We believe that beautiful Castles can only be found in Europe. As a child, I was always curious about castles; I just found them fascinating, the history, how, when and why they were built, and who lived there? And the secrets those walls held for years or centuries. As an explorer, I could not have been happier to find out that there are actually a few castles in New England and one of them is Winnekeni Castle. Yes, a true castle in the USA with a mesmerizing history!
Inspired by the structures and castles in England, Chemist James Nichols built a castle with 35,000 cubic feet of glacial boulders found nearby. The Castle was erected between 1873 and 1875 as a retreat home for summer time and it was named Winnekeni, an Algonquin Indian word for “Very Beautiful.”
Dr. Nichols treated the castle’s construction as an experiment as he was determined to prove that rocks and boulders can actually be a good source for farm constructions and other buildings in the county. Base off this experience, he was able to publish a book in 1876, “Boulder Rocks: Their Probable Origin and History and their use in the Construction of Dwellings”
Located in Haverhill, Massachusetts and overlooking Kenoza Lake, Winnekeni Castle stands still 250 feet above the lake level with a spectacular view of some adjacent towns and county.
As a typical summer house, the interiors of the castle has some unique architectural features like a gothic door, a Pompeian dining room, a library, 9 rooms, a bathing room, and 4 towers with roof access. On the outside it is surrounded by a beautiful and extensive lawn.
In 1885, the Castle transitioned from Dr. Nichols to his cousin William Web and ten years later it was sold to the city of Haverhill becoming the first public park in the area.
Today, Winnekenni Castle is part of a conservation land with 200 of open acres and an all-season nine miles of hiking trail, some of them bordering the lake.
Clearly, I visited in winter time, but it’s also a popular place in the fall.
