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| The Misir family, Nancy, Naresh and daughter Nadia Tenorio, pose
on the lawn of Stuart Castle near Eureka. |
Stuart Castle —
Eureka
Originally
built by Dr.Wallace Stuart and his son Wallace Stuart II in the
1960s Stuart castle may be Eureka's best-kept secret.
For nearly
a decade Stuart's family of eight lived in a construction zone
while he and his son cut and laid granite stone for the massive
palace. Stuart lived in the castle until
the late 70's. His wife, Joan stayed
through the early 80's before abandoning the building.
The
current owner, Naresh Misir, bought the castle from Stuart in 1996,
after it had been vacant for 20 years. It was heavily vandalized
but from the moment he saw it he just knew he had to have it.
 |
Naresh
Misir is greeted by his cat as he pushes open a secret passageway
in the library of Stuart Castle. The swinging bookcase leads
to the basement where you can travel to the opposite end of
the castle . |
"I
always saw the finished product. I didn’t see the damage,
I only saw the possibility,” he says.
Naresh spent five
years renovating and remodeling the interior with his wife, Nancy,
and stepdaughter Nadia. Peepholes, secret passageways, and polished
granite floors are some of the castle's unique interior characteristics.
With a massive game room, five-room master suite, Jacuzzi,
three sun porches, nine fireplaces, and a five-car garage there’s
no doubt that this home is fit for a king.
The
library, Naresh's favorite room, has a bookcase that opens to reveal
a set of stairs to the basement. The fireplace in the
master bedroom is constructed of fossils, petrified wood and handpicked
semi-precious stones from around the world.
When asked if the
family feels like royalty Nancy laughs and says, "No, more like
a servant. It's a full time job to rehab it." With over 11,000
square feet of living space it's too big for the family of three.
Stuart castle
is currently for sale for "around $2 million." Prospective buyers
can contact Donna Giamalva with Prudential Realty at 314-973-4519.
Ironton
 |
Diana, the
Roman goddess of the moon and the hunt, keeps a watch over the
granite
castle in Ironton. |
Arcadia
Valley not only boasts beautiful hills, but a colossal castle in
Ironton as well.
An English doctor
named Thomas Goulding built the three-story tower structure with
eleven -rooms in 1903. He wanted to use it as a hospital but instead
the area surrounding the castle became a park.
The foot-thick
granite walls keep the new owners Larry and Sheila Misselhorn at
peace in their quiet palace. They say they can’t
even here when a dump truck is in their front yard.
When Larry’s
not working on adding unique characteristics to the castle he’s
meeting Hollywood stars and constructing movie sets. Many pieces
of furniture in the castle are from past movie projects. His dining
room table and a living room rug stained with Tom Hanks' fake blood
is from the gangster film "Road to Perdition."
Larry
never imagined he would live in a castle or work on movie sets. “He’s
just a hard working guy,” says Sheila, “and this
is just our home.”
Pythian Castle
— Springfield
 |
Dancer
and circus perfomer Tamara Finocchiaro practices a routine
in the theater of Pythian Castle. Finocchiaro, the owner of
the castle, offers a wide variety of entertainment
at Pythian Castle.. |
Entrepreneurs from
Los Angeles, Calif., have come to Springfield to bring life to that
city’s
Pythian Castle. Tamara Finocchiaro and her mother, M.J. Page,
live in the castle while they renovate and manage the multipurpose
facility that’s open to the public for
the first time in 90 years.
With a ballroom,
theater, basement gym and grand foyer, the 40,000-square-foot castle
can easily accomodate private parties, weddings, and even ghost hunters.
The supposedly haunted castle was built
in 1914 by a fraternal organization the Knights of Pythias who originally
used it as an orphanage and women’s
home. Later the U.S. Army occupied it for nearly 40 years before
it went through private owners.
 |
| Springfield's Pythian Castle is open to the public for the first
time in 90 years. |
Now, Tamara and
M.J. are creating a place where people can experience the happy moments
of their lives. They offer dance lessons, martial arts, murder mystery
theater, and even circus arts parties for children. By 2006 they
hope to finish renovations to open suites for a bed and breakfast.
Tamara,
a professional swing dancer, says, “I want people to
come have fun, and help us make some history in this facility.”
To
tour the castle or participate in activities call Tamara
at 417-865-1464; email tamara@pythiancastle.com;
or visit the Web site www.pythiancastle.com.
