Melrose (Casanova, Virginia)

Melrose, also known as Melrose Castle, is a historic home located near Casanova, Fauquier County, Virginia. The house was built between 1856 and 1860, and is a two-story, five-bay, L-shaped Gothic Revival style dwelling. It features a three-story-octagonal tower in the center bay and castellation along the parapet. The house was enlarged considerably around 1920 through a large addition to the west end for expanded service areas.^[3]

Melrose
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Landmarks Register
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Location	North of Casanova on VA 602, near Casanova, Virginia
Coordinates	38°40′23″N 77°42′37″W
Area	24 acres (9.7 ha)
Built	1856 (1856)–1860, 1920
Built by	Holtzclaw, George Washington
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	83003281[1]
VLR No.	030-0070
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	February 10, 1983
Designated VLR	September 5, 1981[2]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.^[1]

History

Melrose, then called Castle Murray, occupied by Federal troops during the Civil War (November 1863)

Built between 1856 and 1860, Melrose was built by Philadelphia architect George Washington Holtzclaw for brothers, Dr. James H. Murray and Edward Murray. They named the castle after Melrose Abbey, a castle in their ancestral home of Scotland. In April 1862, Melrose was occupied by Union soldiers during the American Civil War, and later served as a hospital.^[4]

The property was first sold in December 1863 and then changed hands many times. In 2017 the 9,000-square-foot house and 50-acre wooded lot was listed for sale at $2.2 million.^[4]

Cultural references

A visit to Melrose Castle inspired mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart to write her first bestselling novel, The Circular Staircase (1908).^[4]