Once upon a time at Castle Farms...

Historic Renaissance site a destination for everyone from history buffs to blushing brides

By Katherine Joslin
Harbor Light Newspaper

“Blue or gray?” Linda Mueller, owner of historic Castle Farms in Charlevoix, along with her husband Richard, asked me, just minutes after I arrived for our interview.

“Uh, blue?” I replied, completely caught off guard, only to realize she truly did appreciate my opinion.

Chatting with her general contractor, Larry Shawn, Linda was referring to the tile color in one of the many courtyards’ fountains, then under construction. She appeared to appreciate the opinions of many, staff and customers included, as she easily navigated the interview during her busy work day.

Through touring the grounds, visitors can travel through the castle’s many alleys and passages. The historic, Renaissanceinspired venue has designated a King’s, Queen’s and Knight’s castle for weddings, festivals, private events and exhibits.

Besides hosting events, Castle Farms is a destination for many visitors and residents in northern Michigan. Just ask one of the many encountered during the hour-long interview.

“This is the number one thing that made our trip Charlevoix,” said Paul Allen, a first-time visitor to the castle. “It truly is an unbelievable site. The architecture of the castle is just terrific.

You have to see it to believe it.”

“It really brings out the kid in me,” Allen added, gesturing to the nearest exhibit.

Allen was referring to the new garden railroad exhibit, unveiled in July. It includes a hedge maze, towers to climb and bridges to cross, all overlooking an extensive train exhibit. Eight trains run simultaneously on three levels, traveling over 1,000-feet of track.

“Most of us around here have never really grown up,” Linda laughed, who bought Castle Farms in 2001 with her husband.

If the lively, ongoing banter during the interview is any indication, the close-knit staff truly enjoys working together.

“Are these big kid toys or little kid toys? You decide,” laughed Larry Shawn, general contractor, gesturing to a model train running under a covered bridge.

“Needless to say, the real kids here are Linda and Richard!” he joked.

Working with the Muellers since the beginning, Shawn only had praise for the fun-loving owners.

“They are really terrific people, very involved and hands-on,” Shawn said.

The Muellers have done a complete overhaul of the grounds and the castle’s structure since buying the site and the surrounding land seven years ago.

“Castle Farms has gone beyond what I ever expected. It’s so great to see it restored to its’ original status. The castle really has a rich history here,” Linda said.

Built by Albert Loeb in 1918, the former President of Sears, Roebuck and Company, Castle Farms was originally a dairy farm.

“Loeb had mules, dairy cattle and horses on the farm, along with the latest farm equipment from his Sears catalog for visitors to view,” Linda explained.

In 1927, during an agricultural recession, the Loeb family sold off the remaining livestock and equipment, and Castle Farms was rented out for storage for the next 30 years.

In the mid-60s, John Van Haver purchased the property and renamed it Van Haver Castle. During this time, art galleries and art studios were open to the public for tours.

“From 1969-1999, Arthur Reibel bought the land, reinstated the original name of Castle Farms, and converted the grounds to a concert venue. At most, 17,000 spectators filled the grounds,” she said.

In 1999, after Reibel’s death, the property went up for auction, with the Muellers purchasing the site in 2001.

Sitting on 38-acres, Castle Farms not only hosts events like art festivals, car shows and bridal expos, but will also coordinate over 130 wedding receptions and ceremonies this summer.

“We started in 2003 with 14 weddings, and this summer we have 137 scheduled to date,” Anora Purdy, director of weddings at Castle Farms, said.

“We just continue to grow and grow! For the 2009 summer season, we are estimating to host between 150 and 160 weddings.”

Purdy was Linda’s first bride to choose the venue for her Renaissance-themed ceremony and reception during the summer of 2002.

“I was drawn to the beautiful grounds and unique venue of a historic castle,” Purdy said.

“Linda had a vision of hosting weddings here. She wanted to restore the Castle to its’ original status and help make brides’ dreams come true—she certainly made this bride’s dream a reality,” Purdy said.

Brides have their pick of five reception halls and three ceremony areas to choose from for their special day at Castle Farms.

“Each ceremony site also has its’ own personal dressing room for the bride,” Linda added.

During this week- end visit, Castle Farms had four weddings planned, with father-of-thegroom Barry Luchs checking on some last minute details before his son was set to wed his fiancé the following day.

“We have guests traveling from 11 states to attend this wedding. My son and his fiancé live in Las Vegas, Nevada, and had everything at their disposal in choosing a venue, but they picked beautiful Castle Farms and northern Michigan! That’s a testimony to this place in itself.”

The Muellers never intended for Castle Farms to expand beyond a wedding venue, but they were happy to take on the challenge of restoring it to its’ current status and host other events.

“You know, one thing just led to another!” laughed Linda.

“I remember sitting out in the field with my husband, Richard, and Larry (Shawn), our general contractor, and saying to them, ‘Wouldn’t it look nice to do this? And that?’ I remember that moment so clearly.”

In their time as owners, Castle Farms has received a new roof and had the east and west wing added back onto the Queen’s castle after being torn down during its’ concert-era.

Five flowery gardens, multiple courtyards, a pond with live trout and accommodations for caterers have also been added, to name a few.

As the tour of the grounds continued, it’s apparent that the Muellers are not only involved with every aspect of the castle. They also consult every contributor during the decision process, one reason Castle Farms is most likely such a popular place, known for catering to its’ clients needs.

“It really is a group effort around here. We try to take everyone’s thoughts into consideration before we make a decision about the development of Castle Farms—the caterers, the wedding coordinators and the entire staff,” Linda said. Wedding director Purdy has similar feelings:

“We have a very close knit group here— like one big family. Because the management team is so tight, the staff can contribute ideas, and in turn help us to provide our clients with flawless service.”

Along with the staff’s contributions, the Muellers always keep families in mind in designing and implementing their newest projects.

“We really want Castle Farms to be children-friendly,” Linda said. “We created the exhibits and grounds with activities to amuse them. This way they can learn and interact with their families, while still having fun.”

The Muellers are also longtime collectors of antiques including an antique toy exhibit with 1920s farm and wood-pull toys.

“My husband and I wanted to create a place that encompassed history, beautiful grounds and gardens, and exhibits, like the antique toys, that visitors could look at and say, ‘Hey! I had that when I was kid.’ It really makes for a fun experience,” Linda said.

Director of marketing Stephenie Sayre cited the Muellers passion as one reason that Castle Farms has been so successful.

“The Muellers do a lot of research and are continuously working to become more aware of opportunities to make Castle Farms even more authentic and remaining beautiful.”

Sayre organizes many of the festivals and events that take place at Castle Farms. She said they have a loyal following for events like the Renaissance Festival, held this past June, for many reasons, but one in particular:

“Everyone just loves that they can enjoy a Renaissance festival, with reenactments like jousting, at a real castle. This fact makes us unique and different from other festivals.”

Many might wonder, with so much to see and explore at Castle Farms, what might the Muellers have up their sleeve for their next addition?

“Who knows! You’ll just have to come see for yourself next season,” smiled Linda. Castle Farms is located on M-66 N, off of US-31 S, just past downtown Charlevoix.

For more information, call (231) 237-0884 or visit their website at www.castlefarms.com.

This is part of the August 6, 2008 online edition of Harbor Light Newspaper.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you. Click here.