When it comes to castles, there are structures with the title of the world’s largest sand castle, largest Lego castle, and even largest bouncy castle.

When it comes to the world’s smallest castle, however, Dan Abbott — co-owner of George Washington Inn located just west of Sequim — said he may have it.

Standing 8 feet wide, 10 feet long and more than 11 feet high, Abbott named his pump house “Washington’s Prayer Castle.”

Abbott said he’s searched online and found others titled the “smallest” or “tiniest” castle in the world, such as Hermit’s Castle in Scotland at about 107-square-feet, and Molly’s Lodge in the United Kingdom at 782-square-feet.

Abbott’s castle measures just 48 square feet inside.

“I’d say we’ve bumped them,” he said.

“We didn’t build it with that in mind, but from what’s on the Internet, we have the smallest castle in the world.”

Abbott said the definition of a castle is broad. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a castle as “a large fortified building or set of buildings,” or “a massive or imposing house,” or “a retreat safe against intrusion or invasion.”

During a dedication ceremony on Independence Day, Abbott said a “castle can be defined as a building architecturally prepared for battle.”

His castle was built with ramparts and crenellations above a cistern of water filled from the Dungeness River used to water the inn’s fields, he said.

Inside the castle is a platform repurposed from the Northwest Colonial Festival’s ​​“Battle for Concord Bridge,” and a bench for prayer and to read the Bible.

Built in 2022 by Jason Peterson’s 3 Little Pigs Masonry, Abbott said he wanted a brick pump house to match their gate houses built in 2020.

The gate houses, as is the inn, are replicas of Washington’s Mount Vernon, he said, and that for the pump house Peterson convinced him to add the castle elements, including crenulations.

Once finished, Abbott thought it did look like a small castle.

The inn opened in Agnew on Feb. 16, 2008.

On July 4 of this year, Abbott said their inn was “built with a mission to glorify God and to put a spotlight on George Washington’s faith (and that) this small building serves a physical need for irrigation, but it also serves a spiritual need for prayer.”

He added that Washington was a man of prayer, according to different biographers.

Inside the castle is an adapted “prayer” from Washington’s “Circular to the States” on June 8, 1783 offering his advice to leaders and citizens.

Abbott welcomes people to come and take pictures at the castle, 939 Finn Hall Road, and if they’d like to go inside and pray, they can call the inn at (360) 452-5207 and schedule a time with him.

Abbott and his wife Janet retired from Washington Lavender Farm activities this year.

However, they host Hymn Sing by the Sea at 2 p.m., July 29, and the Northwest Colonial Festival Aug. 31-Sept. 3. For more about George Washington Inn, visit georgewashingtoninn.com.

Editor’s note: Guinness World Records could not be reached by press time about the record for the “world’s smallest castle.” – MD

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Inside George Washington Inn’s new Washington Prayer Castle is a platform and bench to pray, read a Bible, and take photos. Co-owner Dan Abbott said they want to continue to highlight George Washington’s faith.

Photo courtesy George Washington Inn/ Vern Frykholm portraying George Washington speaks at an Independence Day celebration commemorating Washington Prayer Castle, a pump house that co-owner Dan Abbott believes could be classified as the world’s smallest castle.

Photo courtesy George Washington Inn Pastor David Bergen of Faith Baptist Church speaks at a July 4 dedication of the Washington Prayer Castle at George Washington Inn.