This is a photo of Warner Castle - Rochester, New York.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
Warner Castle in Rochester, Ny is still there. It is located across from the Mt. Hope Cemetary. It is about the size of a large house and has apartments in most of it and I believe a chapter of the rochester garden society. In the back is a sunken courtyard like English walled gardens of the time. Quite a few people have weddings there. I used to sit in the courtyard and eat my lunch as Highland Hospital is a stone's throw away.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
I'm a descendant of William and Rebecca Lupton Warner who settled in Canaan NY back in the early 1800's. I'm looking into the Warner castle and thought I would pass on to you what I know...
Info was sent from a "friend of Mt. Hope Cemetery"
Warner Castle was designed by and built for Horatio Gates Warner in 1853. The castle and gardens are now part of Rochester's Olmsted designed Highland Park. Horatio Gates Warner was a relative of the Warner Sisters who lived on Constitution Island, West Point. According to letters on file in the Warner Papers at the Unv. Of Rochester's Rare Books and Special Coll., H.G. Warner was born and grew up in Canann NY. Horatio Gates was son of Daniel Warner and Olive Douglas and gs of William and Rebecca Lupton Warner. H.G. Warner's brother, Wiliam H. graduated from West Point in 1836. He died in 1849.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
In the mid 1960s I had a friend who acted as a night watchmen of sorts at the castle. He had a small apartment on the second floor. At the time, most of the rooms were open and the first floor was used for meetings by the Rochester Garden Society. At the time, there seems that there were more trees. There is a tunnel between the formal gardens and the house. Evidently originally used by the help, to get food to the garden for outdoor parties. It could have been used as an emergency escape route. Facing the grand staircase, there were grilled doors on each side of the staircase. The one on the right held garden tools the one to the left went to the house. The house entrance to the tunnel has been concealed.
I also understand that the house was originally built for the owner's wife and was a diminutive copy of her homein Scotland.
Later, I received E-Mail that said:
As requested by you, more information on Warner Castle, in Rochester, NY. This is a link to a page of clickable thumbnail photos. Check them out, they are modern-day shots, and are quite nice. All we have posted now is a vintage postcard. http://www.cis.rit.edu/~jerry/Image/2003/08/02/
On 2-13-08, I received E-mail that said:
To see more Warner Castle info, go here:
http://www.rcgc.org/
Warner Castle is home to the Rochester Civic Garden Center. There was one small apartment for a caretaker but, it never seemed to work out well and they dont offer it anymore. There used to be a store run and staffed by volunteers but, with very little traffic and sales it closed its doors a year or so ago. A trip to the castle for wedding pictures in the sunken gardens is a Rochester must and at times the wait would be hours for a turn. The castle is now available for functions such as weddings and meetings.
Does anyone have more information?
Back to "Castles of the United States"
Preliminary research for this page done by Phil Bilzor.