Hearthstone Castle

ghostfilm (Atlas Obscura User)

Atop a small hilly path in Danbury, Connecticut lies a crumbling castle. The New York photographer E. Starr Sanford had it built between 1896 and 1899 as his summer retreat. The castle had 16 rooms including nine bedrooms, a library, and a billiard room. The exterior was made from local stone, however, the wood—some of which still remains in the veranda—was imported from Italy.

Sanford and his family lived there for five years before selling it in 1902 to a gentleman named Victor Buck. In 1918, Buck sold it to Charles Darling Parks, who bought it for his daughter Irene. Charles renamed the castle “Hearthstone,” reportedly after the eight stone fireplaces throughout the castle. Hearthstone remained in the Parks family for 70 years.

In 1985, the city of Danbury purchased Hearthstone Castle and Tarrywile Mansion, which lies across the street in Tarrywile Park. In 2008, several teenagers were arrested for vandalizing what remained of the castle interior. (They were caught after posting a video of their romp on YouTube.) In 2016, the city approved a plan to convert the long-abandoned castle into a walled garden.

Know Before You Go

There is a path near an information board when walking up to the castle on your right. If you follow it, you'll come across two wooden structures, a tower, and a small shack. The castle is in a park which is public property.

As of July 2020, there is a "fenced" in construction zone complete with heavy machinery. The perimeter is adorned with no trespassing signs and tarps covering piles of rubble with asbestos warnings.

As of April 2021, the fenced-in zone is still there but no heavy machinery. You will most likely see people during your visit.