SNAPSHOT: SAUER CASTLE (KANSAS CITY, WYANDOTTE COUNTY, KS)

The founders of the CountyTrip blog have always taken an interest in historic homes with haunted notorieties.  Located on a hilltop on a winding street in Kansas City, KS, the Sauer Castle (1871) is considered by some to be the finest representation of Italianate architecture the state of Kansas.

The Castle’s commissioner was Anton Sauer, a German-born businessman who moved to Kansas City from New York in 1868.  Five generations of the Sauer family resided in the mansion until Paul Berry, the owner of a home heating oil company, lived in the mansion until his own death in December 1986.

Of course, the house is reputed to be extremely haunted.  Rumors persist that all members of the original Sauer family are buried somewhere on the property.  Other legends include that of a woman who hanged herself in the tower, buried treasure, additional buried bodies, and even a secret tunnel ending at the Kansas River.  An imposing chain link fence currently surrounds the Sauer Castle, with the intention of keeping vandals, sightseers, and ghost-hunters at a safe distance.

December 2016

SNAPSHOT: ISLAND HOTEL (CEDAR KEY, LEVY COUNTY, FL)

It has long been a dream to visit both the eastern and western terminus of the Florida Railroad, and earlier this month that dream became a reality.  For those unfamiliar, the Florida Railroad was the first railroad to connect the east and west coasts of Florida, running from Fernandina Beach to Cedar Key.  Completed in 1861, at 156 miles in length, it was the longest railroad to be completed in Florida before the start of the American Civil War.

Cedar Key is an off the beaten path treasure, and the Island Hotel is the gem of the key.  It is truly amazing to find an intact antebellum structure in such a location, and even more astonishing that it is still in use.  Built in 1859, the Florida pioneers who settled Cedar Key constructed the building with remarkable hardiness, mixing oyster shell, limestone and sand to pour tabby walls 10 inches thick.  The building has survived the Civil War as well as countless hurricanes, tempests, floods, and other disasters.  After service as a general store, warehouse, and even quarters for the Yankees, the structure is now a charming, 10-room hotel & restaurant owned by a couple from Atlanta.

December 2015

SNAPSHOT: MURAL (KINGS MOUNTAIN, CLEVELAND COUNTY, NC)

Painted by Clive Haynes, this wonderful mural at the corner of Battleground Avenue and Gold Street in Kings Mountain, North Carolina depicts several key elements from the town’s storied history.  Merchant Mills was a steam saw and grist mill located on the south side of today’s West Gold Street.  The mill burned in 1895 and was rebuilt in 1898 with a cotton gin, which served local cotton farmers.  Both the window on the left and the door on the right are functional.

Wishing all of our loyal readers a Happy New Year, and a 2015 filled with new counties and adventures!

December 2014

Snapshot: Old Dodge County Jail (Eastman, Dodge County, GA)

Built in 1897, this Renaissance Revival style brick jailhouse remains largely intact, with several wonderful architectural details and original features remaining, reportedly including a hanging room with a working drop door and eyehook for the hangman’s noose, as well as original cell furnishings.  Located behind the Dodge County Courthouse and adjacent to Dodge County’s current bighouse (partially visible to the right), the jail is in great need of restoration and is apparently (to John and me) being used as a dumping ground for the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office. Fortunately, the jail’s recent listing on the National Register of Historic Places may raise awareness for the structure’s restoration.

May 2013

Snapshot: Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel (Tunnel Hill, Whitfield County, GA)

The engineering marvel of the antebellum South, opening the Western & Atlantic railroad from Atlanta to Chattanooga. Built completely by hand, this was the first railroad tunnel completed south of the Mason-Dixon line, and remained in use from its completion in 1850 until 1928, when larger trains outgrew the tunnel, necessitating the construction of a larger tunnel adjacent to this one. The tunnel spans 1,477 feet through the base of Chetoogeta Mountain. Amazingly, before the completion of the tunnel, the rail line was still in operation, but the freight had to be carried over the mountain, while passengers would exit their cars and walk to the other side.

September 2013

Snapshot: Confederate Cemetery (Milner, Lamar County, GA)

November 2012

Snapshot: Taliaferro County Courthouse (Crawfordville, Taliaferro County, GA)

January 2012

Snapshot: Randolph County Courthouse (Cuthbert, GA)

Built in 1886, the Randolph County Courthouse in Cuthbert, Georgia has fallen into disrepair with the construction of a more modern courthouse elsewhere in town. Last year, the Georgia Trust placed the Randolph County Courthouse on its list of Places in Peril for 2012. While efforts are underway to restore this unique building, the courthouse remains in a fragile state (note the chain-link fence and boarded up windows).