Squire's Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Squire's Castle is located in the North Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks in Willoughby Hills, Ohio (visible from River Road). It was built in the 1890s by Feargus B. Squire for use as the gatekeeper's house for his future country estate, which was never built. Squire, a founder of Standard Oil Company, bought the surrounding 525 acres (2.1 km²) of land but never completed the project. Squire sold the property in 1922 and the Cleveland Metroparks acquired it in 1925. Today Squire's Castle is open to the public free-of-admission. The Willoughby Hills Public Library annually holds a history seminar there. The surrounding park offers a footpath, swings, grills, and playing fields.
Squire's Castle is purportedly haunted by Squire's wife Rebecca. An urban legend says she tripped and broke her neck there, but in reality, she died in Wickliffe, Ohio, in 1929, after the property was sold.
[edit] Featured In
The castle has been featured in the local sketch comedy show Big Chuck and Little John as the Castle of Doom.
[edit] External links
- Pictures of Squires Castle
- Article on Squire's Castle from sunnews.com
- Local ABC news affiliate's page about the haunting
- Prairie Ghosts page on the Squire's Castle haunting
- Dead Ohio's page on Squire's Castle, including quite a few pictures
- PDF brochure from the Cleveland Metroparks including info on Squire's Castle
