Let me explain.
Thornewood Castle
Thornewood Castle is one of Washington State's hidden surprises. The 27,000 square-foot castle built in 1908-1911 by Chester A. Thorne is the only English Gothic-Tudor-style castle on the West coast. Thirty-five minutes from Sea-Tac airport, the magnificent structure borders American Lake and sits on 4-1/2 acres, including a half-acre sunken English garden. The only way one would even know about it is a gate on Thorne Lane; it's not viewable by passersby.
It's a 54-room brick mansion complete with 28 bedrooms and 22 baths, eight of which are Suites. Anna's Bridal Suite has cherry furniture with a jacuzzi, while the Presidential Suite is where President Teddy Roosevelt spent two weeks. It features a lake view and is very decadent. If I were to reserve a Suite, however, I think it would be the Grand View Suite with a tiled portico and hot tub with a view of the lake. The 16th-century stained-glass windows add to the charm.
The castle is a beautiful brick-exterior beauty with ten-inch-thick concrete floors covered with hardwood and 18-inch walls built on a three-foot thick concrete foundation. Many of the materials from a castle in England, like the medieval stained glass windows, were transported around Cape Horn. Be sure to visit the castle link to view all the glass.
Okay, you know it's a castle and you know about the Presidential Suite, but what do Teddy Roosevelt and Stephen King have to do with it?
President Theodore Roosevelt
President Teddy Roosevelt stayed at the castle for two weeks on a visit to our state. The Presidential Suite is where he stayed. So did President Taft. It features a four-post British Empire King bed today. As with all the Suites, pure luxury awaits in this historical room.
Stephen King
Stephen King? How does he figure?
Stephen King's "Rose Red" six-part mini-series became a part of Thornewood Castle, one of many places researched in 30 states and Canada, when his scouting crew found it was the perfect place to film his newest work since his tragic accident. The castle is actually the "star" of the show.
Prior to shooting, the crew came in and restored the first floor back to the original grandeur of 1911, which helped cinch the decision to allow King's masterpiece filming at the castle for owners Wayne and Deanna Robinson. The movie crew even constructed a "Rose Red" tower, a fountain and a solarium for the property. The film props have since been sold.
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