I received E-Mail that said:
I haven't lived near there for over a decade, but I remember Idaho Springs, Colorado having a stone house surrounded by trees that was a castle. I have a picture somewhere, I'll forward it when I find it.
On 6-24-07, I rece3ived E-Mail that said:
I was reviewing your website and came across the castle in Idaho Springs, CO. It is owned by Robert Metzler. I have been to several wonderful dinner parties there. The story I was told by the owner was that it was built by a wealthy gentlemen for his aristocrat English wife as an enticement to get her to stay in Colorado. It was built before the turn of the Century. It has a secret passage ways and is truly beautiful and authentic on the inside.
On 8-27-08, I received E-mail that said:
I want to send you some definitive information about the castle Idaho Springs, Colorado. I grew up in Idaho Springs. In 1986 a history of Clear Creek County was published. The following information about the castle in Idaho Springs is from that publication.
Attribution: "History of Clear Creek County" ( pages 349 & 350)
1986, Specialty Publishing Inc., Denver, Colorado
ISBN: 0-935241-000
1822 Illinois St
Idaho Springs, Colorado 80452
Historic landmark
Built: 1880's by Governor Bryan of British Columbia (who at the time was an investor in gold mines in Idaho Springs area.
Design: modeled after the Bryan castle in England / of European design
Building material: local granite
Labor: built with Chinese laborers who had been working gold mines in Idaho Springs. The Chinese laborers added a unique architectural trim feature over the windows and doors, in keeping with their culture. (This trim has a special angle that is believed to keep the good spirits in and the bad spirits out of the building.
Restoration: Robert F Metzler purchased the castle in 1965. He maintained the Chinese trim feature. He added a moat, drawbridge, Moorish solarium and a wide variety of plants, shrubs and trees in garden landscape.
Legend: ghosts reside there and are friendly.
Owner: Robert F Metzler, a fourth generation descendent of two of Colorado's first families, came to Idaho Springs as superintendent of schools of Clear Creek County in 1964. He was born and raised in Castle Rock, Colorado.
Attribution: "History of Clear Creek County" ( pages 349 & 350)
1986, Specialty Publishing Inc., Denver, Colorado
ISBN: 0-935241-000
On 12-30-2019, I received e-mail that said:
You may recall that I sent you pictures and info about the castle in Idaho Springs, Colorado several years ago. Recently, the Idaho Springs Historical Society posted a new picture of the castle, which is better...taken probably in the 1920's (you can see the railroad tracks in the foreground)
Back to "Castles of the United States"
Photos courtesy of Jim Case, and Bruce Edwards.