Scattered throughout this area, if you know where to look, you’ll find residences that range from somewhat to extremely castle-like in style and structure.

These eye-catching abodes raise questions. Who lives there? Who built it? What’s it like inside?

Some local castle dwellers recently opened their doors to us and gave us a sneak peek at what life is like behind castle walls.

THE WILKESON CASTLE

“My husband always said, ‘Honey, some day I’m going to buy you a castle.’”

Lorena Weiss said she still smiles every time she turns the corner onto her street in Wilkeson and sees the home her husband, Sid, purchased for her a few years ago. He made good on his promise.

Weiss has collected castles for years: pictures of castles, books on castles, miniature models of castles. They’re spread throughout her castle home. It all started with one small figurine made of compacted sand.

Back in 2005, a friend told her about the listing for the Wilkeson Castle, built by Alan Andersen in the 1970s. Andersen, a carpenter, also happened to be the local building inspector.

His inspiration?

“He went to Disneyland,” said Weiss, who met the builder during taping of an HGTV special two years ago. The Weisses are the fourth family to own the home since Andersen sold it in the 1980s.

Walt Disney built Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland with a German castle in mind, the often-pictured Castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. Andersen built his castle with Disney’s castle in mind. The entire story is recounted in his self-published book, “The Impossible Dream.” Weiss owns a copy of the book, and you can find it in the Pierce County Library system.

In addition to the many castle pictures in her home, Weiss has a few shots of the original house, built in 1910. It was a simple, small square building before Andersen turned it into a large white castle.

A floor-to-ceiling photo of Castle Neuschwanstein covers one wall downstairs.

The Weisses painted Wilkeson Castle gray and have updated much of the carpeting, linoleum flooring and wall color inside. “It had a real ’70s kind of look to it” when they moved in, Weiss said.

In addition to the spikes and crenellations that make the house stand out against its small-town backdrop, the house boasts two tall spires. The largest of these features a wooden spiral staircase inside that leads all the way up to a viewing platform more than four stories off the ground.

Lots of dark wood makes up the cabinetry and shelving throughout the house, and nearly every entryway is arched and veiled with a royal purple curtain.

Knickknack curios hold much of Weiss’ castle collection, and a large wooden relief of the home hangs in the living room downstairs. The Weisses commissioned the relief from a chain-saw carver named Thor.

A rusty suit of armor guards the third floor of the four-bedroom, two-bath home, and Weiss said she hasn’t found any bona fide secret passageways – yet.

A large backyard slopes downhill at the far edge and runs into the Wilkeson River below.

“We say we have a quarter of a moat,” Weiss said, adding “but no crocodiles.”

Andersen’s original plan was to turn the place into a bed and breakfast, Weiss said. But the town council at the time didn’t want the increase in traffic. These days, the Weisses get the occasional “looky-loo” driving slowly by to examine the out-of-place but fascinating building.

THE ISLAND CASTLE

It’s yours for a cool million.

Lee Turner also had bed-and-breakfast aspirations for the castle he designed and built on 5 acres near the Vashon Island Golf and Country Club. Instead, he’s been renting the home while he waits for a buyer.

“It was one of these burning fantasies I had,” Turner said of building the castle. “It seems like every time I travel to various countries I end up looking at the castles. It was always something I wanted to do.”

The fact that his wife is “infatuated” with castles made the proposition easier, he said, as did that fact that his father-in-law, an architect, helped with design.

Some of the home’s most prominent features are outside. A 10-foot wide, three-tiered fountain bears lion heads that spout water. And the moat, about 5 feet deep and 4 feet wide, does have some life in it. Goldfish draw raccoons, heron and otters to the property.

The outside is stucco and features castellations and crenellations all around the roof. Inside, the kitchen, with its dark granite countertops, hickory cabinets and modern conveniences, sits in one of the rounded towers. The wine cellar is another round room.

The third level of the home’s largest tower, 20 feet in diameter, holds the master bedroom with French doors that open onto a “Rapunzel-like balcony,” Turner said. The fourth floor, the top of the castle, features a roof garden, a private “sun worshipper’s paradise,” Turner said.

Despite the function and aesthetic allure of the castle’s three round towers, Turner said he has “a very clear understanding of why we live in a square world.”

It’s not easy to build round buildings in a square world when nearly every type of building material is measured out in squares and rectangles, he said.

If you’ve got a spare million dollars lying around and have always wanted to live in a castle, send Turner an e-mail at turnerpoint@centurytel.net">turnerpoint@centurytel.net.

THE KURKOV CASTLE

Paul Kurkov, one of the brothers who manage Kurkov Construction, said the company is just putting the finishing touches on this Northeast Tacoma home. It’s on the market for $1,785,000.

The home centers on a large rotunda.

“That’s what I kind of based everything on, the rotunda, and tried to make it a castle,” Kurkov said.

It’s a castle with modern features, though, including an elevator, a heated driveway and radiant heat that rises from the floors throughout the home. Those accouterments are balanced with a lot of antique cabinetry and old-world woodwork, Kurkov said.

“It’s definitely one of our showcases homes,” he said.

A circular staircase winds around the interior of the centerpiece rotunda and leads up to a rooftop that features a barbecue pit, a hot tub and “spectacular views of Puget Sound,” Kurkov said.

The home has only been on the market for about a month, and the company hasn’t had any serious offers yet.

“But a lot of people have been interested in it,” Kurkov said. “I hope that continues. We’re very proud of it.”

You can find out more about the home at www.kurkov.com.

Bill Hutchens: 253-597-8460