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Community Corner

Kip's Castle Has Full History

The Verona Historical Society tells the history of castle at Tuesday night event.


More than 35 people filled the first floor of Kip's Castle last night to hear Verona Historical Society president Robert Williams explain the history of the residence and clear up some old rumors.

"This house is a real tangible link to the gilded era," Williams said. Although the Rhine-style castle, built by Frederick Kip from 1902-1905, may resemble an old English residence, it has many roots in Verona.

The castle, built for Kip's wife, Charlotte Bishop Williams Kip, was constructed using trap rock from the Marley Quarry, which used to be at the site near where Bloomfield Avenue meets Pompton Avenue. It is located at 22 Crestmont Road in Verona.

"As you speed down Bloomfield Avenue, you don't realize there were just horses there years ago," Williams said, adding driving on Bloomfield Avenue towards Montclair on the right hand side you can still see the building where the dynamite for the quarry was kept. 

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The castle was the home of Frederick E. Kip and Charlotte Bishop Williams from 1905-1926.

Charlotte Williams is credited with both the design and decoration of the building. Williams said construction actually started in 1898 but was stopped because Charlotte Williams was unhappy with the design.

The castle, which was originally in Montclair, now straddles the border of both Montclair and Verona.

Kip Williams specifically had the castle built for his wife because of his love for her, Williams explained. When she died, since the house was so influenced and reminiscent of her, Kip moved in with his son in Montclair.

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The first floor of the castle is paneled with a dark-finished quarter-hewn oak, used for the doors, wood, ceiling moldings and main staircase. 

The rooms on the first floor consisted of a foyer, dinning room and chapel.

In the 1980s, there was a rumor if Verona didn't buy the 11-acre property, a religious cult was going to. The rumor turned out to be true and for five years an Indian religious cult that wore purple robes with black hoods bought the house.

While there, the cult painted the entire first floor white, removed all the original door knobs and replaced almost all the stain glass windows. The windows were kept in the carriage house, Williams recalled, before they were sold to a man in Montclair. In total, 82 stain glass windows were sold off.

"There is still a lot of integrity in this building even though it's not exactly how I remember it," Williams explained. "The woodwork is still here and what was originally finished on a thin oak 100 years ago can still be brought back."

A woman asked if at any time there were any monks that lived there. She said as a kid she remembers seeing them when she snuck up to the castle. Williams explained at one time there were Franciscan monks the next property over, but not in the castle.

After the cult moved on, it sold the property to a law firm, who turned the top two floors into offices. Williams explained, as a youth, he remembered each floor was rented out as apartments. Now the top two floors are not open for any tours because it is filled with Essex County offices.

"I think its great that the county acquired it and made it available for people, like yourselves and other generations to enjoy," Williams said.

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