Bluegrass Castle Burns

"The Castle," a prominent structure on Versailles Road in Woodford County, Ky., suffered severe damage Monday night when a fire apparently started around 8 p.m.

Anne Eberhardt Keogh, chief photographer for The Blood-Horse, lives near the Castle.

"At around 8:20 I went to turn off our water line and I saw black smoke billowing out of the second floor window," said Keogh. "I called the fire department around 8:25 and then opened the gate for them. I don't think anyone was there (on the property).

"Once the firefighters got there, it was totally engulfed. There was no saving it. It was really sad."

According to Keogh and published reports, no people or animals were injured in the fire. Some horses and buildings were downwind of the blaze, but they were not harmed.

The Castle, as it is commonly known, was built by Rex Martin in the 1960s. It was purchased in November by Thomas Post, a resident of Miami, Fla. Post, who paid $1.79 for the structure and the 54 acres of land that surround it, was renovating the Castle. He had said he was considering living in the house (inside the structure's tall walls) or leasing the property for use as a Thoroughbred farm. Another option was to open it to groups for use as a site for fundraisers or special events.