Harry Andrews' Chateau Laroche – Loveland, Ohio - Atlas Obscura

Harry Andrews' Chateau Laroche

Loveland, Ohio

A castle built by an eccentric medieval enthusiast in rural Ohio. 

798
2060

Harry Andrews only really began working once he had retired. A notary public and lifelong bachelor, Andrews was also a medieval enthusiast. At age 55, he began constructing a 1/5th scale replica of a medieval castle in Loveland, Ohio.

Harry built the entire castle himself, using 2,600 sacks of cement and 32,000 quart milk cartons, for forming concrete bricks, 54,000 five-gallon buckets of dirt, and 56,000 pail-fulls of stone, he carried from the Little Miami, a nearby river. He also built a secret room into the castle that wasn’t discovered until it collapsed years after his death. The castle is filled with medieval trinkets and paraphernalia, including cake cutters in the shape of swords and a full size knight armor. There are even thrones you can sit in and pretend you’re royalty. 

In a freak accident, Harry Andrews set himself ablaze while cooking in the castle and died two weeks later. Today, the castle is still run by the “Knights of the Golden Trail,” the youth organization established by Andrews. Unsurprisingly, it is said to be haunted.

It’s not only an excellent tourist destination, people have been known to use it as a wedding venue over the years. Its peaceful gardens and stone backdrop provide picturesque memories.  

Know Before You Go

The tagline for this says it is in rural Ohio, but the area is quite suburban. I went to high school just down the road aways. The town is crawling with tourists on the weekends now.

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