Diccon Hyatt recently wrote a feature article for the U.S. 1 Newspaper, “Uncovering the Dark Secrets of the Castle,” on the infamous “Castle” building up the hill to the north of Hopewell Boro.
The Castle was built by Webster Edgerly, a 19th-century health guru who made his fortune selling mail-order books through an organization he created called the Ralston Health Club. The real history of Edgerly and the Castle would have likely been forgotten if not for the work of an archaeologist named Janet Six, who became interesting in the history of the site while she lived there while studying for her master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania.
Hyatt does a nice job interviewing Six and recapping the odd (though really not dark) story or the origins of the Castle. Besides the Castle property, Edgerly bought up large tracts of farms north of Hopewell, intending to create “Ralston Heights” as a showcase development for his utopian community.
But Edgerly’s plans did not come to fruition. The other tracts of land were sold off (some adding to Highland Cemetery), and Edgerly’s showcase structures have been reclaimed by the forest growth. But his plans still live on in road names, including Shaftsbury Avenue (Edgerly’s alias), and a small cluster across Greenwood Avenue: Grandview, Ralston, Eastern, North Star, and Sunrise.
The Castle still is an intriguing topic today, as Hyatt found out from comments and corrections on his article. He also did a podcast on the topic with his interview with Janet Six.
The Castle and associated property also was part of the “Hidden Gardens of Hopewell” tour sponsored by the Friends of Hopewell Public Library on Saturday, June 1, 2019.
See also:
- Uncovering the Dark Secrets of the Castle, by Diccon Hyatt, U.S. 1 Newspaper, May 15, 2019
- A Twisted Tale of Magnetic Mind Control, Castration, and Twinkies, Forgotten History podcast #4, hosted by Diccon Hyatt, April 30, 2019
- “Hidden Gardens of Hopewell” Tour, Friends of Hopewell Public Library, June 1, 2019 (Facebook)
More on the Ralston Castle
The Castle building on Ralston Heights, the planned development by 19th-century health guru Webster Edgerly starting the the mid 1890s.
- Post – The Hopewell “Castle” in the News – Interview
Imagery
- Image Gallery – Ralston Castle Images
- Panorama Collection – 2020 Castle Panoramic Aerials
- Video Tour – 2021 Real Estate listing (YouTube)
Documents
- Document Archives – 1905 Edgerly “Description of Ralston Heights” promotional pamphlet (PDF)
Maps
- Map Archives – Hopewell Township Tax Maps showing Ralston Heights (1916 planned development & 2017 current property lots)
Also see
- Uncovering the Dark Secrets of the Castle, by Diccon Hyatt, U.S. 1 Newspaper, May 15, 2019
- A Twisted Tale of Magnetic Mind Control, Castration, and Twinkies, Forgotten History podcast #4, hosted by Diccon Hyatt, April 30, 2019
