Expedition Team: Jacque Kelly, Dave Miller
Expedition Date: October 21, 2017
Many of you have visited the history & the mystery of this castle . We first saw “Chateau Laroche”, two months ago as we kayaked down the Little Miami River. Now returning for the first time, daughter Jacque and I followed a steep, winding road which coiled through thick trees similar to the Black Forest of Germany. We were anxious to visit this stone replica of a tenth-century Norman-style European Castle. World War I survivor Harry Andrews (who had an IQ of 189) began building the castle in 1929 and almost single-handedly completed 99% of the castle when he died in 1981 at age 91. He started the Knights of the Golden Trail, a sort of boy scout/Sunday school class. Teaching young men to live by good ethics, morals & the Ten Commandments, the Knights are caretakers of the castle today.
Andrews built the castle using 56,000 loads of rocks in five gallon pails taken from the Little Miami River and 32,000 buckets of concrete. Harry lived in the castle, working on it daily until he died. The quaint old castle definitely alludes European charm.
PARANORMAL CLAIMS: Locals claim the castle is haunted by Mr. Andrews. An apparition of a knight is seen by the armor suit in the second floor hallway. A neighbor lady who died from an explosion is seen by the river or seen sitting in the courtyard seats. A dark shadow has been seen moving up the staircase to Sir Harry’s old room. Sounds of a slamming bathroom door in the ballroom.
INVESTIGATION: However, on this beautiful afternoon there was nothing paranormal just an old castle as we toured the dining hall, the bedroom, winding stairways, basement dungeon and dozens of rooms decorated in medieval attire.
