At the bottom of a steep yet very narrow and winding road in the town of Loveland, Ohio, stands a medieval castle named Chateau Laroche (aka Loveland Castle & Museum).   Built by Harry Andrews, a former World War I army veteran, who acquired the land in 1927 and began construction in 1929, it was a labor of love.

Andrews carried tons of stones in an estimated 56,000 five-gallon pails from the Little Miami Riverbed upon which the Castle sits and made bricks by pouring concrete into old milk cartons.

It was during his tour of duty in Europe that Andrews fell in love with castles. Upon his return, he formed the Knights of the Golden Trail (KOGT), a group he said would be dedicated to helping save civilization, which he felt had seriously eroded. Their code of conduct is simply to follow the Ten Commandments.

Working on the castle every weekend until he retired in 1955 at the age of 65, and then full-time, the castle was Andrews’ life work.

The castle boasts a great hall, a banquet hall, an armory, a bedroom for Andrews, a watchtower, and a real dungeon with cells. Some of the rooms are full of memorabilia from the dark ages. Continue reading →