Keeper of the castle in sync with nature
By CATHERINE PORTMAN-LAUX

“I was born in Cornwall, in the shadow of Storm King Mountain,” said Charles “Chip” Marks as he viewed the Hudson River from his mountaintop perch in Garrison. “I’ve always felt like I have the river in my veins and these mountains in my blood.”

Marks is the castle-keeper for Castle Rock, a fairy tale edifice that dominates the Garrison skyline.

“I grew up in Balmville, which is an architectural treasure trove of fine homes,” he said. “Beautiful houses with intricate designs have always fascinated me. Of all the splendid houses in this valley, Castle Rock in particular kept tugging at me.”

After working in organic farming in New Hampshire, Marks returned to the Hudson Valley. Drawing on prior experience, he took a job running a golf course in Garrison. Learning that the Castle Rock caretaker had died, he offered his services in the hope of obtaining a low rent. “As it happened, right at that moment Marion Osborn had a vacant wing for rent, and she needed help with the landscaping,” he recalled.

He moved into the castle for a stay that was only supposed to last six months. Soon becoming full-time caretaker, he has been looking after the property ever since.

He recounted that this scenic spot first attracted William Henry Osborn, president of the Illinois Central Railroad, in the l850s. Osborn was most intrigued by a spring halfway up the mountain which produced outstanding water. He enlarged an existing house at the mountain’s base which is now called Wing and Wing because of all the additions made to it.

Marks said Osborn was a lifelong friend and patron of Frederick Church, who in l868 painted the view from the promontory on which the castle now sits. Church sited the house to maximize the view when construction began in l880.

The original castle, he said, consisted of the tower and living room wing. In l902 the Osborn son, professor Henry Fairfield Osborn, enlarged it and converted it into the main house, adding two wings. For 25 years professor Osborn was president of the American Museum of Natural History, and the castle hosted many visiting scientists and dignitaries.

“The professor and his descendents were scientists, not oriented toward business,” Marks said. “Their fortunes suffered during the Depression and never fully recovered. Eventually the castle was sold. Its current owners are working on a plan for its restoration.

“When the estate was in its heyday, it had a staff of 12 working on the grounds, in addition to house servants. When I learned how large the staff once was, I said, ‘No wonder I can’t get all the work done,’” Marks said and laughed.

“Everything was built on a grand scale,” he said.

“Some visitors think the castle is not as large as it appears from the road. I tell them, ‘Come inside and get behind a vacuum cleaner. It will grow.’”

The caretaker’s major challenge is maintenance of a mile and a half of private driveway twisting its way up the mountain. He said the surrounding forest has suffered waves of devastation in recent decades. “Gypsy moths killed many oaks. Then we lost well over 1,000 hemlocks to the woolly adelgid, an insect transported from Japan. I’m constantly cutting and clearing away dead trees.”

Still, Marks finds time to garden and has created new lawns and flower borders. “There’s a rhythm to nature, and I love working outdoors. I think it’s important to have both body and mind constructively engaged.”

 

Challenging Careers focuses on the exciting and unusual business lives of Hudson Valley residents. Comments or suggestions may be emailed to Catherine Portman-Laux at cplaux@optonline.net.

 

 

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