Miramont Castle

I was in Manitou over the weekend, and while I was there I took a spin by Miramont Castle just for fun. I haven't been there in years. Miramont Castle has an interesting back story:  it was built in 1895-96 by a Roman Catholic priest, Father Jean Baptiste Francolon, as a private residence. It incorporates an odd assortment of architectural styles. Francolon lived in it, along with his mother, for about three years, selling the property to the Sisters of Mercy in 1899. (Why would you build such a huge and impressive home, only to leave after three short years?) The Sisters operated a sanitarium in the castle from 1904 to 1928. In the 1940s, the place was sold and converted into apartments; after that, over time, as you can imagine, it became more and more run down and neglected. Finally, in the mid-1970s it was purchased by the Manitou Historical Society and was restored to its former glory.

It's been a long time since I've been inside (it was closed when I stopped by there late Saturday afternoon), but I have photographed a couple of weddings at Miramont Castle in the past and it I recall it as being pleasantly creepy. This shouldn't surprise anyone, since: 1) it's Victorian, and 2) it was a sanitarium run and inhabited by nuns -- the imagination runs wild! It has a reputation for being haunted. Is it? I suppose you'll have to go there some day and find out for yourself. But haunted or not, Miramont Castle a local treasure, and I think it's interesting and beautiful. Visit their website HERE for more info.

The placard that sits in front of the castle explains its history.