Joslyn Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Joslyn Castle | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | Omaha, NE |
| Built/Founded: | 1903 |
| Architectural style(s): | Scottish Baronial |
| Added to NRHP: | 1972 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 72000747 |
| Governing body: | Joslyn Castle Institute |
The George and Sarah Joslyn Home, known locally as Joslyn Castle, is located at 3902 Davenport Street in the Gold Coast Historic District of Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Built in the Scottish Baronial style in 1903, the Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It was designated as an Omaha landmark in 1979.[1]
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[edit] History
George Joslyn made his fortune in the ready-print news business and owned the Western Newspaper Union. The Joslyn's gave generously to many Omaha-area organizations, including Sarah Joslyn's donation which made Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum possible.
Joslyn Castle was designed by John McDonald, a local architect, and was originally named "Lynhurst" by the Joslyn family. Shortly after George Joslyn bought a farm outside of Omaha in 1893, he began landscaping it. Landscape architect Jens Jensen designed the grounds, as well as the rock work and pools for the conservatory inside the house.[2]
[edit] Design
The 35-room mansion had four stories, as well as a carriage house tower, built before the Castle in 1901, and five acres of formal gardens and landscaping, including greenhouses, which were completed in 1899. According to The Friends of Joslyn Castle, the home was built in just eleven months at a cost of $250,000.[3]
The Castle includes a reception hall, music room, ballroom, a library and gold drawing room. The basement at one time had a bowling alley. With the addition of a music room in 1906, the house totaled 19,360 square feet (1,799 m²).[4]
The Castle and the carriage house were built of Vermont silverdale limestone. There is a wrought iron door on the Castle that weighs over a ton.
[edit] 1913 Tornado
On March 23, 1913 a tornado demolished much of the central and north parts of Omaha. During this disaster the Castle and surrounding grounds received extensive damage. The greenhouses were partial destroyed, never to be rebuilt to their full extent. Also destroyed were a small lake and bridge to the west of the Castle. Today the bridge remains, and an outline of the small lake is visible.
[edit] Recent history
In 1944 the Castle became the headquarters of the Omaha Public Schools district. Some of the walls of the original greenhouses were incorporated into an (1958) office annex by the district.
In 1989 the school system moved to a larger facility in the former Tech High School building. The Castle then became the property of the State of Nebraska. In 1996 the Joslyn Castle became home of the Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities. The Institute is charged by the State of Nebraska with managing and preserving the estate.[5]
Today the Castle is the namesake of the surrounding Joslyn Castle neighborhood[6], and is a site in the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.
[edit] References
- ^ (nd) Joslyn House. City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Commission. Retrieved 5/29/07.
- ^ (nd) George and Sarah Joslyn Home. Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 5/29/07.
- ^ (nd) Castle History. Joslyn Castle website. Retrieved 5/29/07.
- ^ (nd) Josyln's Castle. Nebraska State Historical Record. Retrieved 5/29/07.
- ^ (nd) Who we are. Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities website. Retrieved 5/29/07.
- ^ (nd) Joslyn Castle Neighborhood Association website. Retrieved 5/29/07.
[edit] External links
- Historical photos of Joslyn Castle.
- Period photo of the aftermath of the 1913 tornado damage to the Castle.
- Modern photos.
- Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities website.
- Joslyn Castle Events website.
