Hartford Castle
Encyclopedia
Hartford Castle is the ruins of a 19th century residence located near Hartford, Illinois
. It is located at 38°48′2"N 90°5′4"W (38.800600, -90.084600) approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) north of downtown St. Louis, Missouri
.
The mansion, known as "Lakeview" at the time of its construction in 1897, was built by a French immigrant by the name of Benjamin Biszant. Prior to construction, a moat was dug around the property, and the excavated soil was used to elevate the construction site, which is located on the Mississippi River
floodplain
. Biszant built the residence for use by himself and his English bride. He sold the property and moved away after she died in the early 1900s.
The mansion passed through many hands over the years, reportedly serving at various times as a boys' military school, a school for unwed mothers, a resort, a speakeasy, and finally as a private residence until it burned to the ground on March 21, 1973.
Although the ruins provide scant evidence of the one-time grandeur of the mansion, the triangular moat with 1000 feet (304.8 m)-long sides remains distinct and visible from the air.
Hartford, Illinois
Hartford is a village in Madison County, Illinois, near the mouth of the Missouri River. The population was 1,545 at the 2000 census. Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1803-1804 here, near what has been designated the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site....
. It is located at 38°48′2"N 90°5′4"W (38.800600, -90.084600) approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) north of downtown St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
The mansion, known as "Lakeview" at the time of its construction in 1897, was built by a French immigrant by the name of Benjamin Biszant. Prior to construction, a moat was dug around the property, and the excavated soil was used to elevate the construction site, which is located on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
. Biszant built the residence for use by himself and his English bride. He sold the property and moved away after she died in the early 1900s.
The mansion passed through many hands over the years, reportedly serving at various times as a boys' military school, a school for unwed mothers, a resort, a speakeasy, and finally as a private residence until it burned to the ground on March 21, 1973.
Although the ruins provide scant evidence of the one-time grandeur of the mansion, the triangular moat with 1000 feet (304.8 m)-long sides remains distinct and visible from the air.
Sources
External links
- Hartford Castle at the Legends and Lore of Illinois
- http://dailyabuse.typepad.com/odd_midwest/2005/04/the_first_trip_.html