Mark Megahan
The only thing that doesn’t come with this estate is a dragon. The “medieval-style, castle-like home” sits right here in America. Oakland Township, Michigan, to be precise. It sits atop wooded Victoria Hill “surrounded by woods across more than six acres.” One of the most unique houses in the state can be yours for a mere $2.5 million.
Dragon not included
The secluded palace may not come with a dragon on staff but it has a dungeon. It also has a drawbridge over a real moat. LeBlanc Castle is comfortably nestled inside “a private, gated subdivision of luxury homes” so there is no need to ever fear barbarians at the gate.
If some of the unwashed masses did happen to make it to the gate, they wouldn’t have much chance of getting any further.
The architect must have been a real fan of the medieval period because “there’s a surprise in just about every room: hidden closets, escape rooms, a hidden spiral staircase that leads to the roof, hidden passageways between walls, a trap door to a dungeon, a hidden underground grotto with jacuzzi and a hallway of mirrors.”
There is lots of room for a dragon, if you can manage to get one through customs.
The real estate agent calls it the ultimate in modern security. “It’s a fortress in many ways,” Mike Kuligowski of Signature Sotherby’s International Realty points out.
A winding path through the woods leads up to the citadel, “built in a 15th century Scottish Baronial/Northern English tradition.” Any respectable dragon would feel right at home, with “gothic-style, medieval architectural motifs inside and out.”
More gates and towers, too
The entire 60-foot-tall structure is enclosed by wrought-iron fencing and “separately gated with two 27-foot-tall entrance towers at the base of the property.”
Visitors must cross over the moat via drawbridge before arriving at a “4-inch thick, oak front door that weighs 762 pounds.” In the foyer, “a full armored guard statue complete with a sword greets guests.” It’s all the gear you need to go head to head with the local dragon, when you get one.
The wine cellar has a dedicated tasting room. The castle boasts “five bedrooms, five full and two partial bathrooms” and an elevator. Instead of an old fashioned dragon, the castle comes equipped with modern conveniences like a “Tudor-style pub,” fitness center, billiards room, and the obligatory home theater.
To wave at your cheering vassals you have “six balconies outside and two more inside.” There’s plenty of room for classic carriages in the four-car attached garage with “a Charles Dickens-era streets of London theme.”
Detail is exquisite everywhere with “ornate crown and base moldings, hand-painted artwork on ceilings and kitchen tiles, stone walls, custom woodwork, silk wallpaper and hand-carved cherubs.” In total, the castle has 26 rooms and 10,781 square feet of living space.
The home, sans dragon, was built in 1990 by “the late James LeBlanc, who made a promise to his wife Vera on Christmas in 1969 that he would build her a castle. Money was no object, it was designed to entertain, to have people over.” The asking price is a steal considering it cost more than $10 million to build.
