Rhodes Hall Castle is in Atlanta, downtown. I'm sorry I no longer have the brochure that I had about the place. But it's the Rhodes guy from Rhodes Furniture Stores rather than mining, etc. and It was built in the 19th century.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
House History
Rhodes Hall, one of Atlanta's last remaining castles on Peachtree Street is located just north of Pershing Point, in the vicinity of Brookwood. Built in 1904, prior to the development of Ansley Park, Rhodes Hall is one of the last remaining larger scale houses that originally lined Peachtree street. Constructed of Stone Mountain granite in the Romanesque Revival style, it was designed by one of Atlanta's best architects for one of its richest men. Even in 1904, it was virtually one of a kind, at least for a private residence in Georgia, and is of state-wide significance for the quality and style of its architecture. Rhodes Hall remains as one of a handful of early 20th-century mansions surviving on Peachtree (there is but one 19th century survivor). Little changed from its original appearance, Rhodes Hall is an Atlanta landmark of the first order.
Between 1901 and 1906, Amos Giles Rhodes assembled an estate of 114 acres on Peachtree at Brookwood, stretching across Tanyard Creek from Peachtree and including most of the present Brookwood Interchange of I-75/85. There, in early 1902, he began construction of his great granite castle. By the summer of 1904, Rhodes Hall was complete and the family moved from the old property (c.1890) on S. Pryor Street to Rhodes Hall which they called "La Reve."
The interior of Rhodes Hall is one of the finest intact expressions of late Victorian architectural design in the city. The grandest feature of the interior is a magnificent series of stained and painted glass windows above a carved mahogany staircase. Executed by Von Gerichten Art Glass Company, winners of four gold medals at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, the series depicts the rise and fall of the Confederacy, from Fort Sumter to Appomattox, and includes medallion portraits of over a dozen Confederate heroes.
Wired for electricity when it was built, Rhodes Hall is a prime exhibit of the fascination that new technology held for Atlantans at the turn of the century. Over 300 light bulbs lit the house, producing a blaze of light that must have been astounding in 1904. The house also included electric call buttons in most rooms, as well as a security system.
Following the deaths of Mrs. Rhodes in 1927 and A. G. Rhodes in 1928, their two children, J. D. Rhodes and Mrs. L. O. Bricker, deeded the house and just under an acre of the original estate to the State of Georgia. Included in the deed was a restriction that the property could only be used for "historic purposes." In 1930 the building opened as the home of the State Archives and continued as such until completion of the present Archives on Capitol Avenue in 1965, when Rhodes Hall was designated the Peachtree Branch of the Archives.
In 1983, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit organization, began a long-term lease of Rhodes Hall with the State. Serving as headquarters for the Georgia Trust, it is now undergoing a complete restoration. The focal point of the restoration of the interior was the return of the original main staircase and stained glass windows to the building, in 1990.
Rhodes situated his castle for maximum visibility on a slight rise at a prominent curve in Peachtree Street. Subsequent development, especially of Rhodes Center in the late 1930's lessened the impact of that siting and severely reduced the size of the original estate. However, the imprint of the original landscaping is intact, and if restored, would offer significant understanding of early twentieth century residential landscaping.
You can find a great deal of information on Rhodes Hall in Atlanta, GA, at the Atlanta Convention Visitors Bureau or go to the The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and view the photographs plus read a bio on the architect.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
Regarding the Rhodes Hall Castle; the mansion was begun in 1901, the 20th century (actually its first year); there are several times that a reference to its being a 19th century survivor and it having been started in the 19th century. Anyway, there should be editorial corrections made to the quoted email, as it's an early 20th century historical landmark surviving on Peachtree St, along with the Fox Theater in the heart of Atlanta, also on Peachtree St.
Back to "Castles of the United States"
Picture courtesy of Ken Belcher.
Information courtesy of S. Greer-Mote