There’s a little known castle in the Upstate of South Carolina that is not only the stuff dreams are made of, it also fulfills the dreams of many little girls years after they’ve grown up. Anyone lucky enough to enter this hidden castle in South Carolina will surely feel like they’re in a fairy tale.
The Gassaway Mansion , a.k.a. Isaqueena, in Greenville, South Carolina is a grand example of bountiful times in the early 1900s, before the depression. It was built during the great cotton boom and the mills were flourishing at the time.
The Gassaway Mansion was built by the President of one of those very prosperous mills. He was also very prominent in the banking industry in the Greenville area. Not surprisingly, his name was Gassaway.
His wife had taken a correspondence course in architecture and is said to have designed the "castle" all on her own.
The Gassaways had the monumental mansion constructed between 1919 and 1924.
Complete with a castellated tower, the mansion has 40 rooms and was once the largest private residence in the Upstate.
The grand scale and size of the castle/mansion made it a perfect place for entertaining. Mrs. Gassaway was known to host elaborate gatherings here.
You can almost sense the vibes of the roaring 20s when you enter the space today. But the Gassaway party era here didn't last long. Unfortunately, Mr. Gassaway passed away less than 10 years after the opulent dwelling was completed.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Gassaway grew tired of supervising the massive estate, including the landscaping and gardens of the 110 acres. So she moved to a smaller place downtown and never resided in her castle again.
Mrs. Gassaway's dream of a life in a castle is carried on today through the hundreds and hundreds of young brides who begin new lives here in the castle. You see, Gassaway Mansion is now primarily a wedding venue where new couples can build their own dreams that begin here, in this fortress of a castle of a mansion filled with big spaces and even bigger dreams.
And while Gassaway Mansion isn't open to the public for tours, if you're lucky enough, then one day you'll get invited to launch a young new couple on the royal road to eternity together here in this fairy tale castle.
Gassaway Mansion , a.k.a. Isaqueena, is located nearly a mile from downtown Greenville. Did you know about this castle in South Carolina?
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