Dundas Castle (Roscoe, New York)

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Dundas Castle
Dundas Castle, Roscoe.jpg
Dundas Castle (Roscoe, New York) is located in New York
Dundas Castle (Roscoe, New York)
Coordinates41°58′4.0″N 74°51′53.2″W / 41.967778°N 74.864778°W / 41.967778; -74.864778Coordinates: 41°58′4.0″N 74°51′53.2″W / 41.967778°N 74.864778°W / 41.967778; -74.864778
Area1,000 acres (400 ha)
Built1915–24
Architectural styleAnglo-American
NRHP reference No.01000245[1]
Designated HD21 March 2001 [2]

Dundas Castle, (c. 1891 & 1915-1924) and also called Craig-E-Clair, is located in Roscoe, Sullivan County, New York and was designed for Ralph Wurts-Dundas.[3][4] An earlier structure, Beaverkill Lodge that was designed by Bradford Gilbert was built around 1891, was incorporated into the Castle.[5][4]

Early History[]

In the late 1880s, New York architect Bradford Gilbert acquired nearly 1000 acres in the Catskill Mountains in what is now Roscoe, New York.[4] On this property, Gilbert constructed his summer retreat, Beaverkill Lodge. Gilbert's new wife, Maria, was Irish said "the Catskill scenery reminded her of home."[4] She named the surrounding hamlet Craig-e-Clair which translates as "beautiful mountainside."[4]

Wurts-Dundas Era[]

In 1903, the Gilberts sold the property to Morris Stembach.[4] Four years later, Stembach sold to Ralph Wurts-Dundas in 1907.[4] Wurts-Dundas was a wealthy and prominent New Yorker and grandson of William Wurts, one of three brothers who built the Delaware & Hudson Canal. He eventually shortened his name to Dundas.[4]

Dundas wanted to expand the existing Beaverkill Lodge into the finest mansion his money could buy.[4] Construction photographs show Beaverkill Lodge being "encapsulated within the castle structure."[5] For his European-style castle, Dundas imported slate roofing from England, iron gates France, and marble from Italy for floors, fireplaces, and staircases.[4] The only local product used was stone from the nearby Beaverkill River.[4] The reception room's fireplace was covered in gold leaf and valued at more than $5,000 in 1910.[4]

Designed in the Gothic Revival and Elizabethan Revival styles, the 36-room residence was constructed between 1915 and 1924, but never completed or occupied by Dundas or his wife Josephine because he died in 1921.[4] Th castle was inherited by their daughter Muriel, along with some $40 million, but she did not go back to the Catskills and the castle.[4]

Masons and Camp Eureka[]

In 1949, Muriel sold the property for $47,000 to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the Masonic Order.[4] This was a Manhattan-based organization of African American Masons who wanted to create "a Masonic home for the aged and indigent."[4] Unfortunately, that project did not happen, so Mason's developed the property into a vacation retreat, using a barn as a recreation center, an old farmhouse for administration, and the castle for a fishing and hunting resort.[4] Over time, they added new structures and turned the property into a summer camp for inner-city youth.[4] Named Camp Eureka, this is the main activity of the site today.

Conservation[]

The building and property were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. In 2005, the Mason entered into a conservation easement with Open Space Conservancy,[4] The easement limits future development on the property and protects its historic structures.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "Frederick C. Robie House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2013-02-20. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
  3. ^ http://www.dupontcastle.com/castles/craig-e.htm Craig-E-Clare Castle
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Sokolow, Jane (2015). "Dundas Castle". Beaverkill Friends. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  5. ^ a b Parsons, Rebecca. "Dudas Castle History". Dundas Castle (Craig E Claire).

External links[]

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