A Castle Built By Hand, A Treasure In Ohio!

In the town of Loveland,Ohio just outside of Cincinnati set in a neighborhood and down a steep winding driveway, you’ll find a very cool must see piece of history. At the Chateau La Roche, meaning House of the Rock, (also known as the Loveland Castle) you’ll be transported to another time and place. This real life castle built by hand is a true treasure, right here in Ohio. We came across this online and it got very good reviews so we decided to give it a try (especially since it is pretty inexpensive to tour).

Walk in this beautiful castle and take in all the beauty before you. This house has a very interesting story and the guys are happy to share it with all who enter. Harry Andrews decided back in the 1920’s that he was going to build a castle. One by one he pulled limestone rocks out of the Miami Valley River at the edge of the property and hauled them up the back to start building. He also created bricks out of milk cartons and mortar. He was famous for that and people even started saving their milk cartons for him.

Enter through the beautiful large door into a large living room where they have a lot of photos on display showcasing Andrew and many of the people in his life. Take a while to look around and don’t forget to take a peek into the kitchen and bathroom (just off this main room) which still have most of the original details. The bedroom and office have been completely untouched to preserve a piece of his history (so be sure to check those out upstairs). Head toward the left and down the stairs to the dungeon. This small cold room makes for a place you definitely would not have wanted to end up.

Head back up the steps and across the living room. Cross the room to the winding stone staircase where you’ll find a large dining room with very large table with room for all of the “knights”. Step outside on the balcony for a beautiful view of the river and the property.

Don’t forget to check out the bedroom and the armory while you’re upstairs. Take the time to look around and explore the collection including suits of armor, suits of chainmaille and the chapel featuring many swords. There are so many nooks and crannies to explore as well as memorabilia that you’ll definitely feel like a kid again!

Don’t stop there, make sure you walk around the grounds too. There’s a lot to discover in the gardens. Andrews had wanted a patio so he created one above his garage. Most people mistake it for a pool as it’s sunk into the ground, but it’s a patio where he created a built in bench around the perimeter. He would go there to read, drink coffee and just enjoy the outdoors.

Upon his death in 1981 when he was 90 years old, Andrews was in the process of building the chapel and had hopes that when he passed, the knights would finish it for him. Yes, you read that right, he was working on building the castle all the way up until he was 90 years old!

While there are many newspaper clippings and information about Andrews throughout the castle, they also have a small area to watch videos about the history. Take a seat for about 10 minutes and learn more from Harry himself during an interview about the castle. Also, learn more about how the castle almost never existed!

If you’re looking for something out-of-the-ordinary to do one day, I highly recommend taking an hour or two to explore Chateau LaRoche (Loveland Castle) and it’s grounds.  At only $5 admission, this is definitely an affordable outing! Make sure you check out their website for hours and for more information. Have you been here or to another castle, I’d love to hear about your experience below…

Check out articles about other Ohio attractions here and check out more fun things to do in the Cincinnati area here (link coming soon).