A Castle In Bluegrass Country

I remember the first time I saw this castle.  I was amazed.

Fifteen years ago I was living in Elizabethtown, Kentucky and on one of my many adventures, I set out on an overnight trip to Lexington.  The castle is located on the way to Lexington, in Versailles - in Kentucky, they say ver-sales, not ver-sigh like the city in France, which the Kentucky city was named after - just a few miles north of the Bluegrass Parkway.  I didn't get photos the first time I passed it, and these were taken from a moving semi because there's nowhere to safely pull over on U.S. 60 where the castle is located.  

A castle in Kentucky!  Who knew? Here's an aerial view of the castle.

Lexington is BEAUTIFUL.  Green grass, rolling pastures, horses, and miles and miles of fencing to keep those horses in.  Kinda makes sense that it would have a castle.

I loved living in Kentucky.  From Hopkinsville to E-Town (Elizabethtown), I did quite a bit exploring around the state and found all of it to be beautiful.  Who ever thought a native New Yorker would be living in Kentucky??  Never in a million years did I see that happening in my life.

Wikipedia says "construction on the castle was started by Rex Martin and his wife Caroline Bogaert Martin in 1969, after they had returned from a trip to Germany and were inspired by the architecture and many famous buildings they had seen in Europe. The finished project was to have seven bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms, a fountain in the driveway, and a tennis court. In 1975, the Martins divorced and left the castle unfinished."

There are many stories about the castle, but it's always generally the same.  I think I heard or read somewhere, someone saying that after the divorce, Rex Martin was so heartbroken he had no desire to finish the castle he was building for the love of his life.

The castle has changed hands a few times over the years, with each owner having big plans for it.  It's been on the market for as much as $30 million dollars.

You can see more exterior shots and the interior of the castle in this video.  And if you're interested in booking the castle - like, for a wedding maybe? - you can check out the castle's website here.



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2016: The Crest At Sunset
2015: Over 80 Feet Of Traveling Comfort
2014: Insta-Coastal
2013: Traffic
2012: Fire Hazard
2011: Smiling High
2010: Time Travel
2009: One More Reason I Love The Highway Hags
2008: Boathouse On The Gulf
2007: Canada Is Bubblicious
2006: You Know You’re In A Hotel That Doesn’t Have A Star Rating…
2005: It’s A Dry Heat