Building record MDO6506 - Pennsylvania Castle, Wakeham, Portland

Pennsylvania Castle is a large country house, later a hotel and now a house again, built in 1797-1800 to designs by James Wyatt for John Penn, Military Governor of the island and grandson of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, USA.

Pennsylvania Castle built in 1800 by James Wyatt for John Penn, the Governor of Portland. The original building comprised a rectangular block with four square corner towers and a round tower added to the NE corner. Converted to a hotel. <2-3>

The building was constructed of squared and coursed Portland stone. In the late 20th century it was extended to the south by a flat-roofed block in two storeys and a glazed full-width conservatory. There was also a late 20th century addition at the south front. The castle appears as "Sylvania Castle" in Hardy's "The Well-Beloved". <3>

Remnants of former outhouses revealed during excavations for a new swimming pool. Deeper excavation at northern end of site revealed remains of a stone wall running parallel to and 0.9m south of the existing southern wall of the building. Wall constructed from squared limestone rubble bonded with lime mortar and is 0.4m wide. Identified as part of the building range demolished in 1911, possibly the south wall of the kitchen. Other deposits encountered related to demolition and subsequent landscaping of the garden. <5>

NRHE:
The flag of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which was presented by the US senate, hangs in the hall. It is alleged that Churchill and Eisenhower planned part of the D-Day invasion here. (5) http://www.weymouth-dorset.co.uk/portland.html [Accessed 11-AUG-2009]

In the 1980s the building was converted into a hotel. By 2009 it was again in private use. (6) http://www.itraveluk.co.uk/content/345.html [Accessed 11-AUG-2009]

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 253 (Monograph). SDO149.

<2> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 342 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<3> Department of the Environment, 21 Sept 1978, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Borough of Weymouth and Portland amendment 1978, pgs 23-24 (Scheduling record). SWX2136.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1980 (Map). SWX1197.

Pennsylvania Castle [NAT]

<5> Bellamy, P, 2002, New Swimming Pool, Pennsylvania Castle, Wakeham, Portland, Dorset (Unpublished document). SWX8586.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 868650 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:57PM