Casco Castle’s Fairy-tale History Still Captivates Maine Locals

Perched above Casco Bay in South Freeport, Maine, Casco Castle was one of the most ambitious resort projects of the early 20th century in New England.

Built in 1903 by transportation entrepreneur Amos F. Gerald, the resort was designed to resemble a fairytale castle and to draw summer tourists via his trolley lines along the Portland & Brunswick Street Railway.

Designed by architect William R. Miller and constructed by Benjamin Franklin Dunning, the sprawling property featured a turreted hotel accommodating approximately 100 guests, lush formal gardens, a restaurant, picnic areas, a baseball diamond, and even a small zoo. Guests arrived by trolley from Freeport, crossed a 300-foot suspension bridge over Spar Creek, and climbed up to the festivities.

During its heyday, Casco Castle was more than just a hotel. It was a full leisure destination. Visitors enjoyed activities such as boating, tennis, archery, and strolls through landscaped grounds. Steamboats from the Harpswell Steamboat Company also ferried visitors directly to the resort from nearby ports.

Despite its early popularity, the rise of automobile travel diminished reliance on trolley and steamboat excursions. After just over a decade, the resort’s fortunes waned, and tragedy struck in 1914 when a fire consumed the predominantly wooden complex.

As a kid growing up during the summers, camping at Winslow Memorial Park in Freeport, we would walk up to the castle when our parents were ordering food at Haraseeket Lunch and Lobster. We were just tall enough to look into one of the tower's windows, seeing it empty with grass growing inside its base.

Today, all that remains of Casco Castle is its towering stone tower, rising some 185 feet above the landscape. The tower stands on private property and is not open to the public, so we can't walk up to it anymore. However, it remains visible from nearby roads and parks, including Windlow Park on the east side of the Haraseeket River.