Perhaps Dundas could have saved everyone a lot of bother by building his Scottish fantasy as an actual insane asylum instead of a palatial home. That left Muriel’s husband who – this is starting to sound like a broken record – returned to the United States only to be committed to a mental institution. Poor Muriel might have inherited her mother’s mental issues as she, in turn, was committed to an asylum in Great Britain. As for the Dundas’ 18-year-old daughter Muriel, she was honeymooning in Europe at the time of her father’s demise. On May 1st of 1922, she was committed to the West Hill Sanitarium in Riverdale, Bronx County, NY where she spent the rest of her days. Seeking Asylumsĭundas’ passing saw his wife, Josephine, deprived of her only emotional support and in short order she was declared legally incompetent. ![]() Then tragedy (the first of many) struck: Ralph Dundas passed away on October 16th of 1921. World War I came and went with the nascent Dundas Castle still unfinished, although some fixtures, rugs, and tapestries had already been delivered and were in storage pending installation. Dundas was both meticulous and impulsive, at times ordering entire completed sections to be torn down and reconstructed so as to better match his vision.Īll the while, Dundas’ emotionally-unstable wife and sheltered daughter lived in a side wing of the original log lodge so the family patriarch could see to their immediate needs. Construction moved ahead in fits and starts, however. To help keep costs reasonable, thousands of locally sourced river stones were used to construct the castle’s three-story-tall walls and grand turreted “witch’s hat” gate towers. Highlands Flingīy 1915, blueprints had been drawn up and several dozen Finnish stonemasons were brought to the site. The cabin, known locally as “Beaverkill Lodge”, featured many comfort and convenience features but for Dundas only a stone-walled and luxuriously furnished castle would do. In 1907, Dundas bought a log cabin on the banks of the Beaverkill River, deep in New York’s lush and forested Catskill Mountains. Ralph Wurts-Dundas (1871-1921) was a wealthy recluse who, since he could not BE a Scottish laird, did the next best thing by living like one… at least, that was the plan. The hotel was closed in 1971 and never reopened.ĭespite significant local interest in the castle, the structure currently remains abandoned.Abandoned Dundas Castle in upstate New York is said to be cursed: its builder died and his family were committed to asylums before they could even move in. However, following Mcfadden’s death in 1955 at age 87, residency dwindled. The hotel and resort was both a hospital for the ill and a scenic getaway for celebrities and the wealthy, even during the Great Depression. However, developing medical treatments led to the decline of residency at the spa.įitness guru Bernarr Mcfadden purchased the building in 1929 and reopened it as the Physical Culture Hotel. Jackson invested $200,000 to build the current five-story structure, the Jackson Sanitarium, within a single year. Exploring Fairytale Castle Abandoned in the Mountains - YouTube 0:00 / 8:05 Exploring Fairytale Castle Abandoned in the Mountains Adventuring With Trevor 6.75K subscribers Subscribe 36. Anthony, and Clara Barton.Ī fire destroyed Our Home on the Hillside in 1882. Our home on the Hillside drew several national icons to the site for lectures or the spa itself, including Frederick Douglass, Susan B. ![]() Caleb Jackson, inventor of Granula, the first cold breakfast cereal, took over the failing facility in 1870 and called it Our Home on the Hillside. Two were also charged with Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, a violation.Īccording to, the sanitarium has its roots in an 1854 water cure, or ‘hydrotherapy’ facility that sought to cure illnesses with the healing properties of the mineral-rich waters of Breakout Creek. The students, ages 21 to 24, were charged with misdemeanor Criminal Trespass. “The property is unsafe and everyone located inside or on the property will be charged to the fullest extent.” “The Dansville Police Department has seen a large spike in the amount of people located on the property of ‘The Castle on the Hill’ recently due to the advertisement of it over social media,” said the Dansville Police Department. The castle is a posted ‘No Trespassing’ property and is considered an unsafe structure. Amazing Property in Lakeville! 5707 Big Tree RdĭANSVILLE – The Dansville Police Department has seen a spike in trespasses at the ‘Castle on the Hill’ following heightened interest in the sanitarium on social media.Īccording to a press release from the Dansville Police Department, the latest arrests were six SUNY Geneseo students who were allegedly standing on the castle’s roof on Thursday.
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