Miss Kentucky’s OutstandingTeen 2018, model Joanna is studying nursing at Berry College.
If you’re from Kentucky, you know “the castle.” Officially known as The Kentucky Castle, this amazing, unexpected property resembling a medieval fortress sits on a hilltop overlooking U.S. 60 near Versailles. It has a rough history that includes neglect, fire and ownership changes. But The Kentucky Castle of today is known for its fine food, parties, opulence, scenic farm, premier events and exquisite holiday decorations.
Design Director Mitchell Christian described the botanically inspired holiday decorations as echoing the Commonwealth’s “natural wonder,” with a design that incorporates green, white and gold hues resulting in a “sophisticated reflection of the true beauty of nature via colors, shapes, materials and design.”
Christian added, “It’s an understated elegance. Every element captures an on-trend appeal while highlighting new and unique methods of delivery.”
The castle was not always so lovingly decorated for the season. In the late 1960s, Rex and Caroline Martin wed and honeymooned in Europe before buying a 55-acre Woodford County property on which to build their own castle, having been inspired by European castles on their travels. Ground was broken in 1969, but by 1975, the property was put up for sale when the couple separated and later divorced.
Eventually, the castle was sold by Rex Martin’s son in 2003 to Tom Post for $1.8 million. Renovations began, but in 2004, a fire broke out, leaving the interior irreparably damaged. The interior was rebuilt from 2004-07, and the castle opened as the Castle Post bed and breakfast in 2007.
A few years later, the property was again on the market, and in 2017, it was purchased and renamed The Kentucky Castle by new owners Matt Dawson, Danny Bramer, Brian Adkins, Ryan Dawson and Jody Elliott. Under the new proprietors, The Castle has transitioned into a boutique hotel, spa, farm-to-table restaurant and event space. It hosts a plethora of events—including concerts, fairytale tours, teas, mystery dinner theater and more—as well as weddings and programs such as The Kentucky Fairytale, which helps local charities raise money. The owners acquired an adjacent 55-acre horse farm to double the total acreage, enabling the property to have a vegetable garden, mushroom garden, truffle orchard, chicken coop with laying hens, and an apiary.
The Castle’s working farm provides as much of the food as possible for its Castle Farms restaurant. It employs a team of farmers and interns, and partners with Lexington’s Locust Trace AgriScience Center to help train the center’s students to be the next generation of farmers.
When the holiday season draws near, The Kentucky Castle becomes a draw for those who want to view its jaw-dropping Christmas decorations. Chief Operating Officer Christie Eckerline said Christian is given free rein to make his artistic visions a reality when it comes to the facility’s remarkable holiday decor.
“He gets visions, and he kind of rolls with it,” Eckerline said. “He has discretion to do whatever he wants. I know last fall, he was talking about what Christmas was going to look like. He was talking about the trees in the foyer. I was sitting there doubting last year’s decorations before he started, and—lo and behold—it came to fruition and was like walking into a winter wonderland.”
Christian’s design last year was a stunningly extravagant, yet still cozy, display of snow, twinkling lights and trees that seemed to shimmer with ice. It felt like walking into a magical forest.
“He has a style and vision of doing things that I could never dream of,” Eckerline said. “He visualizes it in his head and takes inspiration from nature. He’s also a gardener and does landscaping and designs our grounds as well. Since we are a farm-to-table establishment, the outdoors are important to us, so we bring the outdoors in.”
In the spirit of remaining true to the region’s natural surroundings in the winter, Christian selects neutral colors, which also complement the existing décor. “Our ballroom is cream and gold, so we use the colors already in our space,” Eckerline said. “It shows off our space as well.” It also helps The Castle better accommodate so many different events, providing a sparkling and stunning yet neutral palette for everything from princess parties to weddings to corporate holiday gatherings.
Sustainability is a consideration with the decorations. Local trees and greenery are used, many of which come straight from The Castle’s property and are native to Kentucky. Last year’s massive Christmas tree was cut from a local farm, and some of the wood from the décor was cut up and used for firewood in the ballroom’s massive fireplace after the holidays.
The decorations go up immediately after Halloween and stay until the first week of January. Eckerline said that it took about one week with the entire maintenance crew helping to put up last year’s decorations.
Visitors can enjoy the decorations by dining in the restaurant, staying in the hotel or attending one of many events during the season.
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