Austin in Lander County, Nevada — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Stokes Castle
Photographed by Karen Key, November 23, 2008
1. Stokes Castle Marker
Started in the fall of 1896 and completed in June, 1897, by Ansom Phelps Stokes, mine developer, railroad magnate and member of a prominent eastern family, as a summer home for his sons, principally J.G. Phelps. After the castle (or the tower, as the Stokes family always referred to it) was completed, it was used by the family for one brief period in June and July, 1897. Since then, with one possible exception, the structure has remained unoccupied.
Stokes Castle is made of native granite, hewn and put in place by the ancestors of people still living in Austin. The huge stones were raised with a hand winch and held in position by rock wedging and clay mortar. The architectural model for the castle was a medieval tower Anson Stokes had seen and admired on an Italian campagna, near Rome. It originally had three floors, each with a fireplace, plate glass view windows, balconies on the second and third floors, and a battlemented terrace on the roof. It had plumbing very adequate for the times and was sumptuously furnished.
The structure stands as an abiding monument to the men who built it and to those who helped develop the mines of Austin. (Marker Number 59.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Industry & Commerce
this page online
Location. 39° 29.6′ N, 117° 4.8′ W. Marker is in Austin, Nevada, in Lander County. It can be reached from Castle Road. Marker is accessible via a graded dirt road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Austin NV 89310, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically he Northern Nevada in Central Nevada. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Austin (approx. 0.3 miles away); International Hotel (approx. 0.4 miles away); Austin City Hall (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Sazerac Lying Club (approx. half a mile away); Reese River Navigation Company (approx. half a mile away); Austin City Railway (approx. half a mile away); Votes for Women (approx. half a mile away); St. Augustine (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Austin.
Also see . . . Stokes Castle. Wikipedia entry:
Links to National Register of Historical Registration Form (Submitted on June 30, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Karen Key, November 23, 2008
2. Stokes Castle Marker
Photographed by Karen Key, November 23, 2008
3. Stokes Castle National Register of Historical Places
Photographed by Karen Key, November 23, 2008
4. Stokes Castle Marker
Stokes Castle Historic Site
Donated to the people of Lander County in memory of Molly Flagg Magee Knudtsen
by H.W. (Wally) Trapnell
May 2005
Donated to the people of Lander County in memory of Molly Flagg Magee Knudtsen
by H.W. (Wally) Trapnell
May 2005
Photographed by Karen Key, November 23, 2008
5. Stokes Castle Marker
Photographed by Karen Key, November 23, 2008
6. Stokes Castle Marker
Equipment nearby to the castle.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 15, 2008, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. This page has been viewed 1,672 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 15, 2008, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California.
