If you have ever dreamed of life in a fairytale, we have an awesome treasure for you. Alcoa is the home of a true Roman architecturally inspired castle called Millennium Manor Castle. It is truly an amazing feat of dedication, faith, and an impressive amount of hard work.
Humble Beginnings
The original castle, built by William Nicholson and his wife, Emma Fair, was intended as a private residence. Nicholson was a staunch Christian and believed the biblical Armageddon would take place during his lifetime, leaving him and 144,000 righteous souls to live on earth with Jesus for another 1000 years. Revelations 20:6 – “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” The couple moved to Alcoa from Pickens, GA, where William was a mason and a carpenter when he got a job with Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa, Inc) in 1937. William was 61 years old when he started construction on Millennium Manor Castle while working full-time at the Alcoa plant. Construction began in June 1937 and was completed in December 1946.
William had originally predicted Armageddon would happen in 1959, using his own biblical math, but when it didn’t happen, he changed his prediction to 1969. Unfortunately, his wife died of cancer in 1950 at 72, and William followed in 1965 at 88, so neither would see another prediction fail. After his wife of over 50 years passed, William said of Emma Fair, “It was hard to be parted from her after so many years. My wife believed in me, but her faith in eternal life was weak. She tried to believe, but she had her doubts. There came a time when she talked of dying.” Then, during his own final trip to the hospital, he told his pastor, “If God doesn’t intervene soon, I will die.”
The Nicholsons left ten children behind, but none came to live in the stone castle after William’s death. The manor eventually fell into abandonment and neglect because he never left a will (since he didn’t plan on dying). It became a local party spot for teenagers and squatters, who eventually stole or trashed anything left of value inside, but because of the house’s grit, they couldn’t dent the structure.
Construction History
All the original construction work was done by hand, using levers, pulleys, and round ramps to drop the stone and move it forward. They used almost no nails or wood in the original structure to avoid rust and decay. The original Roman architecture used an “Arch and Keystone” design. This design is present throughout the house but is most visible over the doors and windows. They started with a wooden frame, laid a rubber tarp over the wooden form, then stacked stone on top of the frame and inserted a keystone. (At this point, even with the removal of the wooden structure, the roof would stand still without any mortar.) They poured cement over the stacked marble rock, allowing the cement to sift through to the rubber tarp and harden. Then they moved the wooden form and began the process again until the structure was complete. In theory, the function of the mortar was only to fill the gaps, allowing the castle to stand without the cement.
The exterior walls are more than two feet thick, while the interior walls are at least 19 inches thick. The floors are more than four feet of stone, and during construction over 4000 bags of cement were utilized, substituting agricultural lime instead of sand, when needed, to avoid water seepage. The roof alone weighs more than 400 tons. The castle consists of 14 rooms and a two-car underground garage, totaling around 3000 square feet under roof. The manor sits on six lots equaling roughly an acre, including a small white house built from an old Sear’s home kit sitting on the back lot. A six-story deep well sits on the property, measuring five feet in diameter. A stone wall surrounds the entire property. Overall, the castle was 250% overbuilt. In fact, during World War II, the military tried to buy Millenium Manor for $150,000 to use as barracks and armory, but William refused to sell.
New Owners
An amateur historian, Dean Fontaine, purchased the manor at auction on February 21, 1995, for $39,000. Dean is a firefighter intrigued by the idea of a house that wouldn’t burn down. Because he often worked nights and was looking for something quiet, it made him an ideal place to sleep during the days. The structure was so sound in 2006, a tornado passed directly over the castle, and he slept through it. Dean and his wife, Karen, have gradually worked to restore the manor over the years. Donations, funding, and incoming supplies dictate projects and workload.
The couple offers public guided tours on summer weekends by appointment only and educational field trips to the castle. It will soon be available to rent for weddings, family reunions, and other social gatherings, and eventually, they hope to turn part of the manor into a local Coffee House.
Millennium Manor Castle Restorations
Trash Removal & Roof Restoration
Trash removal was the first major project they tackled. It took nine truckloads to haul away all the trash, brush, and debris left over the years of neglect – one truckload per week. Because of the junk, water couldn’t drain and caused major roof damage, so restoration was the next step. The Fontaines drained all the water and added another four inches of concrete to eliminate leaks. They still have a tiny area of drainage issues, but they hope to have that fixed soon.
Redoubt (Fortress within a Fortress)
The redoubt is a covered patio area to the side of the castle. The couple is replacing the 78-year-old cedar wood with a 50-year shingle. It took one solid steel post to hold up the chimney and nine hollow steel posts to hold up the stonework. After the roof and gutter installation, they will lay travertine tile flooring. (As a fundraiser, they allow supporters to engrave their names into the floor tiles.) The redoubt renovation includes a small fireplace with outdoor cooking space, granite shelves, and an onyx sink. It also houses 13 electrical outlets, including a couple on the roof for lighting options and alcoves lit with electric candles. An Air Force National Guard leadership class built a new carriage for the small cannon out of recycled milk jugs from Friendsville, which replaced the original red oak carriage. The “murder hole,” traditionally used to pour boiling water or grease on intruders as a last defense, remains intact. They added a small black iron door to house all the plumbing and electricity for the redoubt, which they doubled up for backup purposes. They also included a small plaque with a bible quote from William Nicholson. When everything is complete, a 48’x7″ sidewall wall will house a guard shack, including a bulletproof banker’s window to provide security for guests utilizing the manor for private events.
Front Courtyard
After a year and a half of renovations, Fontaine discovered the perimeter fence. The exterior front wall had to be built twice because of road construction. The footstone at the bottom of the existing ten-foot wall is from the original structure. Last year they added crenulations along the front wall. The two-bay garage is noticeably squared off, instead of the arch and keystone design throughout the rest of the manor. This is because when Nicholson originally parked in it, he could not open the doors of his “model A” car enough to get out of the vehicle, so he used a sledgehammer to get out. Nicholson planned for Millennium Castle Manor to be a self-sufficient property and originally included large gardens, apple, walnut, and bitter orange trees. The original firepit remains, along with the bitter orange tree. To integrate a piece of Dean’s humor, a Latin plaque along the exterior wall reads, “If you can read this, you are overeducated.”
Side Courtyard
Plans for the completed side courtyard include a completely walled-in outdoor space. It took the Fontaines four years to build the perimeter wall along the adjoining property for privacy, including eyelets, to secure a grand tent for future events. The back wall creates a starburst window, surrounded by a stone fireplace and enclosed by a new gate door. Outdoor electricity is being run throughout the courtyard walls for convenience during outdoor events. Dean also built a wooden ladder during roof renovations to maintain the aesthetic, which will remain as a decorative feature.
Castle Interior
Wood-burning stoves supply heating throughout Millennium Manor Castle, and Army field phones communicate between the upper and lower levels.
- Upstairs Rooms
- Museum Room/Gold Room: This room possibly originally served as a dining room, but as a tribute to William Nicholson, the Fontaines have filled this room with donated medieval weapons, and it serves as a teaching tool for visiting groups.
- Office Nook
- Upstairs Kitchen: The original kitchen sink is open underneath to allow access to the plumbing. This space will eventually become a bathroom.
- Upstairs Bedroom: This space will transition into the upstairs kitchen because of the small hole that allows for future plumbing. A Dutch door will replace the existing entrance into the courtyard. Dean originally power-washed the ceiling, disturbing much of the concrete, which will be patched and repainted.
- Copper Room: This small bedroom can also serve as a dressing room. It showcases pink marble mined from Friendsville and a wood stove.
- Bathroom: The current porcelain sink, salvaged from the side of the road, updated the space. It is currently only a half bath but will ultimately include a shower.
- Dungeon/Downstairs Rooms
- Dining Room: Includes a large dining table and chairs; it took the couple several years to collect the table setting. They are still looking for authentic marble silverware. The blue and white crest in this room is the Fontaine Family Crest.
- Downstairs Bedroom: This is the bedroom William Nicholson stayed in after Emma Fair died. Because the original structure did not include a downstairs bathroom, they’ve even included a chamber pot for authenticity.
- Star Chamber Room: This bedroom decor is all black and decorated with glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. There is no window in this room, making it the perfect place for Dean to sleep during the days when he worked nights as a firefighter.
- Downstairs Kitchen: The original sink in this room is completely concreted in, so a PVC pipe had to be used to create working plumbing. This is also the location of the downstairs field phone.
Millennium Manor Castle Contact Info
This gorgeous piece of history can be found at 500 N. Wright Rd., Alcoa, TN 37701. To get more info on reserving this unique location for your next event or to schedule a private tour, please contact the Fontaines at 865-255-6970. They offer Public Guided Tours on summer weekends from 12 PM – 5 PM. Tours are $15 per person or a maximum of $40 for up to eight people. Tours are by appointment only.
Recent Comments