Sitting on top of a hill near downtown Victoria, British Columbia is the grand Craigdarroch Castle. When built in 1889 it was surrounded by 28 acres of lush lawns, ponds, and gardens. Today it sits on around 2 acres and has homes nearby.
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The Castle is a Designated National Historic Site. It was built for the wealthy Dunsmuir family. Robert Dunsmuir was a Scottish immigrant who made a fortune in coal mining and railroad development. Craigdarroch means “rocky oak place” in Gaelic. The Castle is 25,572 square feet, including the basement. It had 17 fireplaces and was equipped with gas lighting as well as electric lighting, hot and cold running water, central heating, telephones, and a burglar alarm system. The main walls are brick construction faced with sandstone from Dunsmuir’s own quarry. The castle has four floors with eighty-some-odd stairs.
Craigdarroch Castle is believed to have cost as much as $500,000 when it was built and included granite from British Columbia, tile from San Francisco, and an oak staircase prefabricated in Chicago.
Robert Dunsmuir never lived there. He died just before it was completed, so only his wife and children moved in. After his wife died, their daughters couldn’t agree on who would own the castle. It was sold off in parcels of land.
Some History of Craigdarroch Castle
Although the house was built by the Dunsmuir family, it was later used for several other interesting things.
From 1919 to 1921, the Castle was used as a military hospital for World War I veterans. It was one of three hospitals in Canada to house “long treatment cases and incurables.”
In 1921, Victoria College moved into Craigdarroch Castle with an enrollment of 160 students. During that time, the drawing-room was a classroom and dance hall.
The Victoria School Board occupied Craigdarroch from 1946 until 1968. The drawing-room was used as office space during that time period. The Victoria Conservatory of Music used space within the Castle after the School Board vacated. At the same time, the Society for the Preservation & Maintenance of Craigdarroch Castle began tracking down original house artifacts and planning for restoration. From 1969 to 1979, the drawing-room was used as both a recital and lesson room by the Conservatory and a museum room by the Castle Society. In 1979, restoration began to use the Castle solely as a museum.
Quite a history!
Life In The 1890s
Most rooms in the castle have been restored to the way they looked when the Dunsmuir family lived there. The furniture, paintings, dishes, and dresses are from the era. They may not be the original items that were in the home, but they are from the same time.
Look at the lavish dining room and place settings! There was also a display of fine silver serving pieces.
The wood inside the Castle is magnificent! We were told not to touch anything (except stair handrails) because the oil from our skin would damage it. Many fine kinds of wood were used in the interior: white oak, Spanish mahogany, western red cedar, and Hawaiian koa (Acacia koa).
When the tower of the Castle was completed it was the highest place a person could stand in the City of Victoria.
Stained Glass of Craigdarroch Castle
The stained glass windows in the Castle are another spectacular feature! Craigdarroch Castle has one of North America’s finest collections of Victorian residential stained and leaded glass windows, all of which are believed to have been produced by an American studio. Re-view all my pictures and you will see stained glass in most of them.
The entire 4th floor of the Castle is the dance hall. The pictures below just show a small part of the huge room.
This is a side section of the dance hall.
Many homes built 19th century had at least one smoking room. The fireplace here was built in Louisville, Kentucky. Notice the stained glass – it is a picture of Sir Walter Raleigh who is credited with making tobacco popular in Britain.
The house was divided into the family’s home and servant quarters. There is a separate stairway for the servants and the house has a dumbwaiter for food delivery and a laundry chute.
Servants during this era could expect to work 15 hour days! This is a typical servant bedroom.
I hope these pictures and notes give you an idea of the grandeur of this castle that was once a family home.
Janet
Craigdarroch Castle is open daily and as a museum, it is supported by admission tickets and donations.
Experience the grandeur of Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia. #Travel #BritishColumbia #Craigdarroch #Victoria Share on X
Learn more about travel to Victoria here.
I had no idea that servants had to work that long of days!!! Such an informative post! This castle looks like a great place to visit!
I didn’t either – and I whine about 8 hours. haha! It was a beautiful place full of a lot of history. We really enjoyed visiting.
Wow, what a beautiful castle. Really enjoyed reading about the history of the castle, it’s crazy how many hours the servants had to work! I’ve always wanted to visit a castle and I still hope to one day.
Sarah,
Thanks for the comments. Yes, it is beautiful! It was good we researched Victoria before going and decided to go to the castle.
Canada is all so beautiful – what part do you live in?
I’m glad you enjoyed the photo tour 🙂
Janet