Squire’s Castle is an important landmark in the Cleveland region, known for its scenic surroundings, historical significance, and accessibility to a range of outdoor activities. Despite what the public believes, Feargus B. Squire, the man who constructed Squire’s Castle in the 1890s, was never the owner of the building. Rather, it was supposed to serve as the home of the guardian of a bigger, never-fully-realized residential estate.
Feargus B. Squire
Vice president and general manager of the Standard Oil Company Feargus B. Squire had envisioned a magnificent home complex on 525 acres for himself and his spouse Rebecca. Nevertheless, Squire’s Castle is the only finished building on the estate because the main building was never built.
There isn’t any proof to back up the reports of hauntings connected to the castle. Reportedly the ghost of the castle, Rebecca Squire really died of a stroke in Wickliffe, Ohio, in 1929, a few years after the property was sold. That the castle is haunted by her soul is thus untrue.
Feargus B. Squire, who came initially from Exeter, England, lived in New York and Baltimore before settling in Cleveland in 1860. In 1885, he became a member of Standard Oil of Ohio and is recognized for creating the first tank wagon used for transporting oil. Squire and his spouse lived first on Prospect Avenue and then on Millionaire’s Row at East 78th Street on Euclid Avenue.
Squire bought 525 acres in the Chagrin Valley in 1890 with the intention of building a stately home known as “River Farm Estate.” He had two structures in mind that would resemble baronial halls in Germany or England. The current building, which goes by the name Squire’s Castle, was constructed as a gatehouse and nurseries. Built with local silt stone excavated for construction, the castle boasts charming turreted and castellated features.
The estate was to undergo major modifications, including the construction of roads, bridges, ponds, and tree groves, according to Squire’s designs. Currently called Sunset Pond, one of these ponds is located over two miles away from the castle. However, Feargus’s wife Rebecca Squire did not care for the concept of living in the country, which is why the main house intended for the estate was never constructed.
Rather, Feargus Squire constructed Cobblestone Garth, a large estate in Wickliffe, Ohio, the town he would go on to become mayor of. Squire’s Castle is the only surviving example of the original plan, despite the grandiose concept for the River Farm Estate.
The Chagrin Valley property was sold by Feargus Squire to a private developer in 1922. It was later purchased by the Metropolitan Park Board in 1925 and included in the North Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks. During this period, the abandoned gatehouse became known to the locals as “Squire’s Castle.”
Squire continued to utilize the castle as a weekend getaway even after moving to Wickliffe, usually with his daughter Irma joining him rather than his wife. With many bedrooms, living rooms, a spacious kitchen, and a breakfast porch, the castle offered plenty of space for lounging. At the western end of the castle was the Squire’s library, which was filled with books, paintings, trophy cases, and trinkets from his hunting trips, such stuffed animals, hides, and horns. The rooms included leaded glass windows that provided views of the land, white plaster walls, and exquisite woodwork.
