Harry Andrews had a dream to build his own medieval castle after he came home from World War I. What started out as a hobby, turned into a labor of love that has become one of the most well known of local Ohio attractions. In this article, you will learn what happened after Andrews’ death and who is thought to haunt the property to this day.
Andrews led a good life and got plenty of enjoyment from his castle. He took pleasure in seeing the members of the Boy Scouts stay and take part in activities held on the premises. The “Knights of the Golden Trail” were near and dear to his heart. The castle was not the only part of the grounds that he paid special attention to. He spent a great deal of time cultivating and growing his garden.
The death of Harry Andrews was unexpected and a shock to all. He was involved in a painful accident centered on fire. He was either burning trash or cooking on the roof of his castle, but either way , he died from burns that he sustained from his injuries.
There were two incidents that took place close or at the castle that may have contributed to the spirits thought the haunt the premises.
The first incident happened with a married couple that had built a cabin in the area in the front part of a cave located just down river from the castle. In the cave, the couple made moonshine. One day, Andrews and his staff detected a large explosion. They went to investigate the noise by the cave and learned that the wife had been killed when a whiskey barrel landed on her after the blast.
A female ghost with long hair is believed to haunt the castle and is thought to be the wife of the moonshiner. Before a streetlight was placed in front of the castle, the female spirit was seen walking across the river. She would sit in the seats located on top of the garage. The entity is described as being transparent, whitish, and dressed in a flowing gown. Some have spotted the ghost walking about the garden before vanishing.
A male ghost thought to be Andrews himself, as a dark shadow has been sighted moving up the spiral staircase to Sir Harry’s old room. Bathroom doors have slammed in the Ballroom and when live music played, the lamp in the room was thought to sway if the ghost enjoyed the tunes, and stayed still if a song he did not like was played.
The castle was decorated with English, French and Viking artifacts. A genuine suit of armor and weapons hailing from Europe has been found in the castle. It is believed that the ghost of a Viking (thought associated with one of the swords on display) haunts the castle. The spirit has been spotted in the northern section of the castle. He is seen dressed in a long dark cloak, wearing a spiked helmet on his head, and carrying a short, wide sword across his chest. Some believe the ghost enjoys ringing the doorbell and knocking on the door for laughs.
