Posted June 20, 200618 yr New strange doings at Franklin Castle Tuesday, June 20, 2006 Michael O'Malley and Joan Mazzolini Plain Dealer Reporters Once again, mystery shrouds the Franklin Castle, a hulking Victorian edifice that keeps people wondering what goes on behind those ominous stone walls, behind that old iron gate. For decades, the West Side Cleveland landmark was the subject of ghostly rumors - a murder in an upstairs bedroom; a banshee's face in a turret window; human bones in a hidden passage. Today, it is a gutted, boarded-up structure with no signs of life or afterlife. The owner, Michelle Heimburger, who lives in Canada, shows little interest in what's happening with the property. And the caretaker, Charles Milsaps, is marketing the place as an exclusive, members-only social club, but the club does not exist. He was recently pictured on a Web site seeking nude models. Milsaps said that he has nothing to do with nude models and that a friend set up the Web site without his knowledge. The friend confirmed Milsaps' claim. To see how the Franklin Castle Club is marketed, visit www.franklincastleclub.com. News researchers Jo Ellen Corrigan and Cheryl Diamond contributed to this story
June 20, 200618 yr This was my favorite my article in the PD this morning. Not glad about what's happening, but the story is very entertaining.
June 20, 200618 yr "What a mess. When is someone actually going to do something with this place??" When the slacker (yes, I know she made millions in Yahoo stock, that's beside the point) absentee landlord stops trying to unload the property to shady jack@sses who offer up harebrained schemes. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
June 20, 200618 yr 2 days ago I saw a 25-30 year old black guy coming out of the home and unlocking the fence to leave. I believe he was in the exterior living quarters. However, Milsaps is a white guy with a goatee. I wonder how many people actually live in there and what the hell is REALLY going on inside. I have heard so much buzz about this new "gentleman's club" which is no more than longstanding propaganda.
October 4, 200618 yr Let's get the castle away from these losers once and for all! Boarded-up Franklin Castle haunted by foreclosure, liens Wednesday, October 04, 2006 Michael O'Malley Plain Dealer Reporter Franklin Castle, a gutted, boarded-up "haunted house" on Cleveland's West Side, could be heading for sheriff's sale because of delinquent property taxes. The Franklin Boulevard property is also strapped with more than $13,000 in liens filed by construction and lumber companies for unpaid bills.
October 5, 200618 yr Let's go and knock off that Milsaps guy. And we'll hire a hitman who'll dress up like Marty Gelfand.
October 20, 200618 yr Let's go and knock off that Milsaps guy. And we'll hire a hitman who'll dress up like Marty Gelfand. Who is Marty Gelfand?
October 23, 200618 yr Franklin Castle is on the north side of Franklin Boulevard, in the West 30s. It's a huge stone house built in the 1800s. Lovely building. Marty Gelfand is Congressman Dennis Kucinich's staff counsel. Marty happily shares all information about the growing support for West Shore commuter rail to his boss. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 23, 200618 yr 4308 Franklin, so it's actually in the west 40s. and you call yourself a reporter! :wink:
October 24, 200618 yr I think they should tear it down and replace it with a Walgreen's! I mean seriously, why should a person have to DRIVE more than 5 blocks to get to a drug store...this city is SOOOO unlivable!
October 24, 200618 yr I think they should tear it down and replace it with a Walgreen's! I mean seriously, why should a person have to DRIVE more than 5 blocks to get to a drug store...this city is SOOOO unlivable! JDD one minute you're cheering on the city. the next you're saying it "unlivable" whats up with that?
October 25, 200618 yr I am annoyed with the drug store thing too. There is a cvs downtown, but I really don't want to walk a mile or pay bus fare plus wait for the busses to pick up my prescriptions etc (parking a no go). Plus the panhandlers there are incredibly aggressive. they block the door and then act as a door man with a hand out for a tip. Yes, management knows. So then I go to the cvs on franklin...but it closed- plus, whats up with all the hookers and fights? Now we are going all the way out to the cvs in Edgewater. pretty ridiculous I agree. I think this area OC / West bank flats cold definitely support a pharmacy on w.25th /Detroit area.
October 25, 200618 yr Although I don't live in the area, that intersection seems like It could support a TON of things, not just restaurants, dry cleaners, laundry mat, hardware store, pharmacy, bakery, bank, juice bar, book store If the rail line under the superior bridge was revived atleast into towercity, that would be a start.
October 25, 200618 yr MTS...I REALLY hope you could pick up on the sarcasm in my last post......I don't hate the city....I HATE all the freaking drug stores that pop up around here....it seems that every time something gets knocked down...the level the area, build a HUGE parking lot and slap up a drug store! My point was, and making lite....tear down something beautiful like the castle, and put up some stupid ass CVS or something of such...
October 25, 200618 yr I am annoyed with the drug store thing too. There is a cvs downtown, but I really don't want to walk a mile or pay bus fare plus wait for the busses to pick up my prescriptions etc (parking a no go). Plus the panhandlers there are incredibly aggressive. they block the door and then act as a door man with a hand out for a tip. Yes, management knows. So then I go to the cvs on franklin...but it closed- plus, whats up with all the hookers and fights? Now we are going all the way out to the cvs in Edgewater. pretty ridiculous I agree. I think this area OC / West bank flats cold definitely support a pharmacy on w.25th /Detroit area. I am in pharmacy school and my dream is to open a pharmacy somewhere in Cleveland. One day I was messing around on progressiveurban, and I found a place at 1870 W.25st that would be perfect. However, I am 3 years away from a degree, and thousands of dollars away from my own independent store.
October 25, 200618 yr MTS...I REALLY hope you could pick up on the sarcasm in my last post nope! You gotta work on your delivery man! LOL :-P
October 26, 200618 yr MTS...I REALLY hope you could pick up on the sarcasm in my last post......I don't hate the city....I HATE all the freaking drug stores that pop up around here....it seems that every time something gets knocked down...the level the area, build a HUGE parking lot and slap up a drug store! My point was, and making lite....tear down something beautiful like the castle, and put up some stupid ass CVS or something of such... you do have too many drug stores out your way, but I don't a really good option. Maybe Lutheran has a decent Pharmacy
January 9, 200718 yr MTS...I REALLY hope you could pick up on the sarcasm in my last post......I don't hate the city....I HATE all the freaking drug stores that pop up around here....it seems that every time something gets knocked down...the level the area, build a HUGE parking lot and slap up a drug store! My point was, and making lite....tear down something beautiful like the castle, and put up some stupid ass CVS or something of such... you do have too many drug stores out your way, but I don't a really good option. Maybe Lutheran has a decent Pharmacy the new Rite Aid (or is it CVS) should be open soon at 65th and Franklin.
July 17, 200717 yr I keep finding these old threads....LOL. I was wondering what happened to this place. I toured Franklin Castle with one of the hauntedcleveland.net groups in 2005. I have a ton of pictures from inside. They did a reasonably good job with the food for the tour group, but it looked like a lot of interior teardown was going on and not a huge amount of the expensive part (rebuild). So I can't say I'm really suprised. By the way, I'd recommend that tour to anyone with a strong interest in paranormal type stuff. I'm not that big into it, but the woman I had just started seeing is. By the way, Walgreens has a firm business model of getting customers, particularly drivers, quickly into and out of their stores. They were featured in the book "Good to Great" and they talked about this a lot. It explains what they just did in Bedford after they absorbed Medic, relocating about three blocks to get out of a building where the parking lot is small and the driveway is often blocked by traffic, into a brand new building on a corner.
August 17, 200717 yr The ONLY tour of the Franklin Castle this weekend is Friday from 8:00 to 10:00 pm. $20 per person, beer and wine included, 21 and over. Call the Castle number to reserve your spot. We feel free to repost this. Thanks Have a great weekend, DarkLord10000000 Call Charles at 216/631.2582 To make reservations. Tell him DarkLord10000000 sent you http://www.myspace.com/thefranklincastle
October 23, 200717 yr From the Cleveland State paper: -------------------------------------------------------------- Cleveland's Own Amityville The Haunted History of Franklin Castle Ilona Westfall Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: Feature http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper516/stills/m27nmngi.png The massive mansion looms high above anyone standing below. Its many windows, covered with black plywood, seem to stare like eyes, menacingly observing everything outside yet obscuring what lies within. Stone lions flank the immense wooden front doors like sentinels guarding whatever lurks within the many dark rooms of the house. A bent wrought-iron gate surrounds the property with no trespassing signs threatening curiosity seekers. With stone walls and a turret, it really does look like a castle, as its name suggests. Franklin Castle, known to many as the most haunted house in Ohio, is located a mere five minutes from downtown in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. The house lies on a stretch of Franklin Boulevard that is sometimes referred to as the west side's answer to Millionaire's Row, for its abundance of ornate mansions. What sets Franklin Castle apart from its neighbors might be its fourth-floor ballroom or its amount of rooms, which number between 20 and 30 depending on who you ask. Or it might be the ghosts.
October 23, 200717 yr The Romano's finally moved out and sold the house to Reverend Sam Muscatello, who along with Reverend Tim Swope, planned on turning the building into, of all things, a church. After apparently encountering the ghost of the murdered Karen, they began conducting ghost tours of the castle to raise money for their church. Ah, good ol' Uncle Sammy.
October 28, 200717 yr I was just in the house next door to it the other day...It was poorly converted into a four apartment house, large and beautiful beauty that has fallen into despair...Had one of the nicest front doors I have ever seen... Of course, all the plumbing was stolen... The only room left in tact in the house... And across the street: I really like Franklin Blvd...Lot of nice homes that just need a little TLC...
July 25, 200816 yr Hello all...I just want to say..wow! I found this forum to be insightful on the castle.. I have a website based directly around the Franklin Castle for those of you that want up to date info and FACTUAL information on the castle. It is www.myspace.com/franklincastle1881. I am in NO way associated with Milsaps. At one time when I was quite naive about who he actually was I did in fact talk to him and actually help him with his "tours"...until he banned me after a tour I had with my friends..accusing my friends of stealing old photographs (which he picked up at a resale/garage sale)...FUNNY thing was..I have ACTUAL photographs of the surviving and the ACTUAL TIEDEMANN family that once resided in the home. (so go figure..why would my friends steal? haha..funny... :-P) For those of you that didn't know..the house next door (the blue home next to the castle) was the Weibenson home. Weibenson if you read on my page was married to one of Hannes' daughters...YES he had more than just Emma...anyways..Hannes' had it built as a wedding gift~ :-D I have SO many pictures from that house..it is so beautiful inside and is in much better shape than the castle. The castle is a sad story...but if you keep your fingers crossed...in no time Milsaps will disappear..back to Lakewood were he belongs...he can't afford the castle...he's got too many high hopes! So keep in touch and visit my page you all may find it enlightening! Take care! Bella~ p.s. if you are a member of myspace...and you want to add my site...send me a note...let me know you read this ;O) See you all around!
July 25, 200816 yr So how can he "sell" tours with alcohol? hmmm...don't you need a permit for that one? I wonder if the IRS is aware of this? ...something to ponder...
July 22, 200915 yr Does anyone know, besides the usual hype with the social club or 'the intent to renovate' stories behind Franklin Castle? I did some recent research on the back taxes and it appears there is a considerable amount owed. Some say the owner is in Mansfield, some say, no way...she is out in San Fran... Whatever the case, here stands empty after the fire damage, what is a signature home on Franklin Blvd. on Cleveland's near west side--that could be a combination of some of the following..... a great visitors center/ neighborhood association headquarters/museum/lodge, and the like. Franklin Castle is one of the few remaining stone houses that apparently used to be common along the Blvd. It is popular for the ghost stories and history of the house and even could be a destination for those ghost chasing shows. Still, it simply sits. I live in O.C. yet at block club meetings, it is rarely discussed and when it is, no one seems to know much about its future. Every time I walk past this place I think it is a shame that if such a house on a main blvd. in such a neighborhood steeping with activism, continues to sit there with seemingly no interest, and this was going on long before the economy took a dump. Does anyone have any kind of scoop on this place other than the story... "She intended to renovate it..bums caught it on fire....and a social club, etc" Being a resident of the neighborhood, I am glad that private social club idea fell through. I was hoping it could become more of what examples I listed above.
July 22, 200915 yr I don't know anything. However, it is nice to see that the neighboring house is being renovated.
July 22, 200915 yr Wow i never know of this 'castle' before now. Imagine the endless possibilities that could become of this. Something has to be done to save this beautiful castle. Hopefully an empty grass lot isnt the end result :x
July 22, 200915 yr Me too.. I don't think it will be torn down. It is in an historic zone. Someone does maintain the property as well as they can...... But it is ridiculous that this house has not gained some interest, of all Ohio City homes, one of their shining stars!
November 8, 201014 yr Why don't the owners offer tours for a small fee? I'd pay it to see the house and learn about its history, its hauntings etc. Get some actors from the theaters at Gordon Square to help act out some of the history in costumes, etc. Heritage tourism is getting bigger all the time and Cleveland has some awesome stories to tell in some really great settings like this. And in the months leading up to Halloween, Franklin Castle could really rake in the dollars for upkeep. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 10, 201212 yr It sounds like the new owner (as of Aug, 2011) has had the property rezoned and will be converting the castle into a 3 or 4 unit apartment. The carriage house in back will also be revamped into another apt. The previous owner, (or caretaker), Charles Milsaps, sounds like he was full of half baked truths and ideas. And also ran up some hefty unpaid bills to an interior architect and lumber yard. Hopefully, the new owner will follow thru, as I read the full restoration could cost millions.
August 1, 201212 yr It sounds like the new owner (as of Aug, 2011) has had the property rezoned and will be converting the castle into a 3 or 4 unit apartment. The carriage house in back will also be revamped into another apt. The previous owner, (or caretaker), Charles Milsaps, sounds like he was full of half baked truths and ideas. And also ran up some hefty unpaid bills to an interior architect and lumber yard. Hopefully, the new owner will follow thru, as I read the full restoration could cost millions. It's been a few years since I toured the place, but I don't see how that many apartments in there equals anything much more than "flophouse".
August 1, 201212 yr It sounds like the new owner (as of Aug, 2011) has had the property rezoned and will be converting the castle into a 3 or 4 unit apartment. The carriage house in back will also be revamped into another apt. The previous owner, (or caretaker), Charles Milsaps, sounds like he was full of half baked truths and ideas. And also ran up some hefty unpaid bills to an interior architect and lumber yard. Hopefully, the new owner will follow thru, as I read the full restoration could cost millions. There is no way you can spend millions on a full restoration, then expect to recoup costs on 4 rented apartments in Ohio City... Excuse that, you could SPEND it, but no bank would loan it and it would be a total money pit. Figuring on the HIGH end of income: 4 apartments x $750/mo = $36,000 annual gross income Figuring on the LOW end of debt service: $1 million to acquire & renovate into 4 apartments, hard & soft costs, 20 year loan, 4% interest = $72,000 annual mortgage. Plus taxes, maintenance, insurance... Me thinks it stays vacant for quite some time
August 1, 201212 yr $750 a month is the high end? How long has it been since you've looked at rental rates? Four apartments in Franklin Castle will be 4 really big apartments (about 2,000 sq ft a piece). What will they rent for? I can't answer that precisely, but I can tell you it will be much, much more than $750/month. Probably closer to triple that, as it shouldn't be hard to get at least $1.00 sq ft. It sounds like the new owner (as of Aug, 2011) has had the property rezoned and will be converting the castle into a 3 or 4 unit apartment. The carriage house in back will also be revamped into another apt. The previous owner, (or caretaker), Charles Milsaps, sounds like he was full of half baked truths and ideas. And also ran up some hefty unpaid bills to an interior architect and lumber yard. Hopefully, the new owner will follow thru, as I read the full restoration could cost millions. It's been a few years since I toured the place, but I don't see how that many apartments in there equals anything much more than "flophouse". ). You're kidding. Those apartments will be almost as big as an average single family home.
August 1, 201212 yr I've been wondering what happened with this "project". From what I can recall, the buyer was from another country and was so thrilled about rehabbing it that price wasn't that much of an issue. Now, unless you are truly rich and impassioned, I don't think that's too plausible. Here's hoping!
August 2, 201212 yr $750 a month is the high end? How long has it been since you've looked at rental rates? Four apartments in Franklin Castle will be 4 really big apartments (about 2,000 sq ft a piece). What will they rent for? I can't answer that precisely, but I can tell you it will be much, much more than $750/month. Probably closer to triple that, as it shouldn't be hard to get at least $1.00 sq ft. It sounds like the new owner (as of Aug, 2011) has had the property rezoned and will be converting the castle into a 3 or 4 unit apartment. The carriage house in back will also be revamped into another apt. The previous owner, (or caretaker), Charles Milsaps, sounds like he was full of half baked truths and ideas. And also ran up some hefty unpaid bills to an interior architect and lumber yard. Hopefully, the new owner will follow thru, as I read the full restoration could cost millions. It's been a few years since I toured the place, but I don't see how that many apartments in there equals anything much more than "flophouse". ). You're kidding. Those apartments will be almost as big as an average single family home. I didn't recall it being that large inside. Perhaps it was due to the construction, or areas that were closed off.
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