FAQs

Question

What is the history of the castle?

Answer

In 1875, Edward Francis Searles became an interior decorator for the Herter Brothers of New York City. In 1881, he met Mary Hopkins. Her husband, Mark Hopkins, part-owner of the Southern Pacific Railroad, had died in 1878. Mary inherited sixty-one million dollars. She commissioned Searles to design the interior of her Nob Hill home, and they were married on November 8, 1887. He died in 1920. Searles willed the castle to his secretary, Arthur T. Walker, who left it to his brothers and sisters, who sold it to Mr. And Mrs. Frank Andrew of Methue. The Sisters of Mercy acquired the castle in 1952. In November 2001, the Sisters of Mercy contracted David and Linda Kolifrath of Salem, New Hampshire to organize and manage events held at the castle, which included weddings and receptions in the castle courtyard in an effort to better utilize the facility, better serve the needs of the public, and to raise additional funds to further the charitable programs of the Sisters Of Mercy.