in the garden and looking up into the room, a woman has been seen sitting in the window. Anna has also been seen in and around the room itself as wells as people seeing a reflection in the mirror of a woman dressed in period clothing sitting in the chair behind them. When they turn around, the woman is gone.
Most agree these haunting’s are out of the love for the castle and spirits not wanting to leave the home. There is however one tragic haunting of a small child. A grand child of one of the former owners drowned in the lake next to the Thornewood Castle. There are some that have witnessed a child standing alone next to the water. Yet when they arrive by the lake to check on the child, no one is there.
Today, not only can you get a relaxing weekend in a old English style castle, you may even get a chance to talk to the original owners.
Related posts:
I would like to visit and if possible spend the night or two in the castle. Is this possible? How do I find out???