Austin Castles Needing Queens and Kings

This one’s for all you castle lovers, appreciators of lavish buildings, and those who like to live extravagantly.  In case you were or were not aware, Austin houses many castles that are a sight to see.

Actual castles with trap doors, secret rooms, and winding staircases? Yes! Those type of castles can be found right here in the music capital of the world.  Who knew?  We had a lot of feedback regarding our March edition of Irish Castles, so we figured we’d give Austinites what they want….CASTLES!

The Victorian mansion, Chateau Bellevue, is a marvel to take in and at one point housed female college students attending UT Austin.  Chateau Bellevue can be found in the heart of downtown, but with so many doors it is hard to find the actual entrance.  The Austin Woman’s Club hosts their meetings here, and may even be planning on some renovations that would increase visitors.

Here is a list of other castles you should check out on your spare time.

• Formosa- Housed in the Waller Creek area, it was once a German sculptor’s studio and is a great “house museum”.

• Texas Military Institute– Located in Old West Austin, this Victorian tower was built in the 1870’s and provided academics along with military exercise to cadets.  It was modeled after West Point and tuition for an academic school year was a whoping $375.

• Bouldin Castle– Until recently purchased in 2007, Bouldin Castle has served as a religious sanctuary.  Franciscan, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox took residence there in the early to late 19^th and 20^th centuries.

• Britannia Manor- This castle may very well be the most interesting of all.  Owned by Richard Garriott, this castle was home to a Halloween haunted house in the 90’s and was free to the public.  There were Halloween role-play and mystery solving games that took place along with creepy critters wanting to gnaw away at you.

• Pemberton Castle- Home to not  famous Texans, but famous ghosts as well.  It received the Official Historical Texas Marker in 1997, and is owned by a Dell executive and his wife.

Ok, ok so we know castles are wonderful, but there’s got to a downside, right?  Well unfortunately there is one…the cost of production! In general, for a castle, a king’s ransom. As with the time it takes to build a castle, most of the same factors can affect the cost of a castle. The remoteness of the site, the weather, the supply and cost of materials and labor, the cost and time for building permits, and the selection of materials used can all affect the cost of your castle. Don’t forget to add in the cost of the land while building your castle.

One of the most important notes about our castles is that they are toasty warm inside and can be heated like any other home.  But in weather conditions such as South Texas, a toasty warm setting is very undesirable.  Talk about a high energy bill!

Castles are a real beauty, but unless you’re a millionaire you may be spending the rest of your life trying to pay it off.  My advice is to buy a home in your price range and become Queen or King of  your own “Castle”…just try not to get crazy and build a moat, the neighbors may not like that.

For a list of castles within your budget email me, sam@myagentsam.com

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