Glamorgan Castle- Alliance, OH

Although somewhat unexpected, Ohio is home to some absolutely fabulous Gilded Age estates. Built with the mad money made from industrial advances, you can find virtually every architectural style represented in the Buckeye State. Considering, it should come as no surprise there is a legitimate castle in Alliance, Ohio.

Glamorgan Castle was the brainchild of Col. William Henry Morgan, who despite his title, was not actually a colonel, but rather the president of Morgan Engineering and inventor of the first electric overhead traveling crane. After securing 50 acres of land, Morgan retained architect Willard Hirsh, and immediately sent him to Europe to study castle construction. The result is the glamorous Glamorgan, named after the Welsh hometown of Morgan’s immigrant father.

Construction started in 1904, and required 100 tons of structural steel, and 96 train car loads of blue Vermont marble. The substantial building was built with all the strength and security of an actual castle, with solid stone walls ranging from 13 inches to 3.5 feet thick. Exterior stone was laid in a broken Ashlar pattern, and trimmed with white Vermont marble, white pine and cypress.

The interior of the home was decorated by Cleveland designer Louis Rorimer in a variety of styles, including Italian Renaissance, French Empire, Louis XV, Elizabethan, and Japanese- which seems really busy, even for a house as large as Glamorgan.

Completed in 1909, at a cost of $400,000, the home boasted intricate ornamental plaster work, inlaid floors, carved Circassian walnut detailing, solid oak paneling, wrought bronze balustrades, and a four story electric pipe organ purchased at the 1904 World’s Fair. The massive basement housed a bowling alley, billiards room, Rathskeller, and a swimming pool, the creature comforts of the very rich.

Moving in before its completion, Morgan lived in the home for twenty years before passing away in 1929. While Morgan’s wife remained in the house for a decade following his death, by 1939 effects of the Great Depression and war rationing forced her to sell the estate. Due to economic conditions at the time, the home and 50 acre property were purchased by the Elk’s for a paltry $25,000.

In 1964, the property was purchased for $51,000 by Alliance Machine, for use as their corporate headquarters. Following an extensive restoration project initiated by O. Merrick Lewis, Glamorgan was returned to its original configuration and appearance. It was at this time the large Italian crystal chandelier was installed in the rotunda, salvaged from a German castle before it was demolished; one of only two in existence, the second was gifted to the Shah of Iran by Alliance Machine.

In 1974, the property was donated to the Alliance City School District, who received a $774,350 preservation grant to renovate the space for use as their administrative offices. As such, public access is limited, and several rooms in the mansion have been converted to office space, making it somewhat awkward to tour. That said, it’s still a stunning space, with many original features, and well worth the $10 admission.

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