Givins Beverly Castle

Castle in 2007
General information
Address	10244 South Longwood Drive Beverly, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41.706812°N 87.671336°W / 41.706812; -87.671336
Year(s) built	1886-87
Groundbreaking	1886
Owner	Robert C. Givins (first) Chicago Female College (second) Beverly Unitarian Church (current)

The Givins Beverly Castle (also known as Givens Irish Castle) is a 19th-century castle located in Chicago, Illinois.

History

The castle was built in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago from 1886 to 1887 under the direction of Robert C. Givins. He was a successful real estate developer.^[1][2] It is a three-story structure with three crenelated towers.^[3] Givins lived in the castle from 1887 to 1894. From 1895 to 1897, the castle housed the Chicago Female College. Beverly Unitarian Church purchased the building for US$14,000 and has used it since 1942. It is the only building in the city described as a "castle."^[4]

(1890)

It has been claimed to be haunted.^{[5][2][6][7][8]}

Owners

The castle has had five owners:^[2]

• Givins family (1887–1909)
• Julia H. Thayer and the Chicago Female College (1895–1897)
• Burdett family (1909–1921)
• Siemens family (1921–1942)
• Beverly Unitarian Church (1942–present)

References

1. Haunted Chicago: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends, pp 167
2. "The History of 'Chicago's Only Castle'". WTTW News.
3. AIA Guide to Chicago, p378
4. "You Won't Find Casper, but City's Only Castle a Haunting Experience - tribunedigital-chicagotribune". Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
5. Haunted Places: The National Directory : Ghostly Abodes, Sacred Sites, UFO Landings, and Other Supernatural Locations, p155
6. Haunted Chicago: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends, p 168
7. Haunted Houses U.S.A., p117
8. More Chicago Haunts: Scenes from Myth and Memory, p35

External links

• Official website