Piatt Castle will be auctioned off in fall
On a lovely summer’s day, a drive through the rolling hills south of Bellefontaine is a pleasant reminder of just how beautiful the Buckeye State can be.
It’s easy to see why brothers Abram and Donn Piatt fell in love with the land their father had farmed near the town of West Liberty in southern Logan County, and why they would each choose to build a grand manor there.
The homes, named Mac-a-cheek and Maco-chee, have been known by generations of visitors as the Piatt Castles.
The downside of building a castle is defending it — either from the ravages of invading barbarians, which was never a problem for the Piatt family, or from the equally ravaging forces of time, which was and is.
Mac-a-cheek has been in the Piatt family since it was built in 1871, and it has been open to public tours since about 1912. The manor was built by Abram Piatt, a journalist and prosperous farmer.
Mac-o-chee was built less than a mile away in 1879, by Donn Piatt, a prominent author, editor and diplomat. Although Donn Piatt’s widow sold Mac-o-chee after his death, the family
repurchased it in 1957, opened it to tours, and began a process of restoration.
Generations of Ohio visitors, including countless busloads of school children, have enjoyed touring both venerable structures and learning the history of the properties and the Piatt family. I remember visiting when I was on a fifthgrade field trip and being impressed by the imposing limestone structures. That’s also where I first learned the word “fresco,” the paint-on-plaster technique used to decorate the magnificent interiors of the mansions.
This year, however, might be the last chance to tour both properties, at least for the foreseeable future. Mac-o-chee is scheduled to be sold at auction on Oct. 19.
After repurchasing Mac-o-chee, the family was never able to turn the corner, financially, to do a proper restoration, said Margaret Piatt, the third generation of Piatt owners and stewards.
“It’s just not been within out power to raise the money to restore the building, and not even to do the maintenance,” Piatt said.
So now the family has decided to sell Mac-oChee in order to save and improve Mac-a Cheek.
“It’s like Sophies Choice, you know,” said Piatt, with just a hint of a catch in her voice.
The family will retain Mac-a-cheek and keep it open for tours. The family also hopes to significantly restore Mac-a-cheek and to update and improve the museum exhibits there.
“We plan to put the majority of the proceeds (from the sale) into the other property,” Piatt said.
Mac-a-cheek will also add a “Memories of Mac-o-chee” exhibit, Piatt said.
“We don’t want to forget Mac-o-chee,” she said.
Piatt said she tried but failed to find an appropriate organization willing to take on the job of restoring Mac-o-chee.
She hopes the new owners see fit to respect its historical and architectural integrity, she said.
“It’s not my place to decide what someone wants to do with it, but I do hope they keep the original character and fabric of the place,” she said.
“Even though we haven’t been able to restore it, I’m glad we’ve been able to keep it open as long as we have, and have given pleasure to so many people who have gone through it.”
Both castles are currently scheduled to be open daily through Labor Day with additional weekend hours in the fall. For more information, call 937465-2821 or visit www. piattcastles.org.
Details regarding the auction will be available at Ohiorealestate Auctions.com.
Steve Stephens is the Dispatch home and travel writer. E-mail him at sstephens@ dispatch.com or follow him on Twitter @Stevestephens.