What sorts of attractions come to mind when you think of Ohio?

Cedar Point and Kings Island? Football games with die-hard fans? Maybe you think we only have corn fields and there is literally nothing attractive about the state.

Whatever your answer, I’m guessing you didn’t say a castle. Heck, I was born and raised here and I didn’t even know we had a castle till about a year ago!

But lo and behold, nestled amongst trees and the Miami River in the southwest portion of the state, is indeed a bona fide castle.

(Actually, there are several castles and “castles” in Ohio, but the history behind Loveland is pretty unique.)

Who Built Loveland Castle?

Loveland Castle (aka Chateau Laroche – or Rock Castle) was hand-built by Harry D Andrews, who served as a medic during World War I. He was fluent in seven languages and had an IQ of 189. He chose to be a medic during the war because he opposed modern warfare, instead preferring the hand-to-hand combat of the days of old.

During training, Andrews came down with meningitis, which spread rampantly throughout the camp. Doctors pronounced him dead when they could no longer find a pulse. But when they started an autopsy on him, scraping away some tissue in his mouth, Andrews started bleeding! (Fun fact: dead people don’t bleed.)

Realizing that Andrews was still alive, doctors gave him a shot of adrenaline directly to his heart. He made a miraculous recovery! Baffled, the doctors wondered if Andrews perhaps had antibodies that could help other soldiers still suffering from meningitis. So a serum was made from Andrews’s blood and administered to several other soldiers…who also then made a complete recovery!

Sadly, his wife had left him and remarried before he could be pronounced undead. So Andrews used his new single status as an opportunity to stick around France for a while, learning about architecture. He never remarried, despite receiving over 50 proposals.

The front of the castle, with resident pup, Buddy.

How Did the Castle Come to Be?

Andrews’s time in France gave him a keen interest in castles, and also some knowledge about their construction.

When he returned to Loveland, Ohio, Andrews led a Sunday school/Boy Scout troop, and they often camped on the banks of the Miami River. They camped there so much that they started to leave their gear there. But thanks to critters and other people who stumbled on their stash, items were often missing or unusable. So Andrews constructed a couple stone “tents” to house their belongings. As with any Boy Scout troop, this one needed a name, and they called themselves the Knights of the Golden Trail.

But real knights need a castle…

So Andrews built one! Just like that! Because you can do that when you have an IQ of 189 and an education in classical culture and architecture!

He started construction of the castle in the mid-1920s, eventually moving in to live in it while he continued construction. He hauled up stones from the riverbank using 5-gallon buckets, and used 2500 bags of cement in the castle’s construction. He was nearly complete with the build when Andrews died in April 1981, at the age of 91. Upon his death, he willed the castle and its grounds to the Knights of the Golden Trail.

As if that weren’t enough, Andrews also managed a large garden adjacent to the castle. Some of the crop he ate himself, and a large portion was also given away to the knights and neighbors.

Getting There

The road down to the castle is a narrow-ish, windy, dead-end road with a hill. Commercial buses can’t fit, and I’d venture that vehicles with trailers could easily struggle if there’s oncoming traffic. On the plus side, since it’s a dead-end road there’s little traffic other than for the castle and handful of homes down that way.

Also, with the sharp switchbacks and steep hill, take caution if you visit during the winter when roads are slick. It would be quite easy to slide down or to struggle getting up the hill in icy conditions!

Andrews’s bedroom, which is located in one of the turrets.

Loveland Castle Tour

After you pay your $5 admission, you’ll be guided to the front door of the castle where a volunteer will tell you the general lay of the land. Not knowing any better, I had then started my merry way through the castle, and finished up in the barn where a short film about Andrews plays on loop. I highly suggest that after your introduction from the volunteer, you then walk back out the door towards the left and watch the film before you venture on.

There are three short sections to the film which help to describe Andrews’s life, time in the military, and construction of the castle. There are tidbits of knowledge in the film that will give you a greater appreciation for details in the castle that are easily missed otherwise.

It’s a self-guided tour through the castle, though a knight might be around to give you more information. There wasn’t on the day I went, so I highly advise reading up on the history and watching the film so you can better appreciate the story of the place while you’re there. I was surprised how few placards there were to educate tourists as they went along.

Narrow Path Brewery

Narrow Path Brewery is only a few minutes’ drive from the castle, and downtown Loveland is incredibly charming! There are a few public parking lots near the brewery, as well as a bike path that passes at the rear. A coffeehouse sits next door, as well as a few restaurants within a stone’s throw, with some food also available at the brewery.

There’s a decent selection of beer on tap! I got the Partially Redacted (it has electrolytes!), the P.O.G. tropical sour, and the Brews Traveler Vietnamese coffee stout. You can check out what’s currently available on their site.

Words cannot describe how much I loved their seating area! They have a few seats inside, which is nice. But sit outside. There’s a huge graveled area with twelve picnic tables that are several feet from each other…cuz, pandemic. There’s also a fire pit with several chairs around it. From online pictures, it looks like there are several more tables available when social distancing isn’t a concern.

The tables in direct sun have umbrellas, while the other half have trees for shade. And there are lights strung up for when the sun goes down.

As word of the castle spread, visitors from all over the world brought stones from their home states and countries to contribute to the build. They’re incredibly diverse, and super cool to check out all the types!

Want More Adventure?

I apparently did not plan this day well enough in advance… I didn’t not know until it was too late that you can go kayaking down the Miami River via Loveland Canoe. As I was checking out the river by the castle, I saw several kayakers floating past who told me about the chance to rent kayaks and canoes nearby.

So if you’re up for a kayaking trip, you could easily spend a couple hours touring the castle and grounds, then head to Loveland Canoe and do a 5-mile trip down the river and get a view of the castle from the water, and then you’re only two blocks from Narrow Path Brewery to finish off the day with a pint! When I get back to the area, this is definitely my plan.

How’s the Social Distancing?

This was pretty easy at both Loveland Castle and Narrow Path! Masks are required in the castle for those older than 10, and there are X’s and arrows to try and keep the flow of traffic such that you won’t be in close proximity to anyone. Staircases inside the castle are also one way, although that may be a regular rule as they’re so narrow. (There’s a reason for the narrow stairways – you’ll learn about that from the film.)

As I mentioned, the tables at the brewery are several feet apart, so it’s easy to social distance there as well. Wear a mask inside to get your beer, then take it off and enjoy the fresh air and brew at your table.

Have any other suggestions for the Loveland area? Let me know in the comments!

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