Welcome to Squire's Castle, located off River Road in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. This unique Northeast Ohio Landmark is nestled in the beautiful Cleveland Metropark's North Chagrin Reservation. North Chagrin Reservation is over 2,000 acres. There are miles of trails for horseback riding, biking, hiking, and walking that include paved sections and more challenging hilly routes. There are numerous picnic areas with tables and shelters throughout the park and a lot of them have restrooms. There are baseball fields, volley ball courts and plenty of open spaces to throw a frisbee or a football around. You can throw a blanket down for a quick picnic or to read a book. Other highlights of the park include Buttermilk Falls, North Chagrin Nature Center, The A.B. Williams Memorial Woods, Oxbow Lagoon, Sactuary Marsh, Sunset Pond and Manakiki Golf Course. Fishing is allowed (with a valid Ohio Fishing License). The park can be very busy at times but there is plenty of parking. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash. There is plenty of wildlife to see and the park is a haven for birdwatching with at least 138 documented species. There is plenty of things to do... and I almost forgot, it is also home to numerous Geocaches.
Squire's Castle
Fergus B. Squire
Squire's Castle was built by Fergus B. Squire, an executive of The Standard Oil Company. Squire was also a former mayor of Wickliffe, Ohio. About 1890, Squire purchased 525 acres east of Cleveland. He called it River Farm Estate, and planned to turn it into an English country estate. About 1895, Squire began construction on a gatekeeper's house. The structure, which was exceedingly rustic (lacking electricity, natural gas, running water, or sewer) was completed about 1897. The outer walls are of locally-quarried Euclid bluestone, a form of bluish-colored sandstone found throughout the greater Cleveland area. The structure originally had a ground floor, two upper floors, and a basement. Its windows were of leaded glass. Squire abandoned plans for a manor house after encountering difficulty obtaining building materials and labor. Squire and his daughter used the gatekeeper's house as an occasional weekend country home (even spending most of the summer of 1903 there). But Squire's wife disliked the house, and Squire rarely visited it after 1908. He sold the estate and the gatekeeper's house to developers in 1922.
After the developers went bankrupt, the estate was seized by a local bank. The Cleveland Park Board (precursor to Cleveland Metroparks) purchased most of the land from the bank in 1925. The park board began calling the structure "Squire's Castle". Cleveland Metroparks removed the upper floors and filled in the basement. Squire's Castle was heavily vandalized over the years, with vandals removing the leaded glass windows and stripping the interior of almost all architectural and decorative details. The structure was somewhat restored in 1995.
To Claim This Virtual Cache:
You must find the answer to these 3 Questions and send them to the Cache Owner:
Enter the front entrance of the building.
- On the right is the Hunting Room Library. Inside the library, on one of the walls, there are 4 plaques. What is the word that is in "Quotation Marks" on 2 of the plaques?
- In the Great Hall, you will find the answer to this question: What is the name of Fegus B. Squire's mansion located on Wickliffe's Millionaire's Row?
- What is the prominent feature on the back wall in both of the 2 Living Areas off the Great Hall?
Take a PHOTO: You must take and post a selfie with the castle in the background. If you are shy, then a photo with a personal item, or a thumbs up, with the castle in the background, will do.
If the photo is not posted and the answers not sent within 7 days, your find may be deleted.
North Chagrin Reservation is a true treasure here in Northeast Ohio. I hope you had time to explore a little while getting this Virtual.
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between February 3, 2026 and February 3, 2027. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 5.0 on the Geocaching Blog.