Castle Largo is an unusual edifice, located at the intersection of Center and Main Streets in the Federal Hill area of Bristol. A miniature castle featuring elements of the Gothic Revival, Italianate and Second Empire styles, it was constructed in three stages in 1880 and is one of a number of interesting houses in Bristol designed by the local inventor Joel T. Case. After living in it for a few months, Case sold it to Charles Henry Wightman, a 24-year-old businessman.
Castle Largo (1880)
I am so happy to have discovered your blog. I have had the pleasure of living in Federal Hill for the last 2 years (at Patterson Place). I am completely enamored with Victorian architecture and Bristol history. If time travel were possible, I’d be first in line to see what life was really like in the late 19th/early 20th century! I frequently take walks in the neighborhood and swoon over the homes. It’s great to know the history behind them now. Particularly this gem. I would so love to see the insides of the homes, especially Beleden Estates! Thank you for a very inspirational and beautiful blog.
I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but it is NEVER a compliment when someone uses all your hard work to benefit themselves in a profitable way.
I have spent time searching as I knew this person lied when she said all the photos on the site were taken by her and I found that none of the photos belong to her though she uses them to make what percentage on sales of 1,000,000 homes?
I hope you catch my drift here, that if she makes any percentage and you don’t have a contract to attain part of it, when most of your work is on that site, there is just never a compliment when someone earns $$$, while you run around to do all this work, and you don’t earn a dime.
Sorry, but this person that stole my photo, and as well you have shared that yours has been stolen, will in no time find out how giddy my attorney is about almost half a million in maximum penalties that he can get a cut on for her violation of Fed law.
I sure hope that you are getting several hundred since all your work is the foundation of how that chick earns a living.
Please do delete this. My post is to you only…
Dear Readers, I was interested to see the photo of Castle Largo. I am the great grandson of Samuel J. Large, and grandson of Francis W. Frank & Winifred Large, formerly of 28 Grove Street. My father, the late Robert F. Large (1920-2008), recalled living at Castle Largo for a period of time when he was a boy. I visited Castle Largo and was able to tour the interior once in the late 1980s. The interior is every bit as interesting as the exterior architecture, from what I can remember. Kevin Large, 6500 Woodlea Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49048-6041
Hi again,
I just noticed that your link in the description ‘titled’ miniature castle is directed to my old Flickr account. I opened a new account on Flickr and I am guessing that maybe your link went to my photo of Castle Largo. (I can’t be sure of course because the link above only displays my old URL). If you are interested and care to update your above link, the new link to my Flickr page with my photo of Castle Largo is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyelyte/3913531381/in/set-72157622495179178/
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@Kevin Large, I enjoyed your post very much! If you happen to have any photos of the interior of the house from your visits there and would like the share them, I would love to see them!! As you may know, Flickr.com offers a limited free service where people can post photos to share with others. (The paid membership is inexpensive and gives more features and provides the member with the ability to post more photos). Please do let me know if you have them and if they are online or if you plan to share them in the future. You can contact me on my Flickr site, at the above link; as well, there is a tab on Flickr to visit a members profile page where on that page it gives the option to email. Thanks in advance!!
Gary, I was so surprised to see Castle Largo on your web site. I don’t
think I ever told you that I lived in that “castle” all during high school.
We lived on the second floor while Miss Large lived on the first floor.
She was an invalid that my grandmother took care of. She was a very
sweet lady. I used to go downstairs to visit and play a word game to
entertain her. I loved the house and used to make up stories about
living in a castle. Thanks for the memories…..Joyce
Great to see people who appreciate the architecture of Federal Hill. My great-great grandfather was Joel Tiffany Case, architect and builder of several known historic Victorians in the area. I recall my grandmother talking about visiting her grandfather in various homes of Bristol and playing with her dolls on the front porches. She said that they moved a lot. Each time that he would finish a house, the family moved into it, and the next one would already be under way. As each house was completed they would sell the one they lived in and move onto the next. Quite the life.
My mother always spoke of taking the family to Bristol and touring to see all the homes that have survived but, sadly, she passed away before we could make it happen. I hope to still take this trip with my siblings one day to not only see my ancestor’s creations but to honor my mother’s memory as well.
I am proud that my great-great grandfather’s legacy lives on.
I’ve lived in Bristol my whole life and have always been fascinated by this house! I’d love to have the link to view more photos and/or more of the history behind the house. We’ve recently moved very close to it and my son is a bit scared of it so I’d like to show him the mystery behind it isn’t scary yet a beautiful piece of history from centuries ago.
It was over 8 years ago the Fay made my earlier post on this site. I just happen to come across that searching for my grandfather’s name. Glad to join the discussion again. If I have any photos of the interior they’re in storage and Cleveland. I hope to get these things out of storage next spring. But that’sThe present situation. What I remember about the interior of the house was that they were very small rooms but tall ceilings. They already called the wallpaper was very ornate. That’s the main thing I remember about the interior. I’ll look forward to a searching through my boxes of pictures to see if I can find photographs from so long ago. The photographs would have been in probably 1987, the one and only time that I was in the home. I’m president live in South Bend Indiana area. You can probably find me on LinkedIn or Facebook if you needed to look for me.
So I’m curious,why is the house named CASTLE LARGO??I noticed the last name LARGE,does that have any bearing??