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Hearthstone Castle in Danbury, Connecticut was built between 1895-1899. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It has also been known as Parks' Castle and as The Castle. The property includes four contributing buildings and three other contributing structures.〔 Today, the castle is owned by the City of Danbury and is located in Tarrywile Park. Hearthstone Castle is closed to the public due to safety concerns. ==History== First known as "Sanford Castle", Hearthstone was designed by architect Ernest G.W. Dietrich for its first owner, E. Starr Sanford, a noted portrait photographer. The castle was intended to be a honeymoon "cottage" for Sanford's wife. Sanford and his family owned the castle for only five years, before selling it in 1902 to Victor Buck, a retired New York industrialist. When the Buck family moved in, they renamed the castle "Buck's Castle." In 1910, Charles Darling Parks bought the neighboring Tarrywile Mansion from Dr. William C. Wiles. Later, in 1918, C. D. Parks then bought "Buck's Castle" for his oldest daughter, Irene Parks, as a wedding gift. During this time the castle was renamed "Hearthstone Castle." The name was possibly changed to this due to the eight fireplaces, which were all made out of stone, as was the rest of the castle. All of the rock that was used to build the castle was quarried on site, and transported the short distance across the property on a small railroad, which was built solely for this purpose. All of the woodwork throughout the building of the castle was brought in from Italy. All of the wrought iron chandeliers, lamps, and wall sconces were made in Danbury by Cephas B. Rogers Co. Irene Parks Jennings occupied the castle until her death in 1982. The last residents of the castle were her heirs, Richard and Constance Jennings. The Jenningses lived there from 1983 until March 1987, when the entire Tarrywile Estate was sold to the town of Danbury. Hearthstone Castle was declared a National Historic Place that same year. The castle was not well maintained under Danbury's ownership, and the roof has since collapsed. In 2004, Tarrywile Park Authority and The City of Danbury approved two options for renovating the castle.〔http://www.friendsoftarrywilepark.org/hearthstone-castle/〕 The first option involves developing the Castle into a three-season pavilion and observation tower. The plan includes stabilization and limited renovation of the castle to provide a kitchen facility for picnics, seating areas for picnics, creation of an observation tower to take advantage of the spectacular views afforded by the site and establishment of an educational area, historical exhibits and tourist information center. Efforts would include restoration of the historic landscape and garden design as well as expansion of the site's hiking and passive recreation facilities. The second option includes the complete restoration of the castle and development of a fully functioning building with lodge areas, restaurant, museum, conference rooms, classrooms, wellness center, information desk, staff residence and gift shop. Restoration of the original gardens and expansion of the hiking trail system would also be undertaken. The restored castle and grounds would provide a major attraction and gathering place for the city, rescue a structure on the National Register of Historic Places and provide an on-going source of operating income to the Tarrywile Park Authority. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hearthstone Castle」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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