A friend of mine mentioned there is an honest-to-goodness castle in San Francisco. When I asked where, she said “over there by Hunter’s Point somewhere”. That’s all it took; I was on a mission to find this “castle”. In Ireland alone, there are 30,000 castles, so how hard could it be to find one in San Francisco? After all, it’s something that would definitely stick out in a country that’s only just over 200 years old.
Google is a wonderful thing. One search and I found it, in a manner of speaking. From there it took tracking down the owner and getting permission to visit the property and find someone to answer my questions.
The owner’s daughter gave me a tour and the historical rundown on the property because it’s been in her family for a while. It houses natural springs which were once the only water source for the entire city. From there it became a brewery which was closed down during prohibition and there is actually only one bottle of the original brew left and she has it. The top floor still houses a swing arm which was originally used to move pallets of beer bottles.
Currently, the castle is used for corporate events, weddings and private parties so if you get the urge to party in a real castle, go for it. It’s spectacular! You can visit their website for booking information at www.thealbioncastle.com.
