Mansion tours stir up mixed emotions in me. I love history and architecture and stained glass. I love seeing how the “better half” used to live. But I always feel as though I’m trespassing and that I should have come through the service entrance. I also feel a kernel of anger, because the super-rich only get that way by exploiting the rest of us. I often wonder if their sense of entitlement and superiority isn’t actually a defense mechanism against the karma that must constantly loom over them like the Grim Reaper. I also wonder if their excesses aren’t a function of knowing that their wealth is built upon a house of cards that could fall apart at any moment.
It was with those mixed emotions that I arrived at Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada with Dear Husband. I have to admit that it’s an absolutely gorgeous place, inside and out. The woodwork and the stained glass alone makes the visit worthwhile. The history makes it even more fascinating.
I encourage you to visit the Craigdarroch Castle web page. It’s a spectacular website which includes a virtual tour. And their photographs, of course, are even better than the ones below. Naturally, there’s nothing better than visiting the place yourself. If you’re planning a trip to Victoria, I suggest you choose a day when a tour is available, because the castle is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
To give you a bit of background about this stunning Victorian manse, I’ll start at the beginning. Robert Dunsmuir, a coal baron, began building the castle in 1887, but he died before he ever got a chance to live in it. It cost about $500,000 to build, which was a hefty sum at the time. His wife Joan and their 3 youngest daughters (they had 8 girls and 2 boys) moved in in 1890, and the place remained in the family for 18 years.
Her two sons thought that they’d be heirs to their father’s estate, as was supposedly promised, but in fact he left everything to his wife. Believing that they had paid their dues after having dedicated their lives to their father’s business ventures, being cut off from this fortune caused enormous strain in the family. Then one son died, prompting additional fights over his will.
Joan’s other son, James, was the premier of British Columbia when his mother sued him, and that of course caused quite a scandal. James built another mansion in Victoria, and did not speak to his mother for her remaining 18 years. (More about his mansion in a subsequent post.) And if you’ve never been to Victoria, you’ll have to take my word for it that it’s a relatively small town, so avoiding her would have taken considerable effort.
When Joan died in 1908, James almost didn’t attend the funeral, but then he changed his mind at the last minute. He broke down and wept during the service. One wonders what he thought when Joan left the castle to his five remaining living sisters. None of them were willing or able buy the others out, so the land was sold to land speculator Griffith R. Hughes for $38,000.
Hughes then parceled the property into 144 lots, each of which was to cost $2750, and the buyers would not get to choose which lot they received. There were very few takers, so the deal was sweetened by including each investor in a lottery, the winner of which would get Craigdarroch Castle itself. Mr. Solomon Cameron won that lottery in 1909.
Cameron never lived in the castle, but he did make his brother the caretaker. You’d think that Cameron would have made the most of this sweet deal, but he only managed to hang on to the castle for 10 years. Immediately upon winning the lottery, Cameron mortgaged the home in order to make a lot of bad investments that left him destitute. He owed the Bank of Montreal $300,000, so they took possession of the castle in 1919.
That same year the castle became a military hospital. In 1921 it housed Victoria College, but the enrollment eventually outgrew the house. In 1946 it became the offices of the Victoria School Board. In 1969 it was home to the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Along with their music lessons, they would host “Bad Music Concerts” to raise funds for various charities. (Don’t you just love an institution with a sense of humor?)
In 1979 it became the historical museum that it is to this day. I hope you get to see it for yourself someday. What follows are some of the photographs that Dear Husband and I took during our visit. Enjoy!
My book would make a great gift. Just sayin’. http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5
Leave a Reply