In 1894 Frederick Thompson, a prominent local architect, designed the Castle building as a cozy shelter complete with a large fireplace. Most all of the building supplies were donated and records indicate that the total cost of the building was only $900.
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The building has since seen a few different transformations and renovations over the years and currently exists as one of Portland’s four Visitor’s Centers that are maintained by the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). Browsing through the guest book and glancing at the kind comments will give a sense of the kind of service that one can receive from the CVB volunteers who seem to want to give the best information and service to visitors and tourists.