Do you aspire to live like royalty? How about putting your feet up in your very own castle?
Up for lease -- at $12,500 per month -- is this seven-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom castle on Sullivan's Island, SC, just off the coast of Charleston and accessible by a bridge.
"It's kind of a church castle," explains listing agent Ashley Haynes of East Islands Real Estate, about the structure known as Castle Mugdock. Built in 1891 as a church (the Church of the Holy Cross), it was later sold to the Lutheran church in 1948, and was turned into a private residence during the 1970s.
Current owner Vince Graham -- president and co-founder of I'On Group, which designed New Urbanist communities such as l'On Village in nearby Mount Pleasant and Morris Square in Charleston -- purchased the property in 2002 and embarked on a hefty restoration to turn it into a "small beach castle," according to his website.
The property is on the western end of the island overlooking a harbor. Two buildings (North Tower and Winter Hall) are joined together by a central stair tower and bailey. There's an area of newer construction dubbed Norman Keep, which features six bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms, along with two porches that face south.
Included are quite a few accoutrements that are both historic and modern, including an iron chandelier in the living room and an Aga stove -- as well as Sub-Zero, Bosch, and Fisher & Paykel appliances -- in the kitchen. All of the walls in the Winter Hall are constructed of 2-foot-thick Georgia granite, and the windows throughout are gothic style (some featuring stained glass).
What you need to know about Sullivan's Island (population 1,875) is that it offers a timeless vibe. This isn't where you live if you want to hit the clubs or visit the hottest new restaurant.
"It's a lot of old island character and brand-new custom homes, and not a lot of rentals anymore," says Haynes, referring to a moratorium on new licenses for vacation rentals. Also, "there will be no more commercial zoning."
Traveling to Charleston and Mount Pleasant takes just 12 minutes, across the Ben Sawyer Bridge. The areas are just six miles apart. "You can always get there by boat," says Haynes.
While this isn't the first time the castle's come up for rent, the novelty of bunking in a fortress-type rental can't be denied. "It's been rented in the past. I had somebody in there a couple of years ago, and (the owner) had somebody there for a year before that," says Haynes.
Who will be the next person to enter its walls? "I think (it's) anybody who would like living there. It's like living in a museum. Maybe a history aficionado, somebody who likes to go to the beach," says Haynes.