Chateau Laroche
Encyclopedia
Château Laroche, also known as the Loveland Castle, is a museum
on the banks of the Little Miami River
in Loveland, Ohio
, United States
. A folly
of a historical European castle
, construction began in 1929 by Boy Scout
troop leader Harry Andrews. He built the castle on two free plots of land that his scouts obtained by paying for one-year subscriptions to The Cincinnati Enquirer
. When Andrews died in 1981 he willed the castle to his Boy Scout troop the Knights of the Golden Trail (KOGT).
The Castle has been extensively upgraded and renovated in the years since Andrews death and has been mostly completed by the KOGT. The East tower now houses a short video presentation on Andrews' quest to finish his dream. The walls of the upstairs chapel feature many stones brought back by Andrews in his world travels and others sent to him from foreign locations by his friends and followers. Recently completed are an expansion to the outside gardens and a greenhouse.
Tales of the castle being haunted – often coming from Chateau Laroche's own volunteer knights – have been reported over the years.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
on the banks of the Little Miami River
Little Miami River
The Little Miami River is a Class I tributary of the Ohio River that flows through five counties in southwestern Ohio in the United States. The Little Miami joins the Ohio River east of Cincinnati. It forms parts of the borders between Hamilton and Clermont counties and between Hamilton and Warren...
in Loveland, Ohio
Loveland, Ohio
Loveland is a city in Hamilton, Clermont, and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Considered part of the Greater Cincinnati area, Loveland is located near exit 52 off Interstate 275, about northeast of the Cincinnati city limits. It borders Symmes, Miami and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
of a historical European castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, construction began in 1929 by Boy Scout
Scouting in Ohio
Scouting in Ohio has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Recent history :...
troop leader Harry Andrews. He built the castle on two free plots of land that his scouts obtained by paying for one-year subscriptions to The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) and Northern Kentucky. The...
. When Andrews died in 1981 he willed the castle to his Boy Scout troop the Knights of the Golden Trail (KOGT).
The Castle has been extensively upgraded and renovated in the years since Andrews death and has been mostly completed by the KOGT. The East tower now houses a short video presentation on Andrews' quest to finish his dream. The walls of the upstairs chapel feature many stones brought back by Andrews in his world travels and others sent to him from foreign locations by his friends and followers. Recently completed are an expansion to the outside gardens and a greenhouse.
Tales of the castle being haunted – often coming from Chateau Laroche's own volunteer knights – have been reported over the years.