Paterno Castle, August 23, 1938. Charles Paterno was an Italian immigrant who earned a medical degree at Cornell in 1899. Despite this accomplishment, Paterno would never practice medicine. He and his brother took over their father's real estate business, upon his death, and continued to work in the development of modern apartment houses on the Upper West Side. They were well known for their luxurious buildings (including 440 Riverside Drive, an apartment house named for them). In the process of this work the brothers became very wealthy. In 1905 Charles purchased a 7.5 acre plot in what is called Hudson Heights today, overlooking the Hudson River. He hired John C. Watson to build him, well, a castle. By 1909 the German style castle was ready for occupants, though it was not fully completed. Residents and visitors of the castle were required to enter through an underground tunnel that ran under the front of the home into a subbasement. Though the overall style of the castle exterior was medieval, in the interior, each room reflected a different period or style. The building was not the only over-the-top feature. The roof garden included an aviary, solarium, and large conservatory. The grounds also had an Italian garden with colonnades, pergolas, and fountains. The house was called complete in 1916, but by the 1930s, Paterno had a new idea for his picturesque plot of land. As upper Manhattan boomed and real estate became much more valuable (in many ways due to his actions) Paterno said this to the New York Times in 1938, “the many improvements in that part of the city...had led to a strong residential movement in that area with a definite demand for the finer type of garden type apartments.” To advance this residential movement (and his bank account), Paterno had the castle demolished and in its place, the massive Castle View apartment houses were built. Today the castle's guest house, which sits at the north end of the plot of land, remains (and went on the market in 2010 for $3.9 million).

Paterno Castle, with the George Washington Bridge in background, 1938. Charles Paterno was an Italian immigrant who earned a medical degree at Cornell in 1899. Despite this accomplishment, Paterno would never practice medicine. He and his brother took over their father's real estate business, upon his death, and continued to work in the development of modern apartment houses on the Upper West Side. They were well known for their luxurious buildings (including 440 Riverside Drive, an apartment house named for them). In the process of this work the brothers became very wealthy. In 1905 Charles purchased a 7.5 acre plot in what is called Hudson Heights today, overlooking the Hudson River. He hired John C. Watson to build him, well, a castle. By 1909 the German style castle was ready for occupants, though it was not fully completed. Residents and visitors of the castle were required to enter through an underground tunnel that ran under the front of the home into a subbasement. Though the overall style of the castle exterior was medieval, in the interior, each room reflected a different period or style. The building was not the only over-the-top feature. The roof garden included an aviary, solarium, and large conservatory. The grounds also had an Italian garden with colonnades, pergolas, and fountains. The house was called complete in 1916, but by the 1930s, Paterno had a new idea for his picturesque plot of land. As upper Manhattan boomed and real estate became much more valuable (in many ways due to his actions) Paterno said this to the New York Times in 1938, “the many improvements in that part of the city...had led to a strong residential movement in that area with a definite demand for the finer type of garden type apartments.” To advance this residential movement (and his bank account), Paterno had the castle demolished and in its place, the massive Castle View apartment houses were built. Today the castle's guest house, which sits at the north end of the plot of land, remains (and went on the market in 2010 for $3.9 million).

Over the years, more than a few New Yorkers have taken the phrase "A man's home is his castle" literally. This tour takes you through a few of the fortifications that New Yorkers have built for themselves.