Smart Business Magazine, October 2017

October 2017 Smart Business Akron Canton 13 Photos courtesy of Rodman Public Library AllianceMemory org The castle comprises 100 tons of structural steel and 96 train car loads of Vermont marble It was built on a 50 acre plot and measured 185 feet across the front and 115 feet on the side The castle was home to a huge electric pipe organ Its 1184 speaking pipes and reeds stretched up four floors and it was fitted with a player attachment in which rolls could be played However nothing remains of the organ after it was destroyed in a 1944 flash fire supposedly caused by defective wiring To govern the 10 full time staffers a 17 page booklet titled General Rules Governing All Employees at Glamorgan was created and maintained by Annette It contained 124 rules that outlined the specific duties of each employee from cook to maid and otherwise There was a list of what cleaning products should be used to clean which materials wood floors silverware etc and a curfew for the four staff who lived in the building The Morgans are famously connected to an olive poisoning that killed seven people during a dinner at the castle to celebrate the return of Col Charles C Weybrecht from World War I Among the victims was the nights guest of honor Weybrecht who had survived two wars but was done in by an olive at the party celebrating his safe return The property would change hands again 25 years after the Elks bought it The Alliance Machine Co purchased and restored it turning it into the companys international headquarters Glamorgan featured many modern comforts including bowling alleys a billiard room and a large swimming pool in the basement Around 1973 Alliance Machine faced the same problem Annette had it wanted to sell but no one wanted to buy the castle There was an offer to buy the property and tear it down for a mall and restaurant complex Thats when some prominent community members decided the landmark couldnt be lost They arranged for a Department of Housing and Urban Development grant and gifted the property to the Alliance City Schools which used a 774350 preservation grant to renovate the castle to house the school districts central administrative offices The Castle Crusaders maintain the historical integrity of the castle School tax money is not used for restoration so the group is working to raise 15 million in five years to update HVAC systems and make other improvements Annette is described as having been a private person who was never fond of living in such a large home In 1939 she sold Glamorgan castle to the Elks Lodge for 25000 then moved to an apartment in Shaker Heights According to Hepler no one was interested in buying the castle She couldnt get the two carloads of coal she needed to heat the house because of World War II rationing and was living in just two rooms She was ready to tear the place down when the Elks made an offer UNIQUELY AKRON CANTON