Witches' Castle property for sale in Utica
Oct. 18—UTICA — A Utica site known as the Witches' Castle has been the subject of countless legends and scary stories over the decades, and now, the property is for sale.
The wooded property at 5613 Upper River Road was listed for sale last week for $285,000. The 3.6-acre lot overlooks the Ohio River and backs up to the Quarry Bluff neighborhood.
The site, owned by Collin Properties, has been unused for many years. The ruins have long been an eerie place for teenagers and ghost hunters to explore, and a Google search reveals all sorts of questionable stories and myths about the so-called Witches' Castle.
Realtor Mark Hack of GreenTree Real Estate Services has his own memories associated with the property. When he was growing up, he often rode his bike to the ruins.
The site still has a "spooky feel," he said. However, he feels it is time for a new chapter for the property, and he envisions it being transformed into picturesque riverfront homes.
Hack said the development could take place out of the flood zone while maintaining the view of the river.
"It's a great piece of property and a great location, and I think it's just been overlooked due to the amount of work that it's going to take to get it where it needs to be," he said. "The right person, the right developer — if they can come in here and clear all this, they could build three or four home sites with beautiful river views."
STORIES BEHIND THE WITCHES' CASTLE
As you enter the woods of the riverfront property, you will come across the ruins of a house overtaken by vines. Little is left of the structure, but you can still walk through the foundation of the home and view the crumbling walls and fireplace, the stone covered in layers of graffiti.
Another stone structure that was once a small chapel sits in the woods, the News and Tribune previously reported, but Hack has not seen this particular building himself, he said.
The Witches' Castle has been shrouded in myth over the decades, and its connection with the murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer by a group of teenagers contributed to its reputation.
The property was not the site of the brutal 1992 murder, but Sharer was taken to the ruins before she was tortured and killed in Madison, Indiana.
Urban legends with numerous variations say that women believed to be witches used to live there before they were driven out and killed by townspeople, but there is no evidence of such a history.
What is known is that in the 1940s, J. Paul Druien built the stone house and a consecrated chapel at the property once known at Mistletoe Falls.
The site was later owned by Joseph Biagi, and his stepson set the house on fire, leaving the structure in ruins.
Ownership eventually transferred to Darlene Roach in 1985. She owned the site during the media frenzy of the Sharer murder case before selling it in 1993. The site was often portrayed in coverage of the case, leading to frequent trespassing and vandalism.
The site has also been of interest to paranormal investigators who claim to have seen apparitions and captured the sound of ghostly voices at the Witches' Castle.
Hack said "the history has definitely hurt it in the past," but he believes a developer could give the property a "fresh new start."
"We're in a time when developable riverfront property is almost gone in Southern Indiana, so I think it's a good piece that's just been overlooked," he said.
