LAKEWOOD, WA -- They say a man's home is his castle. But in Lakewood, outside of Tacoma, there's a castle that was made to be the ultimate home.
In the early 1900's, Tacoma Tycoon Chester Thorne began plans to build a country home for his beloved wife Anna.
He hired renowned architect Kirkland Cutter to design the house, using material from a 400-year-old manor Thorne had shipped piece by piece from England.
The results? A 31,000 square foot Tudor gothic style home that sat on 100 acres. It was so big, it took a staff of 40 to run the house and 28 full-time gardeners to tend the Olmstead Brothers designed grounds.
But over the decades, the grand house began to lose it's luster.
The land was reduced to a mere 4 acres and the home was divided into apartments.
But the sorry state didn't deter Deanna Robinson, from falling in love with Thornewood in 1999.
With more heart than a plan, Deanna and her husband restored the home to its stately manor. They turned it into a one of a kind bed and breakfast that boast features like a 500-year-old front door and stained class that dates back even further.
Thornewood is so grand, some guests like to compare it to another well-known castle.
"Oh, Downton Abbey has nothing on this," says Deanna.
It may not be as distinguished as Downton, but Deanna hopes those who come to Thornewood will appreciate it's past, in a house that love built to last.
