Saint Clements Castle - Portland, CT - Castles on Waymarking.com

History from Saint Clements Website (see related link)

During the 17th century, towns and villages grew up rapidly along the banks of the Connecticut River in central Connecticut. In the Middletown area, the Taylor family settled to become successful farmers, ministers and barristers. In the latter part of the 19th century, Howard Taylor, while working as a solicitor, secured a large sum of money and, together with his wife Gertrude, began construction of an estate on an 82-acre plot fronting the river in the town of Portland. Construction of the Taylor manor home was completed on November 23, 1902.

While the basic architectural design of Saint Clements began with the 16th century castles of Europe, it took a New York architect named Sidney Algernon Bell to put together the various influences and traditions that resulted in the present structure. The roofs of the manor house are influenced by homes in the Bavarian Alps. The long balcony was modeled after the Inn of William the Conqueror at Divers, France. The living room was modeled after the Great Hall of the Chateau of Langeais and the massive stone tower of Norman design descent adds a distinctive feature to the French Tudor entrance.

The actual construction was handled by workmen from the Middletown and Portland areas. Many were Italian and Irish immigrants who walked to work each day. Evidence of their careful craftsmanship is still visible in the castle's woodwork and masonry, especially in the tower and exterior garden wall. Granite blocks for the walls were brought to the site by oxen and the wood used throughout is local chestnut and oak, which were plentiful in the surrounding forests during the 19th century.

The name “Saint Clement’s Castle” was chosen as a tribute to the grand European estates and also for the date of the manor home’s completion. Until the late 19th Century, November 23 was celebrated throughout England as the “Feast of St. Clement.” An early bishop of Rome, Clement became the patron saint of mariners and ironworkers, especially blacksmiths, because he was martyred by being tied to an iron anchor and drowned at sea. To celebrate his feast, English blacksmiths fired their anvils with gunpowder and marched about in procession. In the Midlands, children went "clementing" for fruit and pennies, singing a rhyme that went:

St. Clement’s, St. Clement’s comes once in a year
Apples and pears are very good cheer
Got no apples, money will do
Please to give us one of the two
Father's at work and Mother's at play
Please to remember St. Clement's Day.

In 1993, the estate was turned over by its then current owner to the Saint Clements Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization created for the sole purpose of preserving the manor home, its gardens, courtyards and priceless art treasures, and to prevent commercial subdivision of its 82 riverfront acres. Thus began a detailed restoration of the property's gables, walkways, balconies and courtyards.

After four years of meticulous renovations to the main structure and gardens, a new banquet and conference room overlooking the river, the Waterford Room, was constructed. The Trustees' love for art, antiques and history found ample expression not only in the manor's Art Gallery, but also throughout the estate. In 2000, the original carriage house was transformed into a tavern. And in the fall of 2004, construction of the new Prince Edward Ballroom was completed and opened for use as a formal banquet auditorium and divisible meeting facility for business and social functions.

Currently in the development stages is a renovated full-service marina.

Today, Saint Clements Castle bears eloquent testimony to both the dreams of its original builders, and to the vision of the Saint Clements Foundation Trustees whose dedicated efforts have preserved this historical gem for future generations.

Accessibility: Partial access Condition: Intact Website: [Web Link] Admission Charge?: Not Listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/09/2009 Mr Echo visited it

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