Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage

Last updated
Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage
BerkeleyCastle WestVirginia.jpg
Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia Location Map.svg
Red pog.svg
Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage
USA West Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage
Location276 Cacapon Road, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Coordinates 39°37′38″N78°13′49″W / 39.62722°N 78.23028°W / 39.62722; -78.23028
Built1885
Architect Mullett, A.B. and Ashford, Snowden
Architectural styleLate Victorian
NRHP reference No. 80004035
Added to NRHPNovember 28, 1980 [1]

The Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage, also known as the Berkeley Castle or Berkeley Springs Castle, is located on a hill above Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, United States.

Contents

History

The castle-like house was built for Colonel Samuel Taylor Suit of Washington, D.C. as a personal retreat near the spa town, beginning in 1885. It was not complete by the time of his death in 1888 and was finished in the early 1890s for his young widow, Rosa Pelham Suit, whom Suit had first met at Berkeley Springs, and their three children. [2] The post-1888 work is of noticeably inferior quality. [3]

The fifteen-room interior features a ballroom 50 feet (15.2 m) wide and 40 ft (12.2 m) long. The design is attributed to Washington architect Alfred B. Mullett, who is alleged to have drawn a rough sketch of the plan on a tablecloth at the Berkeley Springs Hotel. The design may have been based on elements of Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. [4] Detailed design and construction supervision was carried out by Snowden Ashford, who designed Washington's Eastern Market, apprenticed for Mullett and is also credited as an architect. [5] Mrs. Suit entertained lavishly at the house until her money ran out and the property was sold in 1913. [3]

Purchase by the VDARE Foundation

In February 2020, the property was purchased by the VDARE Foundation, a tax-exempt affiliate of anti-immigration organization VDARE, which publishes writings by white nationalists. [6]

The purchase was met with resistance from residents and leaders in Berkeley Springs. [7] [8]

VDARE founder and editor Peter Brimelow stated "We absolutely will not be having rallies, marches or demonstrations. We've never been involved in anything like that, and we never will be," and "We just want to be quiet, good neighbors. The only public events we're anticipating right now are the local charitable functions that we understand the castle has traditionally hosted. We hope to have some private meetings and functions, but don't have plans for any public VDARE events." [9]

VDARE purchased the house for $1.4 million and the source of the money is unknown. [10] New York Attorney General (NYAG) Letitia James alleged that VDARE had violated New York law by misusing non-profit resources while residing on the castle grounds since March 2020. [11] [12]

In March 2024, a New York state judge found the VDARE Foundation in civil contempt for failing to turn over evidence related to the investigation. The organization is required to pay a $250-per-day fine until it complies with a subpoena issued by the NYAG in 2022. [12] In July, it was announced that VDARE would be suspending operations, with Brimelow resigning as president of the VDARE Foundation. A spokesperson for the attorney general's office said that the website's closure would not affect their investigation. [13]

Berkeley Springs, including the Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage, inspired a location in the online multiplayer game Fallout 76 . [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Poverty Law Center</span> American civil rights NGO, founded 1971

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white supremacist groups, for its classification of hate groups and other extremist organizations, and for promoting tolerance education programs. The SPLC was founded by Morris Dees, Joseph J. Levin Jr., and Julian Bond in 1971 as a civil rights law firm in Montgomery.

VDARE is an American far-right website promoting opposition to immigration to the United States. It is associated with white supremacy, white nationalism, and the alt-right. Anti-Immigration in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia describes VDARE as "one of the most prolific anti-immigration media outlets in the United States" and states that it is "broadly concerned with race issues in the United States". Established in 1999, the website's editor is Peter Brimelow, who once stated that "whites built American culture" and that "it is at risk from non-whites who would seek to change it".

Michael H. Hart is an American astrophysicist, author and white nationalist. Since 1978, he has published five books, most notably of the best-selling work, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.

Peter Brimelow is an American white supremacist writer. He is the founder of the website VDARE, an anti-immigration site associated with white supremacy, white nationalism, and the alt-right.

American Renaissance is a white supremacist website and former monthly magazine publication founded and edited by Jared Taylor. It is published by the New Century Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Derbyshire</span> American paleoconservative

John Derbyshire is a British-born American computer programmer, journalist, and political commentator. He was noted for being one of the last paleoconservatives at the National Review, until he was fired in 2012 for writing an article for Taki's Magazine that was widely viewed as racist. Since 2012 he has written for white nationalist website VDARE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Sailer</span> American political writer

Steven Ernest Sailer is an American far-right writer and blogger. He is currently a columnist for Taki's Magazine and VDARE, a website associated with white supremacy.

<i>The Occidental Quarterly</i> American white nationalist magazine

The Occidental Quarterly is an American magazine published by the Charles Martel Society. Its stated purpose is to defend "the cultural, ethnic, and racial interests of Western European peoples" and examine "contemporary political, social, and demographic trends that impact the posterity of Western Civilization".

The Social Contract Press (SCP) is an American publisher of white nationalist and anti-immigrant literature. It is a program of U.S. Inc., a foundation formed by John Tanton, who was called by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) "the racist founder and principal ideologue of the modern nativist movement". Founded in 1990, it publishes the quarterly Social Contract journal, as well as reprints and new works.

The National Policy Institute (NPI) was a white supremacist think tank and lobbying group based in Alexandria, Virginia. It lobbied for white supremacists and the alt-right. Its president was Richard B. Spencer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ProEnglish</span> American nonprofit lobbying organization

ProEnglish is an American nonprofit lobbying organization that is part of the English-only movement. The group supports making English the only official language of the United States. The group has also campaigned against immigration reform and bilingual education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Auster</span> American essayist (1949–2013)

Lawrence Auster was an American conservative essayist and self-described "racialist" who wrote on immigration and multiculturalism.

Washington Summit Publishers (WSP) is a white nationalist publisher based in Augusta, Georgia, which produces and sells books on race and intelligence and related topics. The company is run by white supremacist Richard B. Spencer, who also ran the defunct white supremacist National Policy Institute.

Samuel Taylor Suit (1832–1888) was a Maryland politician and landowner. Suit was born in Bladensburg, Maryland, the son of innkeeper Fielder Suit. At age 14, he left home and traveled first to Keokuk, Iowa, and then to Louisville, Kentucky. In Kentucky, Suit became involved in distilling whiskey, eventually owning a distillery and making his fortune. During this time, he became an honorary Kentucky colonel and was known as Colonel Suit from that time onward. While in Kentucky, he married his first wife, Sarah Ebenezer Williams, who died in childbirth at age 19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditionalist Worker Party</span> Defunct neo-Nazi and white nationalist American political party

The Traditionalist Worker Party (TWP) was a neo-Nazi political party active in the United States between 2013 and 2018, affiliated with the broader "alt-right" movement that became active within the U.S. during the 2010s. It was considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center's list.

The Right Stuff is a neo-Nazi and white nationalist blog and discussion forum and the host of several podcasts, including The Daily Shoah. Founded by American neo-Nazi Mike Enoch, the website promotes Holocaust denial, and coined the use of "echoes", an antisemitic marker that uses triple parentheses around names to identify Jewish people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Identity Evropa</span> Neo-Nazi group in the United States

Identity Evropa was an American far-right, neo-Nazi, neo-Fascist, and white supremacist organization established in March 2016. It was rebranded as the American Identity Movement in March 2019. In November 2020, the group disbanded. Leaders and members of Identity Evropa, such as former leader Elliot Kline, praised Nazi Germany and pushed for what they described as the "Nazification of America".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Q. Gebert</span> American neo-Nazi and former foreign affairs officer in the U.S. State Department

Matthew Q. Gebert is an American former foreign affairs officer in the U.S. State Department. He was suspended from his position in August 2019 after he was reported as a white nationalist by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Charles Bausuman is a Russian activist, and American expatriate living in Russia. He is a publisher of Russia Insider, an antisemitic website that portrays itself as an alternative to Western narratives of news.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ↑ Mozier, Jeanne (2016). The Story of Berkeley Castle: What's True and What's Not. Berkeley Springs, WV: High Street Press. p. 2. ISBN   978-0989801829.
  3. 1 2 Rodney S. Collins (July 10, 1980). "National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage" (PDF). National Park Service.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ↑ "Colonel Suit". History. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  5. ↑ Sullian, Jack (Spring 2005). "The Life and Loves of S.T. Suit: A Jug-Filler's Story" (PDF). Bottles and Extras. Federation of Historic Bottle Collectors. pp. 66–69. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-20. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  6. ↑ A "hate castle" or welcome neighbor? VDare divides a West Virginia town.
  7. ↑ Olding, Rachel (May 29, 2020). "Tourist Town Desperate to Reopen Faces Another Battle—White Nationalists in the Castle". The Daily Beast. New York City. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  8. ↑ Conroy, Sean (March 20, 2020). "LETTER: How could a white nationalist group buy Berkeley Castle?". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Charleston, W.Va. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  9. ↑ Vincent, Jenni (25 February 2020). "Foundation focused on immigration buys Berkeley Springs castle for $1.4M". Herald Mail Media. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  10. ↑ "West Virginia Tourist Hub Rejects VDARE's "Negative" Message". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
  11. ↑ Newton, Creede (May 24, 2023). "Experts: VDARE's Real Estate Deals May Cost Group Nonprofit Status". Hatewatch. Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  12. 1 2 Gais, Hannah (June 20, 2024). "What We Know About the VDARE Legal Situation That They Say 'Finished' Them". Hatewatch. Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  13. ↑ Gais, Hannah (18 September 2024). "White Nationalist Website VDARE Suspends Operations Amid Legal Scrutiny". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  14. ↑ "Bucket List, Fallout 76 Quest". guides4gamers.com. Retrieved 2020-04-07.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.