The first “Castle romance” dates back nearly 100 years to the time when the Castle was known as Loeb Farms (1918-1927). The farm was the largest employer in Charlevoix County and had its own veterinarian, farm hands, cooks, blacksmith, gardeners, etc. Housing was available for single men, with one wing of the dairy barn (known as “The Club”) featuring card tables and modern shower baths.
The blacksmith, John Faber, was called to the family residence (‘the Big House’) to fashion a wrought iron chandelier. There John met a young girl named Floraine, who worked for the Loeb family as the cook at the farm and at their home in Chicago. Romance flourished, and the young couple soon married. They lived in a little house next to the Blacksmith Shop (now the 1918 Museum) and had two sons. Florine became the head cook for the Big House eventually. Both John and Floraine continued at their jobs until Loeb Farms closed in 1927.
