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Romeo & Juliet doors in Highlands Castle

A 'defining moment' is: A point in your life when you're urged to make a pivotal decision, or when you experience something that fundamentally changes you. Not only do these moments define us, but they have a transformative effect on our perceptions and behaviors. 

My moment would stem from a divorce at the age of 23. Living in a townhouse rental (with five other guys) wasn't an ideal situation, especially when spending time with my 3 year old son. So I told him, "This is not our home... this is temporary... Someday, I’ll build a home for the two of us. Someday, Jason, I will build you a castle".    

From that day, I began the quest to make good on the promise. What I didn't realize at the time, there would be plenty of help along the way, charting a path, and directing my steps.

How to build a castle: My way was to do it backward. While sketching designs and floor plans over several years, I started to purchase antique Gothic Revival furniture, light fixtures, stained glass windows & doors, and suits of armor. Each purchase solidified my commitment. (It also seemed entirely rational that once the home was built, I might not have two nickels left to furnish it!).

How the universe whispers favor: I took my son to Cape Cod one summer and pulled into an antique store in Dennisport, Massachusetts. There were four stained glass panels, one in each of the four corners of the shop, with a 'NOT FOR SALE' sign on the front of each piece. I met the shop owner (Mr. Snell) and told him the shields & halberts on the stained glass caught my attention. He explained that the shields were family crests (for the Montagues & Capulets), and the other two panels were of 'Romeo & Juliet'. These were his 'conversation pieces' for his store, which he had owned for 59 years. Tiffany had been consigned to create the doors for one of the Vanderbilt homes in the late 1800s. I shared with Mr. Snell about building a castle one day for my son and left him my phone number in case he came across any "castle-like" antiques in the future. We headed back to New York at the end of our vacation. A few months later, Mr. Snell called me saying, "I'm 78 years old, and my health is failing. The 'Romeo & Juliet' doors that I never had any intention of selling... Well, I'm calling you first to ask if you would be interested in buying them". And so I did and drove back several weeks later, wrapped them in blankets, and put them in storage with the other antiques I had collected. I designed my whole house around these doors that would lead into 'The Great Hall' one day.

How our steps can be directed: The Romeo & Juliet doors were purchased before I acquired a mountaintop in the woods. The property had no visible lake & mountain views at the time (as 100's of trees were blocking them until I began clearing the land for a foundation). The placement of these doors were drawn on paper before finding the property and would open into a grand room located in the center of my castle design. When you look at the artwork on the stained glass, you'll see a lake and mountains. Now, when you open the actual doors into 'The Great Hall', twenty one windows face Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains!

Look closer: The flagstone floor artwork (underneath Romeo & Juliet) also matches the flagstone floor in our home, something my wife pointed out just a few months ago! The artwork's balusters also match the exact shape of the outside railing balusters of 'The Castle Cottage', a separate castle that sits next to Highlands Castle.

What do I think about all this?... Mr. Snell was holding onto these doors until I showed up. His wife, Rebecca would call me years later when she was in her 90's (by remembering my last name and that I lived in upstate NY, and calling my father first, who gave her my number). She asked me, "Did you ever build the castle you talked about with my husband?" I was so pleased to let her know that I designed my entire home around his doors and that I remembered how significant they were to him, and they would always be just as significant to our family.  At the end of the conversation, Rebecca said, "I want to send you a check for your project". I told her that was a nice gesture, but one I couldn't accept, as the project was my home. (I wonder if I turned down $10 or an inheritance?!)

I did mail a letter to Rebecca, with photos of the Romeo & Juliet doors (trimmed in oak as shown), along with an invitation to stay with us anytime. Unfortunately, that was the last contact we shared. Rebecca was going down memory lane, and I think she was looking for comfort in knowing her husband's cherished doors had found a worthy home. I was delighted to spend a little time with her on this special path.

John A. Lavender II, owner of Highlands Castle overlooking beautiful Lake George in Bolton Landing, NY 

Footnote (and the kindness of strangers): On March 20, 2025, Stewart Roxburgh, a gentleman from West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, took the time to email me and share some information regarding the 'Romeo & Juliet' stained glass doors. He wrote in part: “John, I simply wanted to say how much I enjoyed visiting your site today. The stained glass panels were probably designed by one of two artists at Tiffany: Frederick Wilson or Agnes F. Northrop.

Agnes Fairchild Northrop (1857-1953) who began working for Louis Comfort Tiffany in the early 1880s and became one of his lead designers. Northrop specialized in stained glass windows, often featuring landscapes and gardens. Her work was exhibited internationally, including at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. 

Frederick Wilson (1858-1932) was a British stained glass artist who joined Tiffany Studios in the early 1890s. He was known for his ecclesiastical windows and was a prolific designer, creating over 500 windows during his career. Wilson's designs were heavily influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, and he played a significant role in shaping the aesthetic of American ecclesiastical stained glass.

My personal guess would be Frederick Wilson as the style in the castle would most definitely be defined Pre-Raphaelite. They are as incredible as they are beautiful, and thank you for rescuing them. I simply wanted to make contact John, and thank you for energising my soul today. I wish you and your family every best wish, and who knows, I may get to return to the US at some point and come knocking at that stunning castle door. All the very best, Stewart Roxburgh