The spirits of
Thornewood Castle
02:56 PM PDT on
Friday, October 24, 2003
Northwest
Backroads
Nestled on 4 acres at American Lake and dotted with old-growth
fir trees is Thornewood Castle, built in 1908 by Chester A. Thorne.
This 27,000-square-foot manor is of the Gothic Tudor style and is
the only one of its kind on the West Coast.
Built as a single family residence, Thornewood is now a gracious
three-story country inn that has been lovingly restored.
The mansion has 54 rooms, 22 baths and more than 27,000 square
feet of living space.
The cost of construction in 1911 was approximately $1 million.
Today, the same structure is estimated to be worth $30 million.
There’s amazing history everywhere you look – from the antiques
and artwork to the old oak paneling and stained glass.
Walk through the halls where presidents and dignitaries walked.
Presidents William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt spent the
night in the presidential suite.
But there’s more than meets the eye.
|
Chester Thorne can
sometimes be seen playing the piano. |
There’s a magical time of day and it’s called “evening tide” –
it’s when this Gothic mansion springs to life.
Spirits lost in that place between life and death call Thornewood
Castle home. One of those lingering spirits is the castle’s
namesake, Chester Thorne.
He’s been seen playing the piano and walking the halls
mischievously.
In an upstairs bedroom, guests have had spine-chilling sightings
of Anna Thorne.
Another ghost is believed to be that of Army General Cadwallader
Corse who was stationed at Fort Lewis at the time of a shooting that
killed him.
The ghosts that haunt Thornewood are what you would call benign
spirits.
Haunting aside, Thornewood Castle is a unique bed-and-breakfast
that offers six rooms to the public.
Even though this nearly century-old mansion has a few extra
inhabitants, staying there can be an experience of a lifetime.
Thornewood Castle served as the fictional setting for Stephen
King’s Rose Red.
