A few years ago I heard rumors about an abandoned castle outside of Durham. I knew immediately I had to find it! After much research I found the location and set out on a Saturday afternoon.
Getting to it felt a bit treacherous at the time. It’s at the top of a small mountain. The road is single lane with dirt and gravel. When we made it to the top everything was so overgrown that at first we didn’t see it. I turned around and finally saw the spires shooting up over the treetops. I remember saying, “Oh my goodness!”
Why is there a castle? It was built by sculptor, Robert Mihaly. You know the Duke gargoyles? He did those!
There are a few urban legends about the castle. One being that his wife tragically died and he could no longer bring himself to be at the castle. Not true. His ex wife is alive and well. I believe the true story is it was caught up in divorce proceedings.
A couple of years ago he was raising money online to complete it. I donated $300. If he raised enough and could work on it, everyone that donated was going to be invited to a big party at the castle. Unfortunately he didn’t raise enough and all monies were returned.
I was recently told he is making another go at it. The brush and trees around it have been cleared and it is entirely fenced in.
I know several on Old House Life on Facebook have been to the castle. If you have, share your pictures in the comments!
