real estate

Looking for a Home with Character? Connecticut Castle Hits Market for $35M

The Chris Mark Castle in Woodstock, Connecticut is listed for $35 million.

NBC Universal, Inc.

A castle in Woodstock, Connecticut is on the market. The Chris Mark Castle, named after its owner, is listed for $35 million.

The castle was built in 2010. Mark, the descendent of a Chicago steel tycoon, designed the castle for his two young daughters.

"When we were younger we used to dress up as princesses," said Christina Mark, one of Mark's daughters. "My dad wanted my dream to come true."

The castle has seven floors, nine bedrooms, and seven full baths. There is even a moat outside the castle. Tucked away in a rural neighborhood, the castle overlooks a 30 acre pond.

The Mark family lives in the castle, but they rent out areas of the property for photo shoots. A Hallmark movie was filmed at the castle this past year, along with a music video.

Photos: Looking for a Home with Character? Connecticut Castle Hits Market for $35M

Christina Mark posts about the castle on social media, showing behind the scenes tours of her home and pointing out interesting features including secret passageways in the castle.

"I want people to know that it exists, it is a real place, and it is pretty amazing," said Christina Mark.

This is not the first time that the Mark family has listed the castle for sale. They tried to sell the castle in 2014 for $45 million, but did not find anyone to purchase it.

According to data from the US Census Bureau, the median household income in Woodstock is about $86,000.

"A castle is definitely not a common commodity that we have to sell in eastern Connecticut," said Rachael Johnston, a real estate broker based in Thompson, Connecticut. "That's a pretty hefty price tag for our area."

Mark said that if they are not able to sell the castle within about six months, they plan to continue marketing the property as a place to shoot movies and music videos.

The castle is listed by John Pizzi of Randall Realtors.

Contact Us