Historic Gem: Discover the Wonders of Glamorgan Castle

Driving down Glamorgan Street in Alliance, you might do a double-take. There, among modern buildings, stands Glamorgan Castle — a magnificent 28,000-square-foot marble mansion, recalling the castles of Wales — in plain sight.

“Col. Morgan, who was one of the kings of industry at the turn of the century, along with Rockefeller, Firestone, all those guys … he decided he wanted a home, but he wanted a castle,” says Art Garnes, president of the Castle Crusaders preservation group.

Col. William Henry Morgan was the son of a Welsh immigrant and president of Morgan Engineering. Morgan had the medieval-style castle constructed in 1904 and held over 100 patents by the time he died in 1928.

“In the United States, only 8 percent of the homes had electric. … He had electric here and put in 1,200 electrical outlets,” Garnes notes. “When he built this, it cost $400,000. That’s about $22 to $24 million today.”

Following the Morgans, the castle was sold to the Elks, then to Alliance Machine president Merrick Lewis. Finally, in 1973, Alliance City Schools used it for offices until a water pipe break in 2023. Today, the castle is still owned by the school district but is maintained by the Castle Crusaders — and is open for tours on the first Saturday and Sunday of the month, as well as every Friday.

Tours take you through majestic rooms, including the grand rotunda. Stand underneath a stunning chandelier — made up of 4,626 pieces of Italian crystal. Marvel at marble statues representing the four seasons, originally on the front terrace and now in the rotunda, and see a set of original brass doors.

“Weighs about 300 pounds,” Garnes says of the doors. “They have sat there since they were put in, in 1904. Never been moved. And the coat of arms was developed by the architect.”

Step inside an expansive drawing room complete with original San Domingo mahogany woodwork and chandeliers, as well as a ladies’ reception room, with elegant, Louis IV-style plasterwork, another original chandelier and large, stylish mirrors. Also on the first floor are the breakfast room, loggia — a screened-in summer porch — and elevator, as well as the sumptuous dining room — which includes the original plaster ceiling with lion heads.

On the second floor, past the grand staircase, find bedrooms, guest rooms and the library — an octagonal room featuring carved chestnut elements. Owl figures hold various items that represent engineering, education and the Bible.

The third floor holds the ballroom and men’s smoking room. In the basement, the Morgans installed a bowling alley — boarded over by Lewis — a rathskeller, or German beer hall, and a freshwater swimming pool that had to be scrubbed and drained about every two weeks.

Take a tour in December to see the castle decked out in holiday finery. This spring, the Crusaders will unveil a special “Col. Morgan Tour,” taking visitors even deeper into the history of the castle and its occupants.

For Garnes, one of the most important outcomes of the tours is inspiration.

“Here’s a guy whose father was from Glamorganshire, Wales, born two months after Abraham Lincoln was shot, and became a billionaire. You can do it too,” says Garnes. “This is possible in the United States.”

Times available online, 200 Glamorgan St., Alliance, 330-238-8787, glamorgancastle.org