There is a lot I don't know about these ruins. What I do know is that this was originally known as Foxcroft Castle, the home of William and Ruth Porter from 1909. It included a reception hall, balconies, servant rooms (so there were servants), and a chauffeur's cottage. These people were rich. When William died, Ruth married lawyer Warren Van Slyke and brought his name into the castle. They left in the 1940s, and in 1960 vandals burned the house, leaving only those parts of it that weren't susceptible to fire. What I don't know is what individual rooms were or what each wall contained. So I'll just present to you my photos as I wandered around and within the structure and keep the commentary to a minimum.


My approach to the castle, from the south. The bolts at the roof suggest something flammable was once affixed there. The bricks in the ground - an entrance plaza?


The last photo resembles a fireplace.


There is a tall brick structure against the inside wall. A chimney?


Outside, pipes or conduits that may have carried electricity to the house. Inside, the remains of the furnace, which resemble the many-armed beast in the climax of The Shining (the book).


The last 4 photos go left, center, right, closeup.


Some sort of chute. Drainage? Trash? Laundry room?


I've been guessing about fireplaces and chimneys, but I'm fairly sure this is the latter.


Ending my tour of the castle at the only flammable parts remaining, scraps of wood that must have been on the cool side of the fire.

Approaches to the castle
Back to Van Slyke Castle main page

Back to New Jersey Non-Roads
Back to Non-Roads main page