HARVARD CASTLE

(formerly SHILOAH CASTLE)

I received E-Mail that said:

I scanned this photo from a real estate brochure I have. It's a private home that was for sale in Fairview, Texas just north of Dallas. The brochure says it's named Castle Shiloah. Here's a summary of the brochure. It's modeled after Schloss Hotel in Kronberg, Germany. The price was $3,200,000 or $3,900,000 including the organ and select furnishings.

* 10,500 square feet
* 5-stall garage - 1,700 square feet
* 5 bedrooms
* 5 1/2 baths
* game room, wine cellar, four living areas
* pool, spa, fountains
* The 30'x40' great room features a 34-stop, 32-rank classic tonal pipe organ imported from the Netherlands.
* 2 acres of land

Later, I received E-Mail that said:

In reference to Shiloah Castle in Fairview Texas, here is the story of it that I have heard from a source close to the original owner. It was built by the CEO of a medical supply company in Richardson, Texas and was meant to be his private residence. The builder and his wife built it because of their love of the hotel they stayed at in Germany. The CEO spent close to $4 million to build it. After building up the company he worked for, he was forced out by the board of directors. Shiloah Castle had recently been completed and was estimated to have a sales value of about $8 million. In an attempt to regain control of the company he was pushed out of, he put the house up for sale at the reduced rate a little below $4 million, so he could get out of the house and use the money to purchase back stock in the company.

The house itself is quite impressive to look at. It sits on the side of a hill. You drive downhill into a loop, past the neighboring homes, to where the front is. Trees obstruct the view of part of the residence, but it is imposing since you have to look up to it. As I understand it, from helicopter, you can see it up to five miles away when coming from the East. It is the only home in the area that fits the definition of a castle, but the other neighboring homes are quite nice as well.

On 6-27-14, I received E-mail that said:

Update on Harvard Castle (formerly Shiloah Castle) in the Dallas , Texas area. We are the owners (Nancy and Jack Harvard Family). The castle has been renamed Harvard Castle. We purchased the castle from Jon Bayless in 2012. Jon had lived in the castle since right after it was built by the Mooibroek family who had built the castle and had lived in it only a short time. After purchasing the castle we spend the next two years updating and remodeling the interior of the castle. Some updated information:

* 12,000 square feet
* 5-stall garage - 1,700 square feet
* 7 bedrooms
* 8 baths
* wine cellar, four living areas
* pool, spa, 3 fountains, 2 waterfalls, 50 foot stone bridge
* 1600 square foot great room
* 5.5 acres of land

Back to "Castles of the United States"

Photo scan courtesy of Travis Blanton.