The Tragedy, the Glory of Hundred Oaks Castle: Volume I ~ the History, the Legacy Hardcover – January 15, 2026

One mile southwest of Winchester Square in Franklin County, Tennessee, stands the weathered ruins of one of the South's most storied landmarks - a red brick castle named "Hundred Oaks," envisioned by the son of Tennessee's 21st Governor, Albert Smith Marks, and once a part of the family estate. What remains - fire scarred walls and towers - still defiantly stand as a monument to ambition, loss, and renewal. Encircled by dense hedges and tangled growth, the castle awaits behind nature's living curtain, a type of phoenix poised for rebirth when fate allows.The story begins in Owensboro, Kentucky, where Albert Smith Marks is thrust into adulthood at fourteen by his father's untimely death. Responsible for his mother and siblings, his only wealth is intellect, a love of reading and determination. Five years later, he and his sister Elizabeth, move to Winchester, Tennessee, where he studies law under a cousin, then rises to prominence as an attorney and politician. His ascent is interrupted by the Civil War, during which he serves with distinction and loses his right leg. His recovery is marked by marriage and the founding of a family.Marks fathers two sons of remarkable ambition. Arthur, a gifted poet and orator, inspired by chivalric ideals, travels through Europe and returns with a wealthy bride and a vision to transform the family home into a castle - complete with towers, turrets and tunnels. His brother, Albert Davis, forges his own path, becoming a successful attorney, marrying into the famed Belle Meade Plantation family, and rising to prominence in Nashville. And Marks himself, first elected as a Chancellor in 1870, and then, Governor of the state in 1878, during one of Tennessee's worst times in history (reconstruction) adds to the story. Yet tragedy shadows them all: before the castle is even half finished, death claims first the father, then Arthur, and finally Albert Davis, cutting short three brilliant lives.From these ashes arises another figure: John Marks Handly, Arthur's cousin through his Aunt Elizabeth. A Paulist priest, he persuades his Order to acquire Hundred Oaks as their Southern headquarters. For more than fifty years, the Paulist Fathers complete and steward the castle, endearing it to the surrounding community. Eventually, they depart for a more suitable facility and the castle again slips into decline.Years later, a wealthy East Tennessee businesswoman, traveling through the area by chance, discovers the property at auction and purchases it on a whim. Though structurally fragile, the castle rises again as a home and restaurant for thirty to fifty mentally disadvantaged adults. Life and laughter briefly return - until an unrelenting fire strikes, engulfing Hundred Oaks in a most devastating blaze, with flames visible for miles.Woven into this fantastic story is Sir John Templeton, second cousin to Arthur and grandnephew to Governor Marks. He renounces his American citizenship, amasses immense wealth abroad, and receives knighthood for his achievements. Yet despite his wherewithal and fortunes, he never rescues Hundred Oaks - an irony given that the title he carries embodies the very spirit cousin Arthur cherishes - a title he would have loved to have received himself - "knighthood."All hope for the castle's return to life seems extinguished, but a grieving family is drawn to the ruins upon hearing of the tragic loss. Acquiring the property, they find purpose, taking the castle into their care with reverence and resolve. They seek not merely restoration, but renewal - rekindling love, memory and meaning within its walls. This is Hundred Oaks Castle: its Tragedy, and its Glory. A legacy of the Marks family, the Paulist Fathers and all those who have been endeared by the estate over the years. This is a testament to the enduring truth that from ashes, beauty may yet rise again, if not physically, then spiritually from within our hearts. Read more