The Real "Rose Red"
Wednesday April 30, 2008 8:34 AM
Thornewood Castle, an elegant bed and breakfast at Lakewood, near Tacoma, Washington, has attracted curiosity seekers ever since it served as the set for the Stephen King miniseries, Rose Red, in 2002. The castle boasts its own long history of ghosts, but a murdering house a la King it is not. Nonetheless, overnight guests often get plenty of frights.
Thornewood is a bona fide castle because of its parapet, but it looks more like an English-style manor house. That's no accident, for its original owner, Chester Thorne, was enamored with England and imported actual pieces of English castles and manor homes for its construction from 1911-14. Thorne, a rags-to-riches entrepreneur, set his majestic home on 100 acres on the shores of American Lake. A Quaker, he was renowned for his generosity.
But his family had a troubled history that left ghostly fingerprints in the castle, long after the original occupants were gone. After several changes of ownership, and a period in which the house was subdivided into apartments, its original glory has been restored. The current owners, Wayne and Deanna Robinson, operate it as a bed-and-breakfast, and are proud of its haunted heritage and its role in Rose Red and the sequel, The Diary of Emily Rimbauer.
In the King story, a brooding, abandoned manor house is reawakened by a band of paranormal investigators. The ghosts in the house, and the house itself, pick them off in ghastly murders. The house starts growing in size on its own.
When the search was on for the set for the miniseries, Thornewood Castle won out over dozens of contenders.
In real life, there are no negative hauntings or unpleasant ghosts at Thornewood, but unexpected chills do happen. Guests feel invisible presences, hear footsteps and see apparitions. The ghost of Chester Thorne is seen walking about the grounds, and also passing through his bedroom. According to lore, if you stay in Thorne's old room and ask for his help with financial matters, he will give you a hand.
Thorne's daughter, Anna, is often seen sitting at one of her bedroom bay windows, looking out. As a youth, she was shy and withdrawn because of a speech impediment. Rather than join the gala lawn parties, she preferred to watch them from the safety of her room. Her bedroom is popular with brides, who often catch glimpses of her while they ready themselves for their big day. At night when Anna's room is not occupied, guests hear ghostly voices coming from within.
Other ghosts are seen, felt and heard in the house. A pool-playing ghost will smack the billiard balls around in the game room on the third floor. From one bedroom that looks out over the lake, guests say they hear cries outside. Lore has it that a child drowned in the lake, and the screams of the mother still echo in time. The property has Native American fairy lore — the house is said to sit atop a fairy mound — and fairies are often reported in the gardens. Plenty of strange orbs are captured on photographs.
While guests often appreciate the spooky thrills, they appreciate even more the restful atmosphere. Thornewood offers a healing balm, says Deanna Robinson, and guests leave feeling refreshed. Every guest room has a diary, so guests can get vicarious experiences by reading about the experiences of others.
Thornewood Castle is a good example of a benignly haunted place, demonstrating that a house can be haunted — but it doesn't have to be a horror story.
