Atop a hill in Danbury, Connecticut lies a crumbling castle.   New York photographer E. Starr Sanford had it built between 1897 and 1899 as a summer retreat.   The castle had 16 rooms, including nine bedrooms, a library, and a billiard room.   The exterior was made from local stone; the wood was imported from Italy. Sanford and his family lived there for only five years before selling it in 1902 to Victor Buck, who named it Buck Castle.   In 1918, Buck sold it to Charles Darling Parks, who bought it for his daughter Irene.   Charles renamed the castle "Hearthstone"; it remained in the Parks family for 70 years. In 1985, the city of Danbury purchased Hearthstone Castle.   Sadly, they just let it deteriorate for decades, and it now stands as a derelict shell.

Hearthstone Castle

Stone arches of the entrance portico

Hearthstone Castle Sadly, vandals and graffiti morons have made a mess of what was a beautiful home.

Castle interior

Only the shell of the formerly ornate home remains.

The collapsed roof, floors, and other debris were cleaned out in 2020.

Castle portico, front and center

The following photos are from my walk around the castle in a counter-clockwise direction.

Right side of the castle A photo from circa 1980 near the bottom of the page shows this same view.

Rear corner turret

Left side, and turret at the other rear corner

This wall was once part of a roofed veranda that surrounded about half of the castle.

One of the arches in the veranda wall.

Sketch that accompanied the original 1896 architect's plans for Starr's house.

A second sketch that accompanied the original plans. Here, one can see the covered veranda that surrounded half the castle.

Postcard of "Buck's Castle", ca 1905

Photo from late '70s / early '80s, the castle's final years as a residence.

Debris from collapsed roof and floors in interior, circa 2012

All Text & Images: Copyright 2023.