Windsor Castle Farm
On September 10, 1637, Arthur Smith patented 1,450 acres in Isle of Wight County. In 1742 Arthur Smith III died and left his estate to his son, Arthur Smith IV. It is estimated that the Smith family began construction on the Manor House in the 1720s. Since the Smith family, there have been three other families to own of the home. Each have left their mark on the house and grounds. It is unknown how the name Windsor Castle became attached to the property.
In December 2019, the house and ten outbuildings' renovation was complete and began operating as an event venue. During the renovation, the primary goal was to keep the home's historic characteristics while providing for modern amenities. |
The House
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The house is constructed with brick. The exterior brick is covered in stucco while the interior brick is covered with plaster. There are two rooms in the basement, now referred to as the Pub & Tavern, that still have the exposed brick.
Inside the house, the main floor was the original living space and has four large rooms. These rooms are now used as the primary event space. Between these rooms, there is a long hallway connecting the front and back porches. One porch faces the Pagan River, and the other porch faces Jericho Road. The basement is also made up of four rooms. Once used as living space, they are now used as a dressing room, billiards room and a bar and lounge. The second floor was constructed in the 1800s and was once four bedrooms. Now there are two dressing rooms, two full bathrooms with showers and the Windsor Castle Park Site Manager's office. The house once had two additions on either side. One addition is now the porch and patio that faces the barnyard and Cypress Creek. The other addition was replaced with a much larger addition that expands both the basement and main floor. The new addition made room for a catering kitchen, elevator, two bathrooms and a storage room. |
The Outbuildings
You can view these outbuildings and the house during the Isle of Wight County Museum's monthly walking tours. These tours take place at 2 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month. Tours will not be held on holidays or event days. Visit windsorcastlepark.com/walkingtours to reserve a space for a walking tour. |
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