There’s something so whimsical about castles. The architecture, the history… I think just about everyone would love to say they live in a castle, right? This one castle in northern Louisiana has a fascinating history behind it that not many people know about, so let’s take a closer look.

Layton Castle was built around 1814 by Swiss immigrant Henry Bry.

Layton Castle/Facebook Originally conceived as a plantation house, the house was fairly typical of the style during that time: a two-story raised cottage. It wasn’t until the 1910s that the building undertook a major facelift.

Bry came to the Monroe area in 1804 and worked as a parish judge, then later as a legislator in the House of Representatives.

Layton Castle/Facebook In 1814 he purchased about 500 acres on the Ouachita River and built his home.

Bry originally intended to raise silkworms, so he planted mulberry trees to feed them.

Payton Chung/Flickr Thus the property’s first name was born: Mulberry Grove. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that it became known as Layton Castle.

In the mid-1850s, Bry’s daughter Melinda and her husband Robert Layton made updates to the house and added to it, creating a three-story brick structure.

Layton Castle/Facebook The property was passed on to their son, Robert, and his wife Eugenia. Robert died in 1892 and Eugenia and her children left Louisiana to spend a few years in Europe, only to return and begin to renovate the property in 1910.

Eugenia removed all traces of the plantation and created the castle-like structure that stands today.

Layton Castle/Facebook It is speculated that Eugenia’s time in Europe influenced her decision to build this interesting castle. It’s certainly inspired by medieval designs and Romanesque architecture that was prevalent in Europe at that time.

Today, Layton Castle contains sixty rooms and apartments.

Layton Castle/Facebook The ground floor was converted to apartments, but the property is a popular location for weddings and special events. Unfortunately, it is not available for tours, but perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to attend a celebration here!

You can find Layton Castle at 1133 S Grand St, Monroe, Louisiana 71202.

Layton Castle/Facebook

Originally conceived as a plantation house, the house was fairly typical of the style during that time: a two-story raised cottage. It wasn’t until the 1910s that the building undertook a major facelift.

In 1814 he purchased about 500 acres on the Ouachita River and built his home.

Payton Chung/Flickr

Thus the property’s first name was born: Mulberry Grove. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that it became known as Layton Castle.

The property was passed on to their son, Robert, and his wife Eugenia. Robert died in 1892 and Eugenia and her children left Louisiana to spend a few years in Europe, only to return and begin to renovate the property in 1910.

It is speculated that Eugenia’s time in Europe influenced her decision to build this interesting castle. It’s certainly inspired by medieval designs and Romanesque architecture that was prevalent in Europe at that time.

The ground floor was converted to apartments, but the property is a popular location for weddings and special events. Unfortunately, it is not available for tours, but perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to attend a celebration here!

To learn about other Louisiana castles, check out our previous article here.

Have you attended an event here? Did you live in one of the apartments? Let us know in the comments below!

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