I received E-Mail that said:
A few years ago, I visited a little town named Cameron Okla. It is just right outside of Poteau. There is a Castle there. I do not know it's name. I know some of the story behind it. There was another castle that was close by, and the two families did not get along, and were always fighting. The one that is still standing and being lived in today (well, 5 or 6 yrs. ago) is the family that won the feud. The remains of the other castle are still there I think. Sorry, I do not know anything more.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
This may solve your UNK in Cameron, OK:
A few years ago, I visited a little town named Cameron Okla. It is just right outside of Poteau. There is a Castle there...
Oklahoma Historical Society
Historical Marker 194-1995
Reynolds Castle, Cameron
On a hill (just east of the marker) was the home of Capt. J.E. Reynolds a Confederate veteran, a pioneer rancher, and merchant. Built of native stone, like a castle complete with turrets, and walls two feet thick. Reynolds was a delegate to the Sequoyah convention which attempted to bring the Indian Territory into the Union as a separate state.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
I recently came across your website and thought you might be interested in an online article in “Oklahoma Living” on the castle in Cameron Oklahoma. You can find the article here.
"http://www.ok-living.com/feature_story.shtm"
As it is the “feature story” I don’t know how long it will stay up in that location. If you are interested in the information it might be wise to grab a copy of it before it’s taken down.
The article which is by Cathey Heddlesten, Says in part:
They say a man's home is his castle. That's especially true for Warren Swindell, who with his wife, Norma, lives in an honest-to-goodness castle in the small LeFlore County town of Cameron. From the rock turrets accentuating the roofline to the two octagon-shaped towers, the unique home has many of the same characteristics as the medieval castles of Europe. Capt. James E. Reynolds and his wife, Felicity Turnbull Reynolds, built the unique home in 1890 and lived in their own private castle for a few years before building and moving to a larger, brick home in Arkoma. Capt. Reynolds was a veteran of the Civil War.
Though it is a private home and not a museum, the Cameron Castle - as it's known in the small community - was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in November, 1977.
The castle house was built of native rock. In true castle form, it features walls that are two feet thick. The inner and outer layers of rock are insulated with gravel and sand. The thick walls help insulate the home, says Norma, and prevent drafts during the cold winter months.
The Swindells have owned the castle for the past 11 years. While living in Dallas, the couple learned about the unique home after spotting a "Castle for Sale" ad in a metro newspaper. Curiosity got the better of them, says Norma, leading the longtime Texas residents to respond to the advertisement and plan a weekend trip to Oklahoma just to see the castle. After returning to Dallas following that first trip to Cameron, the couple traveled north again the very next weekend to purchase the home.
The hill located behind the castle property is now a rock quarry, leading the Swindells to speculate that native stone used in the castle's construction was most likely taken from that area. Most of the historical information the couple has collected about their one-of-a-kind home was derived from a 1954 article in an Oklahoma Historical Society publication.
Though the couple enjoys hosting gatherings of friends and family in their spacious home, the castle is first and foremost a private home. For that reason, the castle is not open to public tours.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
I just wanted to say thank you for all the work you've done on the castle of US page. My grandparents own the "Captains Castle" in Oklahoma. My grandparents have lived in the castle for going on 12 years now. If you would like a picture from 12 years ago, or some of the inside, please let me know and I'd be more then happy to send it to you. The locals call it the Captains Castle or it is sometime refer to as the Castle in Cameron. There is a plaque that was put on the front gate referring to it as The Captains Castle 1980. It is assumed that people just started referring to it this way because of who he was. He was well known in his time.
On 3-26-07, I received E-Mail that said:
The Captain Castle in Cameron, OK is for sale! Here is the link:
http://www.historicproperties.com/detail.asp?detail_key=sccam002
Back to "Castles of the United States"
Thanks to Katrina Price for sending the first link and Joe Skeesick for sending the second link. Thanks to Kevin Dreyling for sending the link about the sale.