Hull Castle

I recently finished the library, the entry foyer, the back fence and repaired the three garage doors. I’m ready to start the master bedroom now. Oh and I now have house numbers. First time in more than 50 years.

Louis Hull was a business man in Fort Wayne. He was known as a paint and high end wallpaper merchant. He designed the interior of his Castle at 721 W Wayne and worked in several of the high end homes and buildings in and around the Fort Wayne area including the Bass mansion. He was a Civil War veteran at age 13 years old as a drummer body.

I hope you can make it to the West Central House and Garden tour this September 7 and 8. We are on the tour this year so you can have a look at the inside and out. Tickets are required.

Great start to the morning in the west central neighborhood.

Louis Oliver Hull enlisted in the Civil War on August 10, 1862 at age 13 years and 3 days. He joined Company B of the 120th Ohio Regiment. He claimed to have lied about his age, as you had to be at least 16 years old to enlist. After the war he moved to Fort Wayne and open a business called LO Hull ornamental paint and wall paper. He worked in several of the large homes in the Fort Wayne area and built the castle at 721 W Wayne st in Fort Wayne. We think he built the Castle to showcase his talents. When the castle was complete he estimated its worth to be $20,000.00. Nine years later he sold it for $15,000.00.

Post card from 1908. Calhoun at and Main St Fort Wayne IN.

From a post card dated 1911 of what is now Broadway Christian Church on the corner of W Wayne and Broadway Street in Fort Wayne. To the far right you can see a horse and wagon delivering something to a house that was later torn down and another house was built there in its place. Farther to the right in the background is “the castle” that was built in 1889 by Lois O Hull, drummer boy in the civil was. He enlisted at age 13 years old.

A WINDOW INTO THE PAST. WEST CENTRAL 700 block of W. Wayne st. Fort Wayne. The post card is dated 1908. Not a car on the street but I do see a couple of hitching posts. The castle on the left is much the same. The brick house next to it gone and the apartment building is there now. On the right side I see two of the five houses that were torn down.

Christmas services at the Prairie Grove Chapel are this Saturday the 23rd at 5:00 and 7:00. Hope to see you there. 6000 Old Trail Road. You’ll be glad you did and so will I.
The Chapel has been mostly restored. It is more than 160 years old.

Old photo of the “Castle” soon after its construction in 1889. Louis O Hull residence in Fort Wayne’ Indiana. It looks much the same today.

Getting the castle ready for Christmas.