ALLIANCE – Nestled in the colonials, cape cods, and ranches of Alliance, Ohio sits a house in a category all of its own.
Built in the early 1900s by colonel William Henry Morgan, Glamorgan Castle appears to have jumped straight from the pages of a Walt Disney classic to this little city about 30 miles east of Akron.
MaryJo Hepler, the restoration co-chairman with the castle crusaders, says, “William Henry wanted a beautiful place to entertain his family, his friends and his business associates and built a home to look like the old Baronial castles of Wales.”
The grounds cover 75 acres, with the crown jewel being the 28,000 square foot castle. The hallways and staircases rope around and connect a family room, formal dining room, parlor, kitchen, breakfast room, sun room, rotunda, offices, 7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, library, ballroom, pool, bowling alley, elevator, wine cellar and more.
“People are astounded by this building. They don’t expect to see it here, in this neighborhood," Hepler said.
After Morgan’s death, his son decided he didn’t want the castle, so the building went to the Elks and because one of the most elite clubhouses in the nation. However, after proving to be an expensive and difficult to maintain, the Elks build a new clubhouse and the castle went under new ownership.
Glamorgan Castle changed hands a few times before the community got together and used a grant to secure it and it is now ran by the Alliance City Schools. The Castle Crusaders work with the school to give tours, assist with restoration and help raise money to preserve the relic.
In addition to the nearly 30 school employees that work there every day, the grounds are used for sports, band practices, events.
“Something is always going on at the grounds. It has become very beloved by the community,” Hepler said.