New England Castles: Bancroft Tower- Worcester, MA

George Bancroft was born in Worcester in the year 1800. He went on to attend Harvard , and began a career in politics in 1837 when he was named Collector of Customs of the Port of Boston.. Bancroft would go on to serve as Secretary of the Navy, and it’s through this post he left his most lasting legacy- the foundation of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. 

George Bancroft founder of the US Navy Academy

Several Navy ships have been named in his honor, including a ballistic missile submarine, several schools have been named for him, as well as dorms at Annapolis and at New Hampshire’s Phillips Exeter Academy of which he was an alumnus.

Climbing up on Salisbury Hill in Worcester, you’ll also find a Romanesque tower built in his honor.  

Bancroft Tower in Worcester, Massachusetts

This fifty-six foot stone and granite tower looks which resembles a small medieval castle was built by Stephen Stansbury (who would later found the Worcester Art Museum with other prominent Worcester residents). A plaque at the tower notes that Bancroft rose from his birth at the foot of the hill to his position of Secretary of the Navy, and Founder of Annapolis.

Memorial Plaque at the base of Bancroft Tower

BORN AT THE FOOT OF THIS HILL
HE ROSE TO THE POSTS OF
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
FOUNDER OF THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
U.S. MINISTER TO GREAT BRITAIN
AND GERMANY

The park at the top of Salisbury Hill is free and opened to the public. It's only about a ten minute drive from the Worcester Art Museum. The tower has several rooms or chambers, even a fireplace- but for most of the year these are gated & locked. For the past few years the Tower has been opened each Sunday in October. Not sure if thats a permanent schedule- but worth looking into. The foliage views from the top of the tower are probably quite nice. 

A look at one of the rooms at the base of the tower

In the past Worcester has opened the tower as a haunted house or even for a visit from Santa Claus, reportedly at least one person has jumped from the tower which lead to its being locked up for the part. 

At the base you'll also find a compass pointing to six of the seven hills Worcester was founded on (Salisbury Hill being the 7th)

Two round "guard towers" flank the tower, but I'm not they ever served a fuction other than decorative. 

One of the two smaller "guard" towers at Bancroft Castle

If you're looking get some peace and quiet in Worcester, Bancroft Tower is a great place to check out. There's parking for about 10 cars and most of the year its not very busy. Foliage season will probably attract many more visitors. All & all can be a quick stop just to check it out, there's not much more to the park than what we've shown in the pictures. 

Rear view of Bancroft Tower in Worcester, Massachusetts

New England is dotted with a number of castles, or castle like structures- we'll be writing up a few more soon for the blog, but you can search the hashtag #NewEnglandCastles on Instagram for some pics of the ones we've visited in the past.

Instagram has our most up-to date travels, but we also have feeds on Facebook, Pinterest, Mix, Tumblr, LinkedIn and Twitter with links for all kinds of ideas for New England travel & road trips.