Henderson Castle
March 21, 2006
Henderson Castle, photo by Kalamazoo Richard.
Richard posted several shots of this Kalamazoo landmark to the new Historic Michigan pool on Flickr. One of his shots is of the Michigan Historic Marker which tells us it was built in a neighborhood designed by Kalamazoo military regalia manufacturer Frank Henderson.
The Kalamazoo Public Library goes into a lot more depth (and has a cool old photo of the castle):
The Queen Anne style house–always called “The Castle” by local residents because of its ornate style and imposing hilltop location–was designed by C. A. Gombert of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and cost $72,000 to build. With seven baths, a thirteen-head shower, an elevator, a third-floor ballroom, and a hot tub on the roof (added later) the 25-room castle exemplifies high society and expensive tastes. The castle’s exterior is made of Lake Superior sandstone and brick, and the interior wood includes mahogany, bird’s eye maple, quartered oak, birch, and sycamore.
Henderson Castle is currently a bed & breakfast (visit Henderson Castle B&B site).
May 9, 2006 at 10:00 am
I SAW THIS HOUSE ON AN HGTV PROGRAM AS FRED, THEN OWNER, DISCUSSED HIS PLANS TO SELL AND MOVE TO BRAZIL.
IS THE HOUSE STILL AVAILABLE AS A B&B?
I POSITIVELY GLORY IN SUCH MAGNIFICENT ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR EMBELLISHMENT AND WOULD MAKE A SPECIAL TRIP OUT THERE JUST TO SEE AND STAY IN THIS SPLENDID HOUSE!
PLEASE ADVISE,
PAMELA
May 9, 2006 at 10:06 am
God Forbid such a splendid example of architecture be destroyed or even mutilated by the ego of some corporate entity bent on using the shell to impress and the interior gutted or modified for cubicles and offices!
May 10, 2006 at 12:16 am
In the late 70’s I attended Highschool in kalamazoo and one of my friends, Jory Walker, his family owned the Castle. I remember skipping school and hanging out at the castle. I was awed by it and still am. Next time I visit my hometown I will stay there at the B&B>
March 8, 2007 at 1:32 pm
I’ve lived in Kazoo my whole life and have to say that I was THRILLED when good ol’ Fred finally sold the castle. He did run it as a B&B for a while, but I really can honestly say that no amount of money would have me stay there, and My inlaws actually booked my husband and I a room there for our honeymoon and we turned it down. The guy ran the place Vegan. Not that I have anything against vegan’s, but come on, don’t force it on others.
Anyhow,
The new owners also are running it as a B&B, a normal one. It only has maybe four or five rooms,and they are all themed.
There was a movie filmed there in the really late 80’s called “Housesitter: the night they saved sigfrieds brain”. Cheesy b movie, and apparently has never been seen since it premired at the State Theater. Maybe they have it there in a can somewhere.
July 20, 2007 at 10:00 pm
My father grew up in this house, and my grandparents owned it until the time I graduated from college. We also lived in the house when I was a child. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the house, do yourself a favor and book a room there. Rare woods, German silver countertops, Italian leaded glass windows and the most gorgeous stained glass window on the first floor landing are just a few of the features that make this house incredible. It would be hard to find more amazing craftsmanship. The house features a ballroom, a place for carrier pidgeons in the basement, and a trap door in the floor….growing up there was a little girl’s dream. One of the many wonderful memories I have of the place, was bringing my fellow choir members from Portage Northern High School there for a Christmas party. It was so elegant. I live in California now, but look forward to bringing my two children back to spend a night or two.
July 21, 2007 at 7:31 am
That is super cool Debbie. One of the things that I love about the internet is that it allows for stories to grow. Thanks for sharing!
Trap door? Very jealous - I always wanted one of those … and a sliding bookcase secret passage.
July 30, 2007 at 12:05 am
Just returned from Klamazoo yesterday. Stayed at this B&B on Friday night, very charming place, sits on the hill top with beautiful landscaped gardens. The new owners are super nice, I will definetly return.
December 5, 2007 at 12:21 pm
My husband and I were married at the castle on Feb 14, 2007. We were the first to get married on the grounds. Our ceremony took place in the Miracle Room. We toured the house and it is truly incredible. We stayed in the Dutch Room. It had lights in the floor pattern. They say it is haunted. We experienced lights going on by themselves.
It was totally worth experiencing the true beauty of this house.
December 7, 2007 at 9:53 pm
I played a role in the movie Housesitter and was never able to see the movie I was only 17 yrs old. Do you know how I can see this movie. I am now 36. Thanks
February 1, 2008 at 8:02 am
I worked on the movie Housesitter as an F/X makeup artist. I finally got to see it in the Hitchcook theater inside of Univeral Studios, at a screening for distributers, around 1991. A few years later I got a VHS copy from jim Korlock. I,ve since copied it to DVD-R. If someone involved with the film, like Daphne McLaughlin, in the post from December 7, 2007, were to ask, I could probably make another copy for them.
May 5, 2008 at 1:00 am
I am sitting here right now watching the HGTV - House Hunters International with Fred. Why would anyone want to move to Buenos Aires… anyways.
This house is without a doubt one of the finest I have seen. I found their website - http://www.hendersoncastle.com but the pictures on the site does not do it justice. Who owns it now? I don’t think I will ever make it to Kalamazoo, MI but if I do I will have to stop by. I really liked reading about the previous owners experiences.
May 5, 2008 at 3:07 am
Does anyone know more about the trap door in the floor or any other secret passage ways. I have lived in Kalamazoo all 21 years of my life and not until recently have I gotten a chance to see inside of the castle. I was lucky enough to help move some furniture around inside and I heard of rumors that the secret passages exist and would like some helpful hints on where to look. I couldnt even find the controls to the what is now a sauna room, if that tells you how well things are hidden. In order to not spoil it for everyone, if you could send me a message at rarrlikeatiger@hotmail.com with any helpful info.