From the Archives: Fort Lee's Castle

This large rambling wooden Victorian house built along the Palisades at the top of River Road in Fort Lee in 1900 had a storied history. The house was built by a German immigrant in the early 1900's.

Kids grew up in Fort Lee with tales of German U-Boats in the Hudson River receiving signals from people in The Castle during World War I – unlikely, but great stories for Fort Lee kids to grow up with.  

The Castle was also the first Fort Lee home and studio of the Ortlip family of artists, who worked and lived in The Castle in the early 20th century before moving to another home/studio atop Old Palisade Rd. in Fort Lee.

By the 1960's the house was occupied with what locals termed "hippies." Truth be told, the renowned artist Peter Max leased The Castle in the 60's, and on Memorial Day weekend in 1967, colleagues of Andy Warhol filmed parts of the film Ciao Manhattan here both on the grounds and inside The Castle.  

Among those appearing on location for the filming were Warhol's Factory Girl Edie Sedgwick and beat poet Allen Ginsberg. The film is available on DVD and worth a look for this rare footage of Fort Lee’s Castle.  

The early 1970's brought many losses to Fort Lee, including the fabled Palisades Amusement Park. The Castle was consumed by fire in the early 70's, and today all that remains are the ghostly turrets at the base of the property where Fort Lee becomes Edgewater on River Rd.  

Today what remains of The Castle represents a reminder of another time and a special Memorial Day weekend when the factory girl and the beat poet came to Fort Lee to make a movie.

Editor's Note: The author is Executive Director of the Fort Lee Film Commission.