Piatt Castles
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Abram S. Piatt House and Donn S. Piatt House
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Mac-O-Chee and Mac-A-Cheek Castles
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| Location | Township Road 47 and State Route 245 (Mac-A-Cheek); County Road 1 and State Route 287 (Mac-o-Chee), Monroe Township, Logan County, Ohio |
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| Coordinates | 40°15′12″N 83°43′27″W / 40.25333°N 83.72417°WCoordinates: 40°15′12″N 83°43′27″W / 40.25333°N 83.72417°W |
| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1864 |
| Architect | William McCoy Piatt; Kenton G. Haver |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Flemish |
| NRHP Reference # | 82003604 |
| Added to NRHP | May 3, 1982 |
The Piatt Castles, built by brothers Donn and Abram S. Piatt in the 1860s and 1870s, are two chateaux built in a Gothic design, located 1 mi (1.6 km) and 1.75 mi (2.82 km) east of the village of West Liberty in Logan County, Ohio, United States. They are open to the public. In 1982, the Castles were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Piatt family descended from France as French Huguenots who wished to escape religious persecution in a Catholic nation. Upon moving to the United States, the family took root in the colony of New Jersey, where the grandfather of Abram and Donn, Jacob Piatt, offered support to the country in the American Revolutionary War. As reward for his deeds, the newly founded government gave Jacob land in Kentucky, where he built his home.
While Jacob was a farmer and his son Benjamin was a lawyer, the family was also involved in flat boat trading up and down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers as well as real estate. By 1828, Benjamin had moved his family to Logan County, Ohio. It was here that he built a log cabin for his family. At the time of their move to Logan County, Donn was 9 years old and Abram was 7.
Mac-O-Chee (the home built by Donn, and designed by John L. Smithmeyer) and Mac-A-Cheek (built by Abram) were begun in 1864. Mac-A-Cheek was completed in 1871, and Mac-O-Chee completed in 1879. The homes were built only about 3/4 of mile apart from each other. Abram's home was built slightly smaller, but is more secluded and set away from the road. Donn's home is larger and sits closer to the road. Both homes have three stories and towers, boast painted ceilings, and have intricate woodwork. An 1880 county history speaks of Mac-O-Chee existing in a state of "almost baronial splendor". The two sit close to the Shawnee village of Mackachack, where Simon Kenton was forced to run the gauntlet after being captured by the Indians.
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