Stokes Castle

Anson Phelps Stokes, a financier from New York who owned the Austin Silver Mining Company, built this three-story tower as a summer residence for his sons, but it was used only once, in 1897. Constructed of hand-hewn native granite, the castle possesses a commanding view of the Reese River Valley from its location at the west end of Austin. Although the structure resembles southwestern Native American towers such as Montezuma's Castle in Arizona, it was probably modeled after the towers of medieval Italian hilltowns. Certainly its heavy, irregular coursed-rubble walls, narrow windows, and crenellations give the building an ancient air. The remnants of balconies, constructed of wood with simple cross rails for balustrades, are visible in the metal supports projecting from the facade's second and third floors. Documentation of the original interior is scant, but the “castle” is said to have had ample indoor plumbing and rich furnishings. Each floor had a fireplace, and window openings had plate glass to take advantage of the spectacular views. Vacant since 1897, the building has slowly deteriorated. A chain-link fence surrounds the structure, and its interior has been almost completely gutted.