Originally known as Kellogg Terrace, the castle was commissioned in 1875 for Mary Sherwood Hopkins by her husband Mark Hopkins, treasurer and one of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad. Mark Hopkins died in 1878 and Mary Hopkins married Edward Francis Searles, who had designed the interior while the castle was being built.
The castle, initially referred to as Kellogg Terrace, was commissioned by Mary Sherwood Hopkins' husband Mark Hopkins in 1875 for their home. Following his death in 1878, Mary married Edward Francis Searles, who had contributed to the interior's design during the construction process.