Givins Beverly Castle Explained

Coordinates:	41.7068°N -87.6713°W
Address:	10244 South Longwood Drive Beverly, Chicago, Illinois
Years Built:	1886-87
Groundbreaking Date:	1886

The Givins Beverly Castle (also known as Givens Irish Castle) is a 19th-century castle located in Chicago, Illinois.

History

The castle was built in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago from 1886 to 1887 under the direction of Robert C. Givins. He was a successful real estate developer.^{[1] [2]} It is a three-story structure with three crenelated towers.^[3] Givins lived in the castle from 1887 to 1894. From 1895 to 1897, the castle housed the Chicago Female College. Beverly Unitarian Church purchased the building for and has used it since 1942. It is the only building in the city described as a "castle."^[4] It has been claimed to be haunted.^{[5] [2] [6] [7] [8]}

Owners

The castle has had five owners:^[2]

• Givins family (1887–1909)
• Julia H. Thayer and the Chicago Female College (1895–1897)
• Burdett family (1909–1921)
• Siemens family (1921–1942)
• Beverly Unitarian Church (1942–present)

Notes and References

1. Haunted Chicago: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends, pp 167
2. Web site: The History of 'Chicago's Only Castle'. WTTW News.
3. AIA Guide to Chicago, p378
4. Web site: You Won't Find Casper, but City's Only Castle a Haunting Experience - tribunedigital-chicagotribune . 2017-11-01 . 2017-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171107083806/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-06-09/news/9506090065_1_haunted-legend-young-girl . dead .
5. Haunted Places: The National Directory : Ghostly Abodes, Sacred Sites, UFO Landings, and Other Supernatural Locations, p155
6. Haunted Chicago: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends, p 168
7. Haunted Houses U.S.A., p117
8. More Chicago Haunts: Scenes from Myth and Memory, p35