In November of 2015, I ate Thanksgiving dinner in the Beardslee Castle restaurant. Beardslee Castle is an authentic castle built in 1860 by Augustus Beardslee. Augustus was fascinated with Irish castles. He hired masons from Ireland to create this castle from limestone.
The stone walls are 3 feet thick. Unfortunately, the stone walls made it difficult to put out fires, once started. In 1919, a fire reduced the castle to a stone shell. The castle was restored only to burn again in 1989. After 3 years of restoration, the current restaurant was opened in 1994.
The oak paneled ceilings, stone floors, and glowing wall sconces create a medieval atmosphere.
The fireplace adds to the medieval feeling with warmth and friendliness.
In this picture, you can see the slot built into the stone archway. In the original castle, oak panels were held in place by the slots. This wooden wall separated the rooms. A door was set in the oak wall for movement from room to room. The oak panels were removed from the arches to open the castle for the restaurant.
After I ate a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, I investigated of the rest of the castle.
The owners turn the basement storage rooms into the Dungeon Bar & Grill. There are a few small windows and the lights are low. The bar has the delightful atmosphere of a dungeon.
One of the store rooms had iron gates. These gates were left and the room is now a private dinning room in the dungeon.
The solid oak doors with iron hinges were left on two other store rooms. These rooms became the dungeon restrooms.
Returning back to the first floor entrance way, I climbed the elegant wooden stairs to the second floor.
The stairs were decorated with Christmas lights.
The bedrooms were originally on this upstairs floor. The fireplaces for two of the rooms are still there.
However, all the walls that separated the bedrooms have been taken down. The space is now a large open banquet room.
Although the room can be used by many functions, the castle specializes in planning weddings. The Beardslee Castle and beautiful gardens make a perfect backdrop for wedding photographs.
Mariaville Lake Bed and Breakfast
About one hour away, there was a wonderful bed and breakfast. This federal style home was built by Silas Marsh around 1830. Silas was very enterprising. He ran a gristmill, a saw mill, and a store. He was the Schenectady County clerk, as well as a member of the New York Assembly.
When I arrived, I found my room to be attractive and cozy. It was furnished with antiques and tastefully decorated. All three windows had a view of the Mariaville Lake.
I enjoyed cheese, crackers, and cookies in front of a cheerful fire.
The next morning, I got up before the sun, got dressed, and waited by my windows for the sun to rise. I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise.
While the sun was rising, I walked part way around Mariaville Lake. The cold November air was exhilarating.
I returned for a delicious breakfast on the indoor porch.
I recorded the experience of this trip in my Field Trip Journal. I chose to prepare a medieval recipe as an activity to extend my experience in the Beardslee Castle. If you would like to participate in these activities, then click on the button below.
If you live in the New York area and would like to visit either of the places on this trip, click on the button below for their contact information.