Belcourt Castle: What's Up?

There are some beautiful homes in Newport Rhode Island, former home of the America's Cup elimination series, and Belcourt Castle, at 50,000 square feet is the largest. Belcourt Castle, built in 1894, is up for sale, and it may be haunted. The sole surviving member of the family, Harle Tinney, has put it up for sale at $7.2 million. So, if you've been in the market for your own castle, you might want to take a look.

It was built for Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont (after whom Belmont Park race Track is named) who inherited his father's (Rothschild) banking wealth and had his own love of French architecture and horses. Oliver was a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis following his forebears Commodore Matthew Perry and Oliver Hazard Perry. The 3 acre site has extensive stables and carriage areas reflecting his love of horses. He married Alva Erskine Smith Vanderbilt who contributed to the collection of antiques.

Since 2006 when her husband passed away, Harle Tinney has been running the Castle by herself.

The ghosts?

Tinney has led ghost tours. Apparently, she and guests have seen a strange man in a dark robe with beard and hat who comes and goes, sometimes through the walls. He is known as "the monk" and seems to be the inspiration for one of the carvings.

The antique chairs in the Gothic ballroom also seem to have a separate energy. Visitors might feel resistance or even be thrown out!!

This is quiet compared with the suit of armor that screams. The original owner was killed by a spear through the eye slit. He apparently died in March, and that is the month with the most screams....

If you are interested, psychic Liz Souza is now running the Ghost tours on Wednesdays.