History
In 1978, a long-anticipated trip to the ancient city of Rome, Italy captured the imagination of Jeff Beyer and inspired a life-long quest to travel the world and share his adventures with others.
From the resplendent Tomb of King Tutankhamen in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings to the 2000 year old small nothernmost outpost of the Roman limes, to the ornately-appointed rooms of Castle Neuschwanstein, Jeff began to glean ideas for what would one day become his own re-creation of a European castle.
In 1991, Linda Taylor first joined Jeff, on his journeys to distant lands. Together they rode camels bareback, along the mile-long, tunnel-like sic that opened suddenly to reveal the breathtaking Treasury building carved into towering solid stone cliffs in Petra, Jordan.
They rummaged through the trinkets and treasures of the Roman Market, still in its original location across the Tiber River from 2000 year-old warehouses. Brining back furnishings for their new home. In Bath, England, they marveled at the beauty of the ancient Roman baths and learned the story of Aqua-Sulus, ancient Celtic god of the waters, whose likeness now overlooks and protects the castle moat.
As they "castle-crawled" in the ancient ruins and modern-day castles of England, France, Italy, Spain, Israel, Greece, and Turkey, they discovered the "souls" of the great variety of persons, both royal and common, who were housed within the walls of these massive structures.
Jeff proved his prowess as a track star while running in the original Olympic Stadium in Olympia, Greece, and Linda defied a 40 ft drop while being held upside-down to kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland.
In Ephesus, Turkey, Jeff became enthralled with the 850 lb. stone lions he shipped home (after two days of negotiations, and a bladder full of tea!) to become the pillars of the Great Room's fireplace.
Other artifacts were brought back as "luggage," including manageable items such as tapestries, art prints, racing flags from Seina Italy, plus numerous small statues, and others that presented more of a challenge, including an 8-ft. door from a great cathedral in London and a beautifully sculpted, four-foot tall female statue from the ancient Plaka in Athens.
As his travels continued to enlarge his perspective on life, Jeff decided to make concrete his dream of communicating his enthusiasm for travel with others. In order to begin the process of bringing the treasures of the ancient world to the South Bend area, he purchased a tract of "swamp-land" on a mostly-deserted road. The land was known to flood in the spring due to its natural springs and the creek running through it. Many a nay-sayer told Jeff that he could never build a house, let alone a castle, in a swamp.
Undaunted, Jeff was determined to correct the problem. Much to the amazement of many, dry land appeared, for a perfect site for a castle with a moat!
Jeff sketched out plans for the castle to incorporate many of the architectural nuances of all the castles he had previously visited. On napkins, scrap paper, and finally, graph paper a dream slowly evolved to became reality.
In 1997, with Jeff serving as the General Contractor, the foundation was poured, including the anchoring of the three-story tree at the center of the tallest tower. The framing began the next spring. For the following three years, Jeff directed the labors as well as doing much of the building himself. By his side were his sons, Christopher and Jason, as well as Linda and her sons, David and Joel. Together they worked to finish each room in its own style, crowning each with treasures collected thru their travels. The castle finally became a family home in August of 2000.
Now you are invited to join the adventure that is Beyer Castle. Many fascinating stories await you!
It is our hope
that within its walls you will find the excitement of travel and reminders
of the rich heritage of the medieval world.