- Joslyn Castle
Infobox_nrhp
name = Joslyn Castle
caption =
location= Omaha, NE
area =
built = 1903
architecture=Scottish Baronial
added = 1972
governing_body = Joslyn Castle Institute
refnum=72000747The George and Sarah Joslyn Home, known locally as Joslyn Castle, is located at 3902 Davenport Street in the Gold Coast Historic District of
Omaha ,Nebraska ,USA . Built in theScottish Baronial style in 1903, the Castle was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1972. It was designated as an Omaha landmark in 1979. [(nd) [http://www.ci.omaha.ne.us/landmarks/designated_landmarks/landmarks/25/Default.htm Joslyn House] . City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Commission. Retrieved 5/29/07.]History
George Joslyn made his fortune in the ready-print news business and owned the
Western Newspaper Union . The Joslyns gave generously to many Omaha-area organizations, including Sarah Joslyn's donation which made Omaha'sJoslyn Art Museum possible.Joslyn Castle was designed by John McDonald, a local architect, and was originally named "Lynhurst" by the Joslyn family. Shortly after, George Joslyn bought a farm outside of Omaha in 1893, he began landscaping it. Landscape architect
Jens Jensen designed the grounds, as well as the rock work and pools for the conservatory inside the house. [(nd) [http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/markers/texts/joslyn.htm George and Sarah Joslyn Home] . Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 5/29/07.]Design
The 35-room mansion had four stories, as well as a carriage house tower, built before the Castle in 1901, and five acres of formal gardens and landscaping, including greenhouses, which were completed in 1899. According to The Friends of Joslyn Castle, the home was built in just eleven months at a cost of $250,000. [(nd) [http://www.joslyncastle.com/Castle-History.html Castle History] . Joslyn Castle website. Retrieved 5/29/07.]
The Castle includes a reception hall, music room, ballroom, a library and gold drawing room. The basement at one time had a bowling alley. With the addition of a music room in 1906, the house totaled convert|19360|sqft|m2|0. [(nd) [http://www.memories.ne.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/opl&CISOPTR=212&REC=8 Josyln's Castle] . Nebraska State Historical Record. Retrieved 5/29/07.]
The Castle and the carriage house were built of Vermont silverdale limestone. There is a wrought iron door on the Castle that weighs over a ton.
1913 Tornado
On
March 23 ,1913 , a tornado demolished much of the central and north parts of Omaha. During this disaster, the Castle and surrounding grounds received extensive damage. The greenhouses were partial destroyed, never to be rebuilt to their full extent. Also destroyed were a small lake and bridge to the west of the Castle. Today the bridge remains, and an outline of the small lake is visible.Recent history
In 1944, the Castle became the headquarters of the
Omaha Public Schools district. Some of the walls of the original greenhouses were incorporated into an (1958) office annex by the district.In 1989, the school system moved to a larger facility in the former Tech High School building. The Castle then became the property of the
State of Nebraska . In 1996, the Joslyn Castle became home of the Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities. The Institute is charged by the State of Nebraska with managing and preserving the estate. [(nd) [http://www.ecospheres.com/who.asp Who we are] . Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities website. Retrieved 5/29/07.]Today, the Castle is the namesake of the surrounding Joslyn Castle neighborhood [(nd) [http://www.joslyn-castle.org/ Joslyn Castle Neighborhood Association] website. Retrieved 5/29/07.] , and is a site in the
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum .June 27, 2008 Storm
At around 5:00pm on June 27th, 2008, a powerful storm moved through the Omaha metro area. The storm produced golf ball size hail and winds speeds of over 80mph. The Joslyn Castle grounds sustained extensive tree damage including some of the same trees that survived the 1913 Easter Tornado.
References
External links
* [http://www.thejoslyncastle.com/index2.htm Historical photos] of Joslyn Castle.
* [http://www.memories.ne.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/opl&CISOPTR=212&REC=8 Period photo] of the aftermath of the 1913 tornado damage to the Castle.
* [http://www.thejoslyncastle.com/index4.htm Modern photos] .
* [http://www.ecospheres.com/ Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities] website.
* [http://www.thejoslyncastle.com/index.htm Joslyn Castle Events] website.
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