People have watched those tax sales every three years, hoping it would be the year they could purchase the home and restore it. The work that Huber Construction did in 2000 on the west side porch is unrecognizable. One could speculate that this is due to a haunting, but I feel it may be more the result of endless frustration in protecting the property from the curious and vandals who try to enter the property nightly. As we worked our way slowly toward the west side of Sauer Castle, Carl explained that the reason there was so much damage was because of the microburst a few years ago. He told me that he had done tuck-pointing a very costly expenditure. Gutters were piled up on the side of the house, and I glanced up to inspect the connection of the gutters that remained.
Some local historians propose that this myth is from people mistaking this legend with the Quindaro Slave Tunnel. occupied a place of honor just inside the 10-foot-tall front doors, right in front of the staircase, the Kansas City Star reported. Wyandotte County slapped the house unfit for habitation in the 1990s as neighbors and history lovers lamented from a distance at the deteriorating state of Sauer Castle.
In 1919, Anthony's widow, Mary passed away after a stroke at Eva and John Perkins home at 3704 Pennsylvania in Kansas City, Mo. In 2018, Sauer Castle suffered a serious blow- literally. There needs to be a hard line with the owner. Required fields are marked *. The minute I saw this on the citys website, I emailed the city and received confirmation. Five generations of the Sauer family continued living in the mansion until the owner of a home heating oil company, Paul Berry, bought the house after Eve's death. Could Carl convince me to publicly take back the words I carefully crafted? from her beloved childhood home. Apparently, the ghost stories have kept trespassers continuing to vandalize the house, and the insurance company will not cover the expenses. Paul Berry wasnt afraid to protect Sauer Castle. to have a financial interest in the castle. But my favorite legend goes with the haunting storiesmurders on the Property. The people who built and lived in this incredible space have, Incredibly private, Berry continued to live in the home and listed it on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Windows were broken, the roof had extensive holes, the iron around the widows peak was falling down, and the grounds that once showcased one of the most beautiful gardens in the area had tree limbs scattered on the unkempt lawn. 935 Shawnee Road A second-floor bathroom was equipped with an elaborate marble tub for bathing. The special taxes are for special assessments charged to the property for mowing and trash/debris removal, Wendy M. Green, Assistant Council for Wyandotte County explained. 1873) and Clara (b. an estimated cost of $20,000, for Anton Philllip Sauer, a German immigrant Tales of fire in the tower or lights flickering off and on (sunset reflecting off the windows) and ghosts moaning (wind whistling through the weather stripping in the tower) were circulating, but no one knew where they originated. Anthony, it seems, had become extremely successful in his extensive enterprises. Wanting to ensure the castle stayed in the family, John and Eva Sauer Perkins decided to move back to Evas childhood home. The owner is not interested in selling the structure. Carl G. Lopp". This, to me, was insulting. Those memories arent often told in newspaper clippings or in legal documents I search. a high fence. Elegant landscaping which complimented the well-manicured acreage Anton oversaw was added around the new pool. As I walked away from Carl Lopp, I knew I wasnt finished.
Some say that Bigknife had the title stolen from him, or he was tricked out of it. Once again, I feel compelled to bring up the Kansas City winds. It was just another legend. Lopp continued to play cat and mouse with the city/county for many years.
On Sept. 19, Carl greeted me as we walked toward the Castle. I offered to work with an architect of Carl Lopps choosing and provide a scope description and estimate of all of the improvements necessary to achieve his vision, but he demurred, Huber explained. About an hour into a tour that was avoiding the interior of the castle altogether, I began to show the frustration that had been building by the numerous dismissals of my direct questions. My caretaker and dogs are harassed nightly and often threatened with physical violence. While no one was allowed inside the home, increased deterioration could be seen from the street. Jones recalled her most frightening experience to Hughes in the attic level of the tower.
google_ad_client = "pub-0468606833551520"; Neighbors, Sauer descendants and historic preservation groups breathed a sigh of relief when a great-great grandson of the original owner named Carl G. Lopp opted to buy the property in 1988 for around $200,000 with the goal to restore it. in Kansas City, Ks. His brother worked for six months sorting through over 50,000 items so they could be auctioned off from the Sauer Castle grounds. However, his photo only showed a scratch of light over the doorway and another over an upstairs bedroom. Berrys pride and joy, a 1902 Stanley Steamer. Also, the copper had been stripped from a turn-of-the-century heating unit in the basement. Lopp bought the property next door and the duplex behind it on S. 10. His unique personality (including rarely lighting the house while even inside) had stories of spirits afloat. The auction was scheduled for April 2020, but was delayed due to COVID. The first building constructed on the property was said to be a barn to hold materials for his large project. The property has been on the citys auction site for a while now with no auction date or starting bid, so we are unable to provide that information. As a result, I have been the recipient of vitriol, character assassination, hate mail, and numerous threats against me. He never sent out a letter asking anything like that.. He was even in his costume, complete with the pale khaki cowboy hat donned with its signature single feather.
After a couple of years, a family moved in, and I got to know them. You may just find your perfect fixer upper under $50K .. or beyond. I received several emails from people who remember calling the place Igors and trespassing or harassing the caretaker while in high school. I cant make this up. By 1872 the mansion was finally fully furnished, sitting on the Shawnee Indian trail that was part of the old Santa Fe Trail that many wagons passed. Some people told me that there had been frequent apparition sightings by previous residents. They married and opted to start their own family. Even with a caretaker, vandals continuously came onto the property, likely enticed by the ghost stories surrounding it. An outdoor pergola and a small garden were adorned with furniture for summer dining. What is the plan? The orchards were still producing, and with her mother, they would make jams and preserves to keep in the cool basement. He is half con man and half deluded child in my opinion. Id seen photos. On the west side of the property, a large swimming pool was dug. The cellar measured approximately 35-feet long, 15-feet wide, and 12-feet high. The reports say that one of the former owners killed his entire family (a wife and either one or two children, depending on who is telling the story) and buried them in the backyard. . When I mentioned family, I struck a nerve. This really happened. . Carl read my article. However, these are just natural springs. This likely had the city and neighbors a bit nervous- there was fear that since he showed little care for the castle, other properties would end up in disrepair. google_ad_height = 90; In that photo (see here), the roof is shredded in places and was an absolute detriment to the structural integrity of the home. Maurice Schwalm was one Jones invited to the house. is a decaying 19th century Italian villa style mansion which sits vacant Under $75K Thursday ~ Starter Home in Kankakee, IL Under $75K, Sold-Fixer Upper Foreclosure c.1902 Victorian in Flora, IL Under $30K, Cheap Old House w/ View in White Sulphur Springs WV Off Market.
Carl got into contact with A.L. On that visit, they didnt go past the first floor. I could sense the sincere frustration that Victoria had when she spoke to me. Set behind long lengths of chainlink fence, one gets a sense of foreboding as if the carved lions framing the doorway and the windows in the tower are watching us. There, his wife passed away. J.R. Russell, then-president of the Wyandotte County Historical Society wrote in 1978, [Berry] has on several occasions forcefully ejected trespassers, vandals and looters. We get paid commissions on any purchases made through these links. Some say that Mary Sauer would walk the widows walk at the top of the four-story tower early in the evenings and sometimes late at night. What Victoria saw had her very concerned. There have been several ghost stories based on tales that can be disproved (such as the previous family all being murdered there by the father, who then committed suicide) that attract vandals, which prevents Lopp from receiving insurance money. Claiming there is a trust, I explained, requires legal documentation.
Carl Lopp, concede or have it taken from you. It was not a haunted house, but the legend was there because we started it in fear of the unknown. During the interview, Hughes notes that the fireplace cover rattled furiously. It was May 1. His lawyer wrangled an appeal, however, arguing that Lopp still was initiating plans to restore the home. Old Houses Under $50K and Beyond is an opinion-based blog and does not represent any property or agency. He has two vicious German Shepherd dogs to keep loiterers, looters and larcenists off the estate.. The constant flow of traffic with people trespassing on the property and trying to break in is a sad byproduct of the Facebook page. Anyone in historic preservation knows this is something that must be maintained every 25-30 years. I can remember going up to the widows walk- climbing that narrow staircase as a child, she explained. All content Paranormal Activity Investigators, LLC, unless otherwise noted, KANSAS CITY HAUNTINGS: HISTORY AND MYSTERY OF THE PARIS OF THE PLAINS. The house sold in 1986 to Bud Wyman and his son and daughter-in-law, Cliff and Cindy Jones. home was haunted.
The music room adjoined the parlor and, along with another fireplace, included a grand piano. Carl Lopp, owner of Sauer Castle since 1988 and the great-great grandson of the man who built it, wasnt thrilled with my description of the Castle in the.
Soon after, Wyandotte County slapped an unfit for habitation notice on the home, and Carl Loop was found guilty of two housing court violations. He left his 38-year-old wife, three young children, two stepdaughters, and four grown children behind. Anthony and his second wife, Mary had four girls together who survived into adulthood: Eva (b. His specialty was restoring historic properties, and he had offered to buy the property from Carl Lopp. The swimming pool. At some point, the faade, literally and figuratively, will fall apart. 
Always the tour guide topped with a cowboy hat accented with a feather, Carl Lopp accepted the chance to show off Sauer Castle. Did you set up a trust? Carl wanted to meet us this weekend, she said. I wont soon forget the day that I was the first journalist allowed onto historic Sauer Castles grounds in over 30 years.
It was surreal to see Sauer Castle up close- without a green fence blocking a clear view.
And you have let it get to this point?.
So, he blamed the city for the vandalism. They first moved to New York City, but after Francesca died in 1868 and Antons tuberculosis worsened, he relocated to Kansas City. Sincerely, In 1859, Tom Bigknife was given the title to this property, and he sold sections of it. It doesnt look salvageable. These accents may be cosmetic, but they are vitally important to the life that remains of Sauer Castle. It was a long few minutes. This is my family history, too, Laurance explained. Probably the best, most detailed article I have read in my years of studying this problem. Sauer Castle is just a beautiful empty house that seems to beg for ghost stories to be attached to it. As a result, from the day I purchased the Castle, I have attempted to keep a low profile for the Castle believing that the fewer people who knew about the Castle the better. Anton Philip Sauer (who went by Anthony) was born in Mainz, the largest city in the Rhineland in 1823 to Florian and Eva. In addition to housing violations accruing, Lopp was developing a reputation of playing the property tax game. To be cl Everyone seemed to sense something strange in the air. Pocket doors looked to be in working function, but most of the beauty I had seen in the photos Thomas and Victoria shared with me has been stripped away long ago. As the house neared completion in August 1873, the Wyandotte Gazette reported, It is in plain sight for a considerable distance along the southern road.. With all the people in the house library working to prepare it for the special day wearing masks to avoid breathing the dust and the windows open, Jones's father-in-law began using a crowbar to tear out the ceiling. The Sauer home was the first in the entire area to have built-in closets and running water; a hydraulic engine pumped hot and cold water from a large spring on the property. For anyone who has been up there, it is obvious why. She needs us all now more than ever. Some say Berry was a hermit for the 30 years he lived there.
That game was supposed to have ended before now. Even the types of hauntings vary greatly depending on from whom you get your story.
Given the trouble that Mr. Berry had with break-ins, this is not surprising. fabulous article. [2] It was the residence of Anton Sauer. He failed to meet the terms of his probation, and a bench warrant was issued. He wasnt happy with my assessment and demanded that I, basically, take it back. However, as with all social media, there is a big downside when people come onto sites who are not informed or who have a negative agenda. It was a newspaper clipping that looked to be about 20 years old with a woman's photograph in a wedding gown. They were detached. Perched on top of the bluffs looking north into the Kaw River valley, the house was built on the old Shawnee Indian trace that fed into the Santa Fe Trail. In 1999, the Wyandotte County Unified Board of Commissioners created a redevelopment district for 41 acres, including Sauer Castle, over the present owner's objections. A 120x20 foot greenhouse sparked the curiosity of Kansas Citians. I'm afraid nobody can. When Laurance was let on the property for a tour with his cousin, he took video of the condition of the interior. In 1869, Anthony met a recently widowed 28-year-old woman with two girls named Maria Mary Messerschmidt. When Laurance walked through the doors, he recorded the visit. Unusual plants and trees were also imported from Europe and planted on the property.
Because he had replaced the roof about two years ago, he considered the photo misinformation. "I would like everyone to know that respects and admires the Castle and its history that I am very appreciative of your support of our restoration efforts. She cited all the stolen chandeliers and missing fireplace mantles.
When I mentioned that he's had three decades to restore it, he told me I was inaccurate. But when questioned as to who these residents were, no one knew names or periods. The Sauer family, however, kept residence in this once-gorgeous Italian-style Villa for five generations until 1954. Property records also indicate that Lopp received his 11. citation for failure to register vacant property in October. committed suicide in 1930 and over the years there were rumors that the Even the basement was impressive. The second floor held the spacious bedrooms. In 1988, Carl Lopp, the great, great grandson of Anthony Sauer, bought the house with the intention of fixing it up and residing there to keep it in the family.
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