Listed in the National Register of Historic Places,
the structure was commissioned by Col. William
Henry Morgan, the president and principal owner
of the Morgan Engineering Co., who named it for his father's
birthplace in Wales.
Morgan was a Renaissance man not known for doing
things on a small scale.
After securing a 50-acre plot of land, Morgan enlisted the
services of architect Willard Hirsh, whom he sent to Europe
to study and draw up plans. Construction began in 1904.
Although the Morgan family moved into the three-floor
structure a year later, work was not completed until 1909.
The total cost was $400,000.
Built from 100 tons of structural steel and 96 traincar
loads of Vermont marble, with walls above ground
a minimum of 13 inches thick, Glamorgan boasted the
strength and security of castles of old.
But unlike those structures, which were often cold and
dark, Glamorgan featured many modern comforts, including
bowling alleys, a billiard room and a large swimming pool in
the basement.
Upstairs, the castle's rooms were decorated in a variety
of styles, including Italian Renaissance,
French Empire, Louis XV, Elizabethan
and Japanese.
Behind the castle was a
farm, which included a
house, a barn and a
carriage shed.
The garage, which is now an apartment building, was
built in 1910.
The Morgan family's staff included a butler, upstairs and
downstairs maids, a gardener and a chauffeur.
In 1939, 11 years after Col. Morgan's death - the Elks
Lodge purchased the home and approximately 50 acres of
land for $25,000.
Twenty-five years later, the property changed hands
again, when the Alliance Machine Co. purchased it and
initiated an extensive restoration project, transforming the
castle into the company's international headquarters.
Armed with a $774,350 preservation grant, Alliance City
Schools purchased the castle and 20 1/2 acres of land in
1973. Today, the building houses the school district's central
administrative offices.
Tours of the castle are available on weekdays at 2 p.m.
The cost is $3 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.
For group reservations, call (330) 821-2100.
For further details on the history of the Castle, visit
www.rodman.lib.oh.us/chamber/castle.htm
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