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Windsor Castle is a former plantation and now a public park in Smithfield, Virginia, United States. It is located in the Smithfield Historic District. ==History== The plantation dates to a land grant of by the King of England to Arthur Smith in 1637. Arthur Smith’s great grandson, Arthur Smith IV, established the town of Smithfield in 1750. The first recorded use of the name “Windsor Castle” dates from 1884.〔 and (''Accompanying photo'' )〕 In 2005, real estate developer Lewis McMurran obtained an option to purchase Windsor Castle for $2.2 million. The agreement included a historic easement around the manor house. McMurran proposed to build a 445-unit “New Urbanism” development on the property outside the historic easement. The proposal was withdrawn amidst strong opposition from town residents. In 2007, Joseph W. Luter III donated $5 million to the town for the purchase and development of Windsor Castle as a park. Lewis McMurran then executed his option to purchase the property. The town council voted to pursue the use of eminent domain to obtain the property. In 2009, an out-of-court agreement was negotiated for the town to purchase the property outside the historic easement for $3.8 million and for McMurran to donate to the town the property within the historic easement. The manor house and surrounding are now a public park. The immediately surrounding the manor house are protected by a historic easement controlled by the state of Virginia. The park was formally opened during a ceremony officiated by the Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell on May 22, 2010. The park features hiking trails, a dog park, a mountain bike trail, a fishing pier, and a canoe launch. The manor house overlooks the junction of Cypress Creek and the Pagan River. The King of All Places manor house (circa 1806) can be seen across Cypress Creek from the Windsor Castle property. On April 2, 2013, it was reported in the ''Virginian-Pilot'' that the Smithfield Town Council has leased five acres at Windsor Castle Park to Smithfield Winery LLC to establish a vineyard for a small-production winery.〔(Grapes may soon grow at Windsor park in Smithfield | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com )〕 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「Windsor Castle (Smithfield, Virginia)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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