Loveland Castle, Loveland, Ohio

Chateau LaRoche, Loveland, Ohio

Taking advantage of an absolutely beautiful Sunday, Wonderful Wife and I spent the day exploring a new (to us) Cincinnati attraction - the Loveland Castle. Located on the western bank of the Little Miami River, just to the north of the suburb of Loveland, and known officially as Château LaRoche, the castle was built by Harry Andrews over the course of 50+ years. Using stones collected from the Little Miami as well as hand-made cement bricks, Harry toiled relentlessly until his death in 1981. Harry's order of knights, known as the Knights of the Golden Trail, maintain and continue to expand the castle to this day.

View of Loveland Castle from the gardens

The castle is relatively easy to find, with visible and well-placed signage not far from the nearest main thoroughfare (US-22, aka Montgomery Rd). When we arrived, there were only two other cars in the parking lot but several other visitors materialized (including a group by canoe) as we explored the castle and grounds. The Knights, as Harry's Boy Scout troop refer to themselves, not only maintain the property but serve as interpretive guides. Officially the castle is a "self-guided" attraction, but don't be surprised if one of the Knights attaches himself to your group as you meander through the structure.

While the Knights provide a wealth of information regarding the history of the castle, its builder, and their Order, be prepared for an occasional nugget of fancy to be tossed your way.  For example, we were told that Harry, a World War I nurse, was knighted by the Queen of France for his wartime humanitarian service - which bestowed upon Harry his power to knight others. As wonderful a story as that may be, the French monarchy was dissolved by the Third Republic in 1870 - nearly 50 years before Harry arrived in Europe. One could argue that the last "queen" of France, the Empress Eugénie de Montijo, was alive until 1920 and so could have encountered Harry, but she lived as an exile in England and Spain. The story of Harry's knighthood doesn't mention any trips outside of France before he returned to The States.

The gardens

What is certain is that Harry was a man possessed of great ingenuity and perseverance. Having visited several castles in Ireland, I found his attention to detail quite remarkable. Although his man-made materials (the cement bricks formed using discarded milk cartons, specifically) reflect 20th-century innovation, it's quite easy to imagine Château LaRoche nestled alongside the Loire instead of the Little Miami.

The castle was not only Harry's obsession, it was also his home. As such, a few "modern" amenities can be seen throughout such as electric lights and running water. In what is often considered a trend in today's society, Harry grew his own food within the castle gardens, canning and preserving what he couldn't immediately consume. The Knights say that the last of Harry's canned goods remain in the castle, undisturbed to this day (and probably should remain that way!).

Coral from Hawaii

Over the years, many visitors have brought their own contributions to help Harry realize his dream. Embedded within the walls are rocks (and other materials) from all 50 states and several countries. Wonderful Wife pointed out the coral from Hawaii and the fossilized wood from Arizona.

Although the motivations behind the creation of the Loveland Castle may be confounding, it's a truly unique experience worth the short trip from the Bluegrass (and the $3 admission fee).

Staircase leading to The Dungeon

The dining hall (with our Knight guide)

Passage to the gardens

Fun!

River View Park in Frankfort, Kentucky

Wonderful Wife and I chose the hottest, most humid day we've seen in weeks to take a stroll along the Kentucky River in Frankfort's River View Park. At least it wasn't raining, which is remarkable given the incredibly wet summer our area has been experiencing. Extending along the bank of the river from the Ward Oates Amphitheatre to the Buffalo Trace Distillery, the River View trail is a mile-long paved walking path lined with picnic tables and a handful of historical markers. Parking at the Farmer's Market Pavilion, we didn't quite make it all the way to the distillery but still got in over a mile of walking.

Kentucky River Bridges, Frankfort

The highlights of the trail are the views of the Kentucky River, since at the level of the park most of Frankfort is obscured by the levee that was built in the 1960's in response to decades of often devastating river floods. In fact, much of the park was under water as recently as 2010! Some of the most enjoyable vistas are of the several old bridges, both auto and railroad, spanning the river where it's joined by Benson Creek.

This junction of waterways also lends Frankfort its name. In frontier times, when the land that was to become Kentucky was still a vast and untamed wilderness, a group of settlers established a camp on the point of land where the creek meets the river. At this spot there was once an island where local Native Americans set their fishing nets, and the encroachment

Benson Creek emptying into the Kentucky River

by the white settlers was not taken kindly. The settlers' camp was attacked, resulting in the death of a man named Frank Ford. Since then, the crossing point of the river was known as Frank's Ford - over time morphing into Frankfort. The island disappeared under the river after the construction of the dam just downstream from the park, but the mouth of Benson Creek can clearly be seen from the trail.

Other interesting sites along the trail include several examples of dry mortar stonework, an art that originated in Old World countries such as Ireland and kept alive today by specialized craftsmen.

Stone bridge built by the Dry Stone Conservancy

Stonemasons from the Dry Stone Conservancy have constructed small sections of wall representing some of the common styles found in the Bluegrass region such as the double-faced fence, plantation fence, and edge fence. The stonemasons also crafted a beautiful walking bridge that would serve as an ideal location for Senior Pictures - something we'll keep in mind since The Youngest is a senior this year!

At a point near the northern parking lot (accessed from Wilkinson Blvd across from the Capital Plaza Office Tower) is a boat launch where you can get an up-close-and-personal look at the Kentucky River. Looking upstream affords a nice view of the newish (1980's) Robert C. Yount* Memorial Bridges, with the much older spans in the background.

Looking Upstream

Downstream, just out of sight, is Lock and Dam Number 4 which recently underwent a rehabilitation project with the goal of reopening this stretch of the river to boating traffic. Other than a nifty fishing spot, the boat launch is used for free river tours conducted by the Capital City Museum. Reservations are required for the 1.5 hour trip on the pontoon boat Nancy Wilkinson, but you can't beat the price!

A very scenic choice for a short walk, Frankfort's River View Park is a bit of a hidden gem worth a stop.

* Franklin County native and World War II Navy veteran Robert C. Yount (1909-1989) was mayor of Frankfort from 1953-57

 

Looking Downstream

RJ Corman Railroad bridge, built 1929

The "Blue Bridge", built in 1910 and now closed to vehicles

Kentucky Towns: Pleasureville

Original site of Pleasureville, at the intersection of US-421 and KY-22

Located in southern Henry County on its border with Shelby County, the town of Pleasureville (38.346099, -85.115404) occupies land originally settled in 1784 as part of a Dutch Huguenot colony. About a mile and a half northwest of what is now the intersection of Castle Highway (US Route 421) and Kentucky Highway 22, the Dutch erected their fort and named the subsequent settlement Bantatown after the colony's land manager Abraham Banta.

In 1828, a post office was established and the town's name officially changed to Pleasureville. Sources are unclear as to the actual origin of the new name, with most published accounts suggesting that a visitor to the area proclaimed his stay to be so pleasurable that the town's name should be changed to reflect the citizens' hospitality. The other story centers around the old Pleasureville Hotel. A brothel was supposedly operating in the building which caused the town to be referred to as Pleasureville among the hotel's patrons. As much as I would like to believe this particular story to be the truth of the matter, the chronology simply doesn't add up.

The old Pleasureville Hotel

The original settlement that became Pleasureville in 1828 is located about a mile north of where the Pleasureville Hotel sits. In 1858, a full three decades after the town was renamed, what would ultimately become the Louisville & Nashville railroad passed south of Pleasureville. Not much later, a new town - which included the hotel - sprung up around the depot. By 1878, the post office (as well as the name) of Pleasureville had relocated south to the now bustling community at the depot. The original settlement became known as North Pleasureville and actually retained its own post office until 1962.

In its heyday, Pleasureville boasted not only a hotel and railroad depot, but also a cigar factory, multiple banks, and an ice cream parlor (among many other businesses). It also has the distinction of being home to Henry County's first school when the Lindley Academy was founded in the North Pleasureville vicinity in 1806.

The Pleasureville depot, site of at least 5 Civil War executions

Pleasureville also played a role in the Civil War when a band of Morgan's raiders attacked the town on June 9th, 1864. Captain Richard J. Sparks, who was the Provost Marshall of the town and had earned a reputation as an overbearing and punitive sort of commander, was killed in the engagement. In retaliation for Captain Sparks' death, Major General Stephen Burbridge (known as the Butcher of Kentucky) sent two Confederate prisoners via rail from Lexington to Pleasureville to be executed. Blood would flow at the Pleasureville depot once again in November, as three suspected Confederate guerrillas were shipped to Pleasureville and executed as retribution for the killing of two local African-Americans.

What remains of downtown Pleasureville

Today, virtually all of the earliest structures have disappeared, as have the L & N tracks. The depot remains, and so too does the hotel (as an apartment complex), but the once thriving downtown is now mostly vacant. There is a hardware store, a pool hall, and until recently a diner occupied the old depot, but Pleasureville appears to be headed for ghost town status.

Suggested Reading:

Ghost Towns: Defoe, Kentucky

Nestled in a bend of the Castle Highway (US-421) on the southern edge of Henry County, Kentucky, is what remains of the town of Defoe (38.341118, -85.054278). Established in the early 19th-century on land that had originally been a part of the tract of land purchased in 1786 from Squire Boone by the Low Dutch Colony, the town was first called Sweet Home. The name stuck until 1886 when the citizens' petition for a post office was approved and, since another Sweet Home already existed in Kentucky, the town was renamed in honor of author Daniel Defoe.

Defoe, Kentucky

During the late 19th-century, Defoe boasted not only several residences but two smithys, a church, two stores, and a school. First built in 1845, the school remained - in various buildings - until 1948 when a fire destroyed the last structure. Although the blacksmith shops have disappeared, both store buildings remain and until the closing of the 20th-century were occupied by Payton's Flea Market and L & L Grocery.

Although the stores are now shuttered, the church remains active and several well-kept homes still line Castle Highway.