Rosa Pelham and her Castle
Rosa Pelham, a niece of Major John Pelham, was born in 1862. Her father was John's oldest brother, Charles. She never met her famous uncle and it is doubtful that he ever laid eyes on her. When Charles Pelham went to Washington, D.C. as a Congressman in the late 1870's, Rosa went with him. There she met a wealthy, middle-aged, divorced man, Col. Samuel Taylor Suit . He pursued Rosa for four years. Legend is that she told him, "Build me a castle and I will marry you. " Suit did just that. He had architect Snowen Ashford at the cost of $100,000 (today's equivalent: $10 million) to build a half-size replica of Berekeley Castle in England, where Edward II was murdered in 1327. Rosa married Suit on September 4, 1883 -- she was 22 and he was 53. The castle was completed in 1887 and Suit died in 1888. In her brief marriage, Rosa had three children: Samuel Taylor, Jr. , Fielder Pelham, and a daughter, Louisa Catherine, called "Lulu Kate."
Rosa was probably not as coldblooded as she sounded and probably sincerely mourned Suit, but she was a young widow and a wealthy one at that. Fond of the night-life, she would invite friends to the castle to gamble when the casinos in the tourist town closed down. Her parties were legendary, and she quickly went through her husband's fortune. In 1903 she was advised to sell her husband's estates near Suitland, Maryland, in order to pay taxes and debts. Around this time, her 18 year old daughter died from typhoid. Forced to sell the castle in 1913, she died in virtual poverty, living with her sons.
Ward Keesecker, a writer and professor, bought the castle and in 1954 Elva and Walter Bird bought it. They operated it as a museum for years. Now, the Birds are selling the castle for $3 million dollars. Included are many pieces of Rosa's furniture, including a bed that belonged to General Gage, and Rosa's bed, which reputedly belong to General Howe.
For further information about and some photos of "The Castle", please visit http://www.berkeleysprings.com/legends.htm.
This article first appeared in Volume 7, No. 1 of The Cannoneer.
