In Berkeley Springs, the purchase of an iconic castle by VDare, which some consider a hate group, has led to angst and ugliness
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — The little town was sparkling.
White lights gleamed from the garlands and wreaths adorning the gazebo in Berkeley Springs State Park. A large Christmas tree was lit next to the courthouse. Even the parking meters downtown were decorated for the holiday, transformed into snowmen, garden gnomes and the Grinch.
And looming above it all: the Berkeley Castle, a 19th-century structure that has become as much a symbol of this tourist town two hours northwest of Washington as the flowing hot springs that gave this Appalachian community its name.
