UNKNOWN CASTLE ??

I received E-Mail that said:

A man named Bill Feeland (I think its Freeland) just had a huge castle built in the South West section of Fort Wayne in Aboite Township. I think its in excess of 46,000 square feet and looks like it came from France or England. He owns the local Pizza Hut restaurants. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of information on it.

This one is magnificant. Right down to ponds, walk bridges and the "whole nine yards". They have already made arrangements on their deaths to have it willed to be maintained as a museum and it has been the "talk of the town" for the last several years.

Later, I received E-Mail that said:

Here's a link to a story in the Sentinel from Dec. 2003. It looks like it at one time contained a picture to the UNK in Ft. Wayne on your site. I can't access the photo.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/7522299.htm

Owners of Allen County's other top-10 homes declined to comment, but county records offer this profile of the property:

* Owners: Richard and Deanna Freeland, owners of a chain of Pizza Hut restaurants.
* Address: West Hamilton Road, Aboite Township
* Previous value: $3.79 million
* New value: $5.87 million
* Percent increase: 54
* Current annual property tax: $80,678
* Features: 39.7 acres, 19 finished rooms, horse barn, separate bunkhouse

Later, I received E-Mail that said:

It does look like a castle. It is gigantic. All beautiful dark granite-looking stone, large towers...It is suppose to be over 30,000 square feet and, to build, cost him over $35,000,000. I know a lot of the amish crews that helped work (an on-going project of many years) on it because my dad and I are builders. Anyhow, he has a lot of genuine European castle antiques that he purchased to decorate the inside. Dick Freeland is a huge republican and has actually built a presidential suite inside it for political visits (He even has a helocopter landing pad on top, it is said).

The place is something else. It is very hard to see because it is way off the road in a large woods with a big pond around it, but since it is winter, I could probably get a decent picture. It's about 35 minutes from where I live so it may be a couple of weeks before I get there, but I'll try to send you a picture when I do. It is definitely the neatest place I have ever seen...including MTV's Cribs, and Travel Channels Amazing Vacation Homes. I'll definitely try to get you more information as soon as possible. It's a real dream home.

On 7-12-05, I received E-Mail that said:

I did a little Googling and found this that just might be a picture of the Freeland castle in Fort Wayne, IN.

http://www.almetinc.com/img/freeland.jpg

It's a picture from a company doing steel work in that area. It's possible if you contact the "almetinc" site you might get some further infromation.

On 9-18-06, I received E-Mail that said:

I actually live roughly 10 houses down from DICK not bill Freelands, I could get you a picture of it if you wanted. Both of my parents have been inside his residence for various Art auctions and what not. I do not know if you included this in your info but the house also includes a Jungle section. He also has a bridge that spans about 30-50 yards across the "lake like" pond that his house overlooks.

On 1-20-10, I received e-mail that said:

There are three houses on the farm. The lake was man made and it took about a year to finish. About at that time my new house which is directly next to the barn was being built along with the barn that was in the place of my old house. The "big house" what we called the mansion you are talking about was being started roughly the same time. The big house was near 48,000 sq feet and it took around 15 years to complete.

The house does not have a presidential suite although Dick is good freinds with the Bushes and they have visited a number of times. The house does sort of have a jungle section with a bunch of tropical plants, we called this room the green room. They kept their birds in this room and some fish in the bottom of a fountain. The house does not have a helicopter pad on top. It does have a lot of rooms along with a library. The house has 4 story's 5 if you count the attic which is like a bunch of long hallways leading to other parts of the home. It also has 2 old style elavators with the sliding cages that you would see in a old hotel. The house also has a large wine room and a large walk in freezer.

The pond is stocked with bluegill catfish bass and walleye. The barn has I think 10 stalls along with what we called " the tack room" which is pretty much like a really nice living room and small kitchen. Above it is a bedroom with one bunkbed and one regular bed and a bathroom. Also, the house is known to everybody else in Fort Wayne as the pizza hut mansion not castle.

Does anyone have more information about it? Is there someplace I can get a picture?

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