I built for Me a castle where my ego could reside
Rooms filled with useless treasures which were my joy and pride
Its steps led to confusion and massive doors kept out the light
The walls closed in around me, and left me hostage to the night
Mile Marker Zero — Rooms (2008)
Dundas Castle, or Craig-e-Clare, (often incorrectly referred to as Ravenloft Castle) is an isolated, uninhabited castle in Roscoe, NY abandoned in 1921. Originally a resort for the ultra-wealthy railroad tycoons, in 1915 it fell into the hands of the Dundas family (best known for their founding role in Toronto), at which time the first lodge was demolished, and construction began on the castle. However, Sir Ralph Dundas died in 1921, leaving his wife in a mental institution and the castle uninherited, and after nearly a century of abandonment it still sits waiting for future development that may never arrive.
Entering the castle keep from an overgrown access road
Most of the doors in the castle are these arched entrances
But the architecture outside the castle is by far the most interesting part of this location. Modeled after Dundas Castle in Scotland (by way of Rochester’s Warner Castle and Toronto’s Dundas House), the portion of the castle that was completed cost over $750,000 in 1920, equivalent to about $10 million today!
