The Castle, at 22,000 square feet in size, has had six known owners. The Seelys lived there until 1942, when Mr. Seely died at age 70. Mrs. Seely then moved to the Battery Park Hotel in downtown Asheville. In the winter of 1949, Evelyn Grove Seely, daughter of entrepreneur Edwin Wiley Grove and widow of Fred Seely, offered to sell her former home to the second owner, Asheville-Biltmore College. The college was there from 1949 to 1961, until they outgrew the available facilities. The limited area for developing new buildings caused the trustees to move the college to its current site on the northern edge of Asheville. The UNCA trustees sold the Castle and surrounding acreage to the Holiday Inn chain. They were the third owners. They kept some of the land behind the Castle and built a Holiday Inn building on this land. The county did not know the building was intended to be a commercial hotel so the owners were not granted a final permit. The owners converted the massive new block shaped building into a condominium complex (units selling for $99,000 in 2014). The chain owners sold the Castle and surrounding landscaped hillside to Jerry Sternberg for $40,000. He was the fourth owner. He convinced his wife that she would enjoy the Castle since she could have a 1,000 square foot closet. He upgraded the heating system from coal to oil fuel and put a new roof on the structure. He planned to turn the house into a museum but his plan never came to fruition. He then sought to turn the facility over to a non-profit organization. Overlook Ministries was the fifth owner. The sixth and current owner is the Wells family. They acquired it in 1984 and restored it to its original splendor.[3]
Having grown up in Asheville, we were always told a legend about a vampire living there and that was the reason the homeless population in Asheville kept disappearing
Also there is a women ....journalist that has proof of satanic rituals that have gone on thier.I she has got multiple threats to her life and know has move away to protect her life
I live in a small town about 20 minutes away from Asheville and the castle is a very weird place. I remember when I was a kid my Dad drove me and my sister up the mountain to see if we could get a look at it. Of course we didn't, but after watching this video I remember that man being in the yard (of what we can see) and raking leaves. Creepy! Love your channel!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I was very concerned for your safety once he pulled out that early 2000's era flip phone and threatened to take a .003 megapixel photo of you. Looks like you barely escaped that one!
I went inside that castle, when I was a kid, sometime in the mid to late 1970s. There was a small pond outside the front entrance with I think a small stone bridge going over it. There were Koi fish, if I remember correctly, swimming in the pond. I can remember that it was really cool getting to go inside a real castle.
CB: I know this is an old vlog but I'm going back over many of your old trips after having found your channel. Don't know if you check the comments on the old videos but I located the following information from the magazine WNC (Western North Carolina) from 2014: "Overlook was back on the market in 1983, and was purchased by Loren Wells, CEO of the Hendersonville-based clothing retailer Bon Worth, and his wife, Keela. The couple was dismayed to find the property beset by trespassers and vandals, a place where local teenagers went to make whoopie and mayhem. So they installed fences and other security measures, and for the past 30 years, the castle has been shrouded by an element of mystery. (Loren has not responded to WNC magazine’s requests for interviews.)" Based on what I've read, the gentleman that you encountered was Mr. Wells. Mr. Wells lead a very interesting life and was a football player at UNC (my alma-mater) in his youth. He passed away last year. The link to his obit is www.hendersonvillelightning.com/news/7269-loren-wells-who-built-empire-on-polyester-dies-at-age-76.html Mr. Wells was apparently in the earlier stages of Alzheimers when you met him, sadly. Seelys' was at one point a college and then was owned by Outlook Christian Ministries (they were a "full gospel" ministry meaning their services included "speaking in tounges" and being "slain in the spirit" which is where some folks may have confused the "satanism" stuff from. So, no Satanic Cult...just a guy that sold lots of ladies' polyester pants. :-)
I knew this as the Overlook Castle. It was a very interesting place to see. It was actually built as a castle and looked great. I am sure the reason for the razor wire was to keep trespassers out. You could see the castle from Tunnel Road as you went up the hill towards the tunnel in the winter time. At one time it was rented out to Overlook Ministries (A Christian Ministry) , if I remember correctly. I accurately attended some of the services there for a while.The place was beautiful, at least back in the mid 70's
You did nothing wrong, you didn't touch the fence you didn't attempt to go through the fence you stayed on public property if anything what he did was wrong and illegal.
+The Carpetbagger Not sure where you grew up--and please don' t take this the wrong way--but a lot of people in the south are totally bats when it comes to their "private property". The farther south you go, the worse it is. For instance...if you ever find yourself in south Georgia...don't trespass. I mean...just don't do it. It doesn't matter if it's posted...if you're in doubt about whether something is on public land or private land or abandoned land...just stay in your vehicle. My people down there in the low country of Georgia...they're insane about trespassing.
I used to think my fellow south Georgians were the worst about it...but I've been told by friends who live in Oklahoma that landowners there are even more radical. Guns will be used if you trespass (even accidentally). I'm reminded of the cartoon character from the PowerPuff Girls named Fuzzy Lumpkin (named after a county in north Georgia, you know). www.dailymotion.com/video/xooayv_fuzzy-lumpkins_shortfilms
Re: razor wire. My apartment bldg has fencing in back topped by razor wire. Its to keep bad guys out. As to the attitude of that man, he has probably had his share of people trying to get on the property because the place is known and closed off and "inquiring minds want to know". He's probably security for the estate and it's his job to keep people out.
+Buckl Yeah, I told him I was on public property. He argued that everything on that side of the road was his property. I feel like the fence is the established perimeter
The Carpetbagger your very right the fence is the property line and my parents talk about the castle all the time and me and my wife and brother went up town mountain rd but we couldn't find the castle could you by any chance email me the directions to the castle
WOAH! You handled that nicely. His underwear was in a knot, that's all. The property between the street and the gate is public so there is nothing you can be charged with. I did in fact think it was sweet of you to say you did not mean to wake him up. Had he laid a hand on you though, he would go to jail himself for you were across the street and came after you. So you were VERY smart by keeping your camera going for evidence. Way to stay strong in a situation like this. You looked a bit worked up at the end.
I HAVE LIVED IN ASHEVILLE MY WHOLE LIFE AND I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO INTO THE CASTLE MY MOTHER SAID AFTER HER HIGH SCHOOL PROM HER AND HER STEP SISTER WENT UP THERE AND THERE WAS A MAN IN A BLACK TRENCH COAT AND WAS VERY STRANGE SHE SAID HE WOULD NOT LET THEM IN BUT SHE SEEN THE BALLROOM THRU THE WINDOW AND SHE SAID THERE WAS HALF DOLLAR COINS IN THE FLOOR AND SHE SAID WHEN SHE WAS LITTLE SHE HEARD THERE IS A TORCHER CHAMBER IN THE BASEMENT WHERE THEY USED TO TORCHER PEOPLE SHE SAID THERE IS MACHINES THAT WOULD PULL YOU APART AND ON A CERTAIN NIGHT BLOOD WOULD POOR FROM THE WALLS AND YOU CAN HEAR SCREAMING SO IT INTERESTED ME SO WENT WITH TWO FRIENDS ONE NIGHT AND THERE WAS A STRIP RUNNING ACROSS THE GROUND IN FRONT OF THE FENCE IT RINGS TO LET THEM KNOW SOMEONE IS THERE NEXT THING YOU KNOW I HEARD DOGS BARKING THEN THAT SAME MAN PULLED UP IN HIS CAR AND GOT OUT POINTED A PISTOL AT US I TOOK OFF DOWN THE MOUNTAIN WITH THIS CRAZY MAN CHASING ME HALF WAY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SO I PULLED IN SOMEONE'S DRIVE WAY AND JUST SIT THERE AND HE WAS WAITING FOR ME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVEWAY THEN DROVE OFF SO YES THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING STRANGE GOING ON THERE SURE WISH I COULD SEE THE INSIDE BUT THE DRONE IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA BUT HE WILL PROBABLY SHOOT IT OUT OF THE SKY IF HE SEES IT LOL LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY LUCK
My grandfather was in the SS and used to tell us stories of the really bad war criminals that ended up in the states and told us a few had connections to the owner of that castle but he probably had a bad case of dementia.
The house has had five known owners. The Seelys lived there until 1942, when Mr. Seely died at age 70. In the winter of 1949, Evelyn Grove Seely, daughter of entrepreneur Edwin Wiley Grove and widow of Fred Seely, offered to sell her former home to the second owner, Asheville-Biltmore College. The college was there from 1949 to 1961, until they outgrew the available facilities. The limited area for developing new buildings caused the trustees to move the college to its current site on the northern edge of Asheville. The third owner was Mr. Jerry Sternberg. He upgraded the heating system from coal to oil fuel and put a new roof on the structure. He planned to turn the house into a museum but his plan never came to fruition. He then sought to turn the facility over to a non-profit organization. Overlook Ministries was the fourth owner. The fifth and current owner is the Wells family. They acquired it in 1984 and restored it
The guy you encountered is probably a live in caretaker/handyman. I suspect he was upset because you're not the first person to set off the alarm by rattling the gate. It gets old after a while. Fred Seely was a building contractor from New Jersey, son-in-law of E.W. Grove, who conceived the Grove Park Inn, a well known resort hotel in Asheville. E.W.Grove gifted his son-in-law with 29 acres on nearby Sunset Mountain, where Seely built a 20,000 square foot mansion. The Grove Park Inn was completed in 1914, and Seely's mansion was completed in 1916. Seely added a western wing, housing a music room and library, in 1924. The proper name for the house is Overlook. There's nothing satanic about the place. It's just how rich people built mansions in what was then rural North Carolina back around the time of the first World War. Fred Seely died in 1942. Mrs. Seely moved to the Battery Park Hotel in downtown Asheville. The house was empty for a while, although there are some hints the property may have been used by the U.S. Government & possibly housed some secret war effort during that time. In 1949, she sold Overlook to Asheville-Biltmore College. It was the home of the college from 1949 to 1961 when the college moved to its current campus and became UNC Asheville. In 1964 the property was sold to a developer who built a high-rise on the north end of the property, and sold the mansion along with 6 acres of land to a local businessman who lived there with his family until about 1976. Unable to find a buyer for the property, the businessman donated the mansion to Christian Books Unlimited of Montreat, NC. in 1976. Christian Books Unlimited used the property to host Overlook Christian Ministries. The property apparently sat empty for a while before Christian Books Unlimited & Overlook Christian Ministries sold the property in 1983 or 1984. "Seely Castle" is currently owned by the CEO of a discount women's apparel chain based in western North Carolina. When he bought the mansion it was plagued by trespassers, vandals and local teens using the site to engage in behaviors their parents would not approve of. The new owners put the fence & security system in because they got tired of people showing up at all hours of the day & night. Many of the uninvited visitors did not have innocent intentions. The razor wire is there because too many people won't be at all bothered climbing over the fence.
I grew up in Asheville and have known about this place my whole life. The reason it has fence and wire around it is because people hear stupid rumors and think they need to go investigate it. The property has been privately owned for as long as I've been alive. At some point in the '60s I believe it was used as a college. It's just a cool old house, no nazi's or anything crazy has ever gone on there.
I've been in it several times when it was actually open to visitors. There were tons of idiots pulling stunts there over the years, but otherwise you're right. It's just a cool old house.
Good job getting on the other side of the road. I once talked with a county tax assessor who had to deal with the occasional home owner who wouldn't let him on the property, which, of course they have the legal right to. The assessor would simply take pictures of the property from the street (public property) and then quite rationally assume he performed every update and possible remodeling available. Every time the home owner would complain about the jump in assessed value and let him on the property. I must commend you for your tactfulness and respect, by the way. I'm afraid if someone got in my face like that guy did I'd up the stakes and find someone with a drone! (evil grin)
You could tell he was not going the be reasonable from the start. It's unfortunate he didn't take the time to understand what you were doing before getting so pissed. Did he calm down later and talk to you or did he leave as pissed as he arrived?
I have lived in Asheville all my life and there is a reason for the razor wire. There have been so many people trespassing over the years and trying to break into the castle. Seelys castle actually used to be a campus for a college. My mom was a police officer and worked security there. A family actually lives there now.
I’m def going to go take pics of that place. If he comes out and shows me his surgery scar I will put do him. I have had 33 surgeries. Had it been me, I would Have been thrilled someone wanted to see my place and then I would have given you the whole history , even on the day of my surgery and I have had major surgeries.
+Lisa Phillips Maybe next time Jacob should take a Hells Angel Biker type with him. Maybe we should pitch in and buy him some protection. LOL But I have a feeling Mr Carpetbagger could handle his own and come out the winner.
The latest owners of Seely's castle are really rude. I heard the original owners were good-spirited. I wonder what's going on up there. It's my dream home and I pass by there quite often. Sucks the owners have to be so rude! I wish I could visit
OMG that was hilarious! that old dude has issues! U handled it perfectly! bwahahaha ~ i live here in Asheville ~ i hope u don’t mind bears because this is now bear country 😎
No but people who don't want anyone on their private living spaces who knows how nosey ghost hunters are.. ghost choose to remain invisible for a reason👻
Hi! I'm a Asheville born and raised here. I didn't hear about this until last year. So, I went to go find it. I couldn't even find the fence! Please share with me how you got there!
That angry guy actually looks familiar. I'm pretty sure he was a customer of mine when I worked at the Highlands RadioShack ... seems like he was a really angry guy then, too (which is probably why he seems familiar -- he made quite an impression on me)
No. You can't. It's privately owned. The reason for the razor wire, and probably the reason that man was so hateful, is because there's people trying to get up there all the time. It probably drives him crazy. They also probably put up security because Asheville's got some really weird people (I grew up there) and there was probably some confused kids trying to get up there to do some satanist stuff. I'm sure they've had their share of weird trespassers over the years.
It has razor wire because people hear the rumors and want to go investigate. Not because there’s anything to hide. You come onto my property without permission, and I’m going to be pretty pissed off too.
Oh Mercy!!! So much wasted energy being angry. I think, myself, I would of started laughing. I know that's not nice but I know I have when so much aggression is thrust at me. Your a Good Man Jacob ☆☆☆☆
There's an old home here in my hometown, the Kildare House, in Huntsville, Alabama. They people who live there are crazy, just like this dude. They get angry if you stop ON THE ROAD, in front of the house, which is a public thoroughfare, and just look at the house. No one bothers them. People just stop to look at it because it is so beautiful. They have recently had a tall fence erected around the property, and you can't see it at all now, except for the turrets and the roof line. Very disappointing.
+uzi1951 I was not worried about him calling the police, because I wasn't breaking the law. I also didn't feel like sitting there waiting for the police to show up.
My mother told me that during WWII there was a German group on Beaucatcher mountain sending weather forecasts back to Germany for planning in the Atlantic and European theaters of war. She did not say either way as to if they were in the castle or another place on the mountain. No idea if any of this was actually fact or not.
I'm not saying the old gentleman was in the right but I bet u anything this fella is constantly chasing kids off his property whom are there in hopes to witness some crazy sh#t. Unfortunately the place has many stories connected to it which are more than likely bullsh#t. This man probably just wants some peace and quiet and enjoy his amazing property in his later years. I guarantee he is not getting that peace and quiet. It's to the point to where this his how he reacts when he thinks his property is under attack by curious folks. So remember there is 2 sides to every story.
The owner of the house passed away a year or so ago of alzheimer's, it's very possible this was a combination of alzheimer's and years of people trying to get onto the property.
"You used to call me on my flip phone... Or threatened to take a picture of me on it ...." Sang my grandson, laughing at Mr. Gaurdman as he watched your video with me...lol
i stopped here a couple of weeks ago and this old dude was outside down next to the rd at the fence with his hood up on his ford ranger truck. very odd. a old dog was laying on a blanket trying to bark. lol it too looked very old and ill. he walked over and said what do you want? i told him i was interested in photographing this place and if it was possible? he said why? you are the 2nd person thats been here today in the last 30 mins. why are you here? its not everyday you see a castle on a hillside i said , is it a privite residence? for sale? accessible? sure looks cool. he said he and his family lived there for 37 yrs. then, he said he had been there 27 and his boss was very wealthy and you had to have alot of money to own a place like this. now go away! i ask more questions, he was telling me not to listen to what stories were told about it. they were untrue. he must be the groundskeeper. not the owner. and yes he is just a old hateful man. i said do you just sit down here and wait to tell people to go away or do you need help getting that car started, i see you have your hood up. lol tree limbs laying all over the place. looks like they need a new groundskeeper. place looks like hell, i told him to have a good day and he got his now updated phone out and took a pic of me as i drove off, i waved
There is an easement on the sides of roads both for ingress and egress reasons, as well as possible widening or maintenance of the road, if needed. You weren't on his property, legally. Notice how far back from the road his fence is set, he cannot have it up next to the road.
+Kirsten Phillips Apparently there was a motion detector on the outside of the fence. If he doesn't want it to wake him up, maybe he should put it on the other side of the fence
He probably gets a lot of shit from urban explorers who have no moral compass. I just want to know, looking at the car he drives, I doubt he's at all the owner. Probably just the caretaker. Sometimes when it comes to people that angry all I feel is pity because it must be terrible to live inside that head. But... anyone who gets nose to nose with me and spittles... gets a face full of stomach gas and death breath. "BWARRPhfffblurp. Sorry."
Ogre302 No, he couldn't. There's no way for anyone to get in there. Jacob was not on his property. He's just a mean old bastard in the mid cycling of full blown dementia or Alzheimer's setting in. He has probably been used to living a somewhat entitled lifestyle from being at the Castle, so he thinks he's better than everyone else.
I like how you tried to defuse the situation calmly when you realized his anger was escalating. Even after the way he treated you , you still treated the man with respect assuming he had emotional problems. At the end of the video you even apologized to the man for upsetting him.. Class act ....Subscribed!
Advice for Homeowners: NEWSFLASH---THIS JUST IN: If you don't want people looking at your house and/or near the surrounding property then don't buy a gigantic place that has a wild reputation and that will automatically get attention. If you're going to live in such a place of course have fences (the razor wire is a bit extreme but it does keep troublemakers out) and professional security guards who don't have stoke-level blood pressure but you can't expect people to go by with their hands up to their faces, shielding their eyes, so they can't see where you live. You live in a place that attracts attention so expect attention.
you might have been able to get some information from him about who he was ect....unfortunately, you didn't or couldn't at the time, you handles it well tho!
write a letter saying you're interested in the history of the place can you film a little segment there Apologise that you got off on the wrong foot :D
They probably have people screwing around there all the time. They probably have vandalism around there all the time. That you were nowhere even really close is what bothered me. I mean, it is 100% legal to take pictures, or film, as long as you are not "trespassing" on the propert itself.
The Castle, at 22,000 square feet in size, has had six known owners. The Seelys lived there until 1942, when Mr. Seely died at age 70. Mrs. Seely then moved to the Battery Park Hotel in downtown Asheville. In the winter of 1949, Evelyn Grove Seely, daughter of entrepreneur Edwin Wiley Grove and widow of Fred Seely, offered to sell her former home to the second owner, Asheville-Biltmore College. The college was there from 1949 to 1961, until they outgrew the available facilities. The limited area for developing new buildings caused the trustees to move the college to its current site on the northern edge of Asheville. The UNCA trustees sold the Castle and surrounding acreage to the Holiday Inn chain. They were the third owners. They kept some of the land behind the Castle and built a Holiday Inn building on this land. The county did not know the building was intended to be a commercial hotel so the owners were not granted a final permit. The owners converted the massive new block shaped building into a condominium complex (units selling for $99,000 in 2014). The chain owners sold the Castle and surrounding landscaped hillside to Jerry Sternberg for $40,000. He was the fourth owner. He convinced his wife that she would enjoy the Castle since she could have a 1,000 square foot closet. He upgraded the heating system from coal to oil fuel and put a new roof on the structure. He planned to turn the house into a museum but his plan never came to fruition. He then sought to turn the facility over to a non-profit organization. Overlook Ministries was the fifth owner. The sixth and current owner is the Wells family. They acquired it in 1984 and restored it to its original splendor.[3]
+MrIndyjoe7 How did you find all this out?
My grandmother actually went to school there when it was Asheville-Biltmore.
Wooow
Right before the property sold in 1984, we were able to go up and go inside the castle. It's a very fascinating place.
The Wells are known as some of the first settlers of Melbourne, Florida. The Green Gables mansion was originally built and owned by the Wells...
Having grown up in Asheville, we were always told a legend about a vampire living there and that was the reason the homeless population in Asheville kept disappearing
Yup I personally know of a young girl that disappeared after attending a Halloween party!!!!!!!!!
Also there is a women ....journalist that has proof of satanic rituals that have gone on thier.I she has got multiple threats to her life and know has move away to protect her life
Guess that vampire mustve died look at the homeless population now😂
I live in a small town about 20 minutes away from Asheville and the castle is a very weird place. I remember when I was a kid my Dad drove me and my sister up the mountain to see if we could get a look at it. Of course we didn't, but after watching this video I remember that man being in the yard (of what we can see) and raking leaves. Creepy! Love your channel!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I was very concerned for your safety once he pulled out that early 2000's era flip phone and threatened to take a .003 megapixel photo of you. Looks like you barely escaped that one!
Lol I thought it was a Taser gun at first 😂
I went inside that castle, when I was a kid, sometime in the mid to late 1970s. There was a small pond outside the front entrance with I think a small stone bridge going over it. There were Koi fish, if I remember correctly, swimming in the pond. I can remember that it was really cool getting to go inside a real castle.
CB: I know this is an old vlog but I'm going back over many of your old trips after having found your channel. Don't know if you check the comments on the old videos but I located the following information from the magazine WNC (Western North Carolina) from 2014: "Overlook was back on the market in 1983, and was purchased by Loren Wells, CEO of the Hendersonville-based clothing retailer Bon Worth, and his wife, Keela. The couple was dismayed to find the property beset by trespassers and vandals, a place where local teenagers went to make whoopie and mayhem. So they installed fences and other security measures, and for the past 30 years, the castle has been shrouded by an element of mystery. (Loren has not responded to WNC magazine’s requests for interviews.)" Based on what I've read, the gentleman that you encountered was Mr. Wells. Mr. Wells lead a very interesting life and was a football player at UNC (my alma-mater) in his youth. He passed away last year. The link to his obit is www.hendersonvillelightning.com/news/7269-loren-wells-who-built-empire-on-polyester-dies-at-age-76.html Mr. Wells was apparently in the earlier stages of Alzheimers when you met him, sadly. Seelys' was at one point a college and then was owned by Outlook Christian Ministries (they were a "full gospel" ministry meaning their services included "speaking in tounges" and being "slain in the spirit" which is where some folks may have confused the "satanism" stuff from. So, no Satanic Cult...just a guy that sold lots of ladies' polyester pants. :-)
I knew this as the Overlook Castle. It was a very interesting place to see. It was actually built as a castle and looked great. I am sure the reason for the razor wire was to keep trespassers out. You could see the castle from Tunnel Road as you went up the hill towards the tunnel in the winter time. At one time it was rented out to Overlook Ministries (A Christian Ministry) , if I remember correctly. I accurately attended some of the services there for a while.The place was beautiful, at least back in the mid 70's
You did nothing wrong, you didn't touch the fence you didn't attempt to go through the fence you stayed on public property if anything what he did was wrong and illegal.
+The Carpetbagger there's just no reasoning with an unreasonable person...and he appeared to be MOST unreasonable.
+The Carpetbagger Not sure where you grew up--and please don' t take this the wrong way--but a lot of people in the south are totally bats when it comes to their "private property". The farther south you go, the worse it is. For instance...if you ever find yourself in south Georgia...don't trespass. I mean...just don't do it. It doesn't matter if it's posted...if you're in doubt about whether something is on public land or private land or abandoned land...just stay in your vehicle.
My people down there in the low country of Georgia...they're insane about trespassing.
+James Smith I've noticed:)
I used to think my fellow south Georgians were the worst about it...but I've been told by friends who live in Oklahoma that landowners there are even more radical. Guns will be used if you trespass (even accidentally).
I'm reminded of the cartoon character from the PowerPuff Girls named Fuzzy Lumpkin (named after a county in north Georgia, you know).
www.dailymotion.com/video/xooayv_fuzzy-lumpkins_shortfilms
Re: razor wire. My apartment bldg has fencing in back topped by razor wire. Its to keep bad guys out. As to the attitude of that man, he has probably had his share of people trying to get on the property because the place is known and closed off and "inquiring minds want to know". He's probably security for the estate and it's his job to keep people out.
As long as you are on public property , its really nothing he can do. you should have asked him to call the law.
+Buckl Yeah, I told him I was on public property. He argued that everything on that side of the road was his property. I feel like the fence is the established perimeter
The Carpetbagger your very right the fence is the property line and my parents talk about the castle all the time and me and my wife and brother went up town mountain rd but we couldn't find the castle could you by any chance email me the directions to the castle
@@LoveMyMartinDC search overlook castle on Google maps. I think it's 710 town mountain road though.
WOAH! You handled that nicely. His underwear was in a knot, that's all. The property between the street and the gate is public so there is nothing you can be charged with. I did in fact think it was sweet of you to say you did not mean to wake him up. Had he laid a hand on you though, he would go to jail himself for you were across the street and came after you. So you were VERY smart by keeping your camera going for evidence. Way to stay strong in a situation like this. You looked a bit worked up at the end.
I HAVE LIVED IN ASHEVILLE MY WHOLE LIFE AND I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO INTO THE CASTLE MY MOTHER SAID AFTER HER HIGH SCHOOL PROM HER AND HER STEP SISTER WENT UP THERE AND THERE WAS A MAN IN A BLACK TRENCH COAT AND WAS VERY STRANGE SHE SAID HE WOULD NOT LET THEM IN BUT SHE SEEN THE BALLROOM THRU THE WINDOW AND SHE SAID THERE WAS HALF DOLLAR COINS IN THE FLOOR AND SHE SAID WHEN SHE WAS LITTLE SHE HEARD THERE IS A TORCHER CHAMBER IN THE BASEMENT WHERE THEY USED TO TORCHER PEOPLE SHE SAID THERE IS MACHINES THAT WOULD PULL YOU APART AND ON A CERTAIN NIGHT BLOOD WOULD POOR FROM THE WALLS AND YOU CAN HEAR SCREAMING SO IT INTERESTED ME SO WENT WITH TWO FRIENDS ONE NIGHT AND THERE WAS A STRIP RUNNING ACROSS THE GROUND IN FRONT OF THE FENCE IT RINGS TO LET THEM KNOW SOMEONE IS THERE NEXT THING YOU KNOW I HEARD DOGS BARKING THEN THAT SAME MAN PULLED UP IN HIS CAR AND GOT OUT POINTED A PISTOL AT US I TOOK OFF DOWN THE MOUNTAIN WITH THIS CRAZY MAN CHASING ME HALF WAY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SO I PULLED IN SOMEONE'S DRIVE WAY AND JUST SIT THERE AND HE WAS WAITING FOR ME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVEWAY THEN DROVE OFF SO YES THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING STRANGE GOING ON THERE SURE WISH I COULD SEE THE INSIDE BUT THE DRONE IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA BUT HE WILL PROBABLY SHOOT IT OUT OF THE SKY IF HE SEES IT LOL LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY LUCK
Speaking as an Asheville resident, that was sad but your reaction to his outburst was hysterical and adorable. 👻
My grandfather was in the SS and used to tell us stories of the really bad war criminals that ended up in the states and told us a few had connections to the owner of that castle but he probably had a bad case of dementia.
The house has had five known owners. The Seelys lived there until 1942, when Mr. Seely died at age 70. In the winter of 1949, Evelyn Grove Seely, daughter of entrepreneur Edwin Wiley Grove and widow of Fred Seely, offered to sell her former home to the second owner, Asheville-Biltmore College. The college was there from 1949 to 1961, until they outgrew the available facilities. The limited area for developing new buildings caused the trustees to move the college to its current site on the northern edge of Asheville. The third owner was Mr. Jerry Sternberg. He upgraded the heating system from coal to oil fuel and put a new roof on the structure. He planned to turn the house into a museum but his plan never came to fruition. He then sought to turn the facility over to a non-profit organization. Overlook Ministries was the fourth owner. The fifth and current owner is the Wells family. They acquired it in 1984 and restored it
The guy you encountered is probably a live in caretaker/handyman. I suspect he was upset because you're not the first person to set off the alarm by rattling the gate. It gets old after a while.
Fred Seely was a building contractor from New Jersey, son-in-law of E.W. Grove, who conceived the Grove Park Inn, a well known resort hotel in Asheville. E.W.Grove gifted his son-in-law with 29 acres on nearby Sunset Mountain, where Seely built a 20,000 square foot mansion. The Grove Park Inn was completed in 1914, and Seely's mansion was completed in 1916. Seely added a western wing, housing a music room and library, in 1924.
The proper name for the house is Overlook.
There's nothing satanic about the place. It's just how rich people built mansions in what was then rural North Carolina back around the time of the first World War. Fred Seely died in 1942. Mrs. Seely moved to the Battery Park Hotel in downtown Asheville. The house was empty for a while, although there are some hints the property may have been used by the U.S. Government & possibly housed some secret war effort during that time.
In 1949, she sold Overlook to Asheville-Biltmore College. It was the home of the college from 1949 to 1961 when the college moved to its current campus and became UNC Asheville.
In 1964 the property was sold to a developer who built a high-rise on the north end of the property, and sold the mansion along with 6 acres of land to a local businessman who lived there with his family until about 1976.
Unable to find a buyer for the property, the businessman donated the mansion to Christian Books Unlimited of Montreat, NC. in 1976. Christian Books Unlimited used the property to host Overlook Christian Ministries. The property apparently sat empty for a while before Christian Books Unlimited & Overlook Christian Ministries sold the property in 1983 or 1984.
"Seely Castle" is currently owned by the CEO of a discount women's apparel chain based in western North Carolina.
When he bought the mansion it was plagued by trespassers, vandals and local teens using the site to engage in behaviors their parents would not approve of. The new owners put the fence & security system in because they got tired of people showing up at all hours of the day & night.
Many of the uninvited visitors did not have innocent intentions. The razor wire is there because too many people won't be at all bothered climbing over the fence.
Is this up by Helens Bridge?
I'm wondering that myself.🤔 We've heard stuff about that whole area up there above Beaucatcher Tunnel. Place always gives me the creeps.🫣
I grew up in Asheville and have known about this place my whole life. The reason it has fence and wire around it is because people hear stupid rumors and think they need to go investigate it. The property has been privately owned for as long as I've been alive. At some point in the '60s I believe it was used as a college. It's just a cool old house, no nazi's or anything crazy has ever gone on there.
My dad worked on the roof there and remembers there was a pack of wolves there.
I've been in it several times when it was actually open to visitors. There were tons of idiots pulling stunts there over the years, but otherwise you're right. It's just a cool old house.
Asheville WAS home to the Silver Legion of America. Pseudo-Nazis, if you will
Good job getting on the other side of the road. I once talked with a county tax assessor who had to deal with the occasional home owner who wouldn't let him on the property, which, of course they have the legal right to. The assessor would simply take pictures of the property from the street (public property) and then quite rationally assume he performed every update and possible remodeling available. Every time the home owner would complain about the jump in assessed value and let him on the property.
I must commend you for your tactfulness and respect, by the way. I'm afraid if someone got in my face like that guy did I'd up the stakes and find someone with a drone! (evil grin)
+Lolicat Ha! Now that is hilarious
You could tell he was not going the be reasonable from the start. It's unfortunate he didn't take the time to understand what you were doing before getting so pissed. Did he calm down later and talk to you or did he leave as pissed as he arrived?
+Explore With Us Yeah, he not give me a chance
My dad worked on the roof there and said the owner at the time had a pack of tamed wolves.
I have lived in Asheville all my life and there is a reason for the razor wire. There have been so many people trespassing over the years and trying to break into the castle. Seelys castle actually used to be a campus for a college. My mom was a police officer and worked security there. A family actually lives there now.
Lol he had a flip Phone. "Call the cops" "how about I call them for you!"
that old man has anger issues, that was funny when you told him I'll take a selfie with you, classic. thanks for the video, keep them coming. ....
I’m def going to go take pics of that place. If he comes out and shows me his surgery scar I will put do him. I have had 33 surgeries. Had it been me, I would Have been thrilled someone wanted to see my place and then I would have given you the whole history , even on the day of my surgery and I have had major surgeries.
He was pissed! I imagine he deals with people showing up almost daily.
People do some digging into that place really research it !!!!!!
This castle is not 'demonic!' Haunted maybe but not demonic.
Opps.. now that was funny...how could he yell at such a kind soul as you...
+Lisa Phillips Maybe next time Jacob should take a Hells Angel Biker type with him. Maybe we should pitch in and buy him some protection. LOL But I have a feeling Mr Carpetbagger could handle his own and come out the winner.
+Vickie Cook Yeah, maybe I could get my own rent-a-cop :)
I thought he was coming at you with a gun at first, then I saw it was a stupid flip phone! lmao
+Kirsten Phillips You'd think if he lived in a castle he could afford a smart phone
The latest owners of Seely's castle are really rude. I heard the original owners were good-spirited. I wonder what's going on up there. It's my dream home and I pass by there quite often. Sucks the owners have to be so rude! I wish I could visit
OMG that was hilarious! that old dude has issues! U handled it perfectly! bwahahaha ~ i live here in Asheville ~ i hope u don’t mind bears because this is now bear country 😎
Was that Jim Lahey? Trailer Park Supervisor??
so we should get like 40 people with drones down there, huh
LOL looked like fun. I guess a walk through was out of the question.
+William R I totally should have asked him :)
No but people who don't want anyone on their private living spaces who knows how nosey ghost hunters are.. ghost choose to remain invisible for a reason👻
But did the cops come?
To hell with that old man, keep giving us great videos ✌️
Hi! I'm a Asheville born and raised here. I didn't hear about this until last year. So, I went to go find it. I couldn't even find the fence! Please share with me how you got there!
That angry guy actually looks familiar. I'm pretty sure he was a customer of mine when I worked at the Highlands RadioShack ... seems like he was a really angry guy then, too (which is probably why he seems familiar -- he made quite an impression on me)
he set the alarms off.
that guy was something else.....
I would have woke him up again,lol. strange. its a huge castle what does he think people are going to do? crazy.
+jeff takesphotos Yeah, better dig a moat
I laughed way too much over this. Oh wow! That was awesome.
Tried to find it to take pics of the castle,but couldn't find it.
Do you know if you can get into celeys casle know
No. You can't. It's privately owned. The reason for the razor wire, and probably the reason that man was so hateful, is because there's people trying to get up there all the time. It probably drives him crazy. They also probably put up security because Asheville's got some really weird people (I grew up there) and there was probably some confused kids trying to get up there to do some satanist stuff. I'm sure they've had their share of weird trespassers over the years.
No telling what's being done there. Whoever they said "lived" there is just to scare folks away
good old Google,checked a few different sources and this is what I got
people who want to be left the fuck alone do.
People with nothing to hide don't like intruder's
I'm sure he would be really mad if a intruder showed up
Wow sorry that happened to you. But what the hell. why was he so mad? Did you find anything out about the castle
Jacob you were absolutely right. why put up razor wire unless you have something to hide
It has razor wire because people hear the rumors and want to go investigate. Not because there’s anything to hide. You come onto my property without permission, and I’m going to be pretty pissed off too.
What I see is a private citizen on his own private property. Leave him alone!
Oh Mercy!!! So much wasted energy being angry. I think, myself, I would of started laughing. I know that's not nice but I know I have when so much aggression is thrust at me. Your a Good Man Jacob ☆☆☆☆
That's my feelings on anger as well
There's an old home here in my hometown, the Kildare House, in Huntsville, Alabama. They people who live there are crazy, just like this dude. They get angry if you stop ON THE ROAD, in front of the house, which is a public thoroughfare, and just look at the house. No one bothers them. People just stop to look at it because it is so beautiful. They have recently had a tall fence erected around the property, and you can't see it at all now, except for the turrets and the roof line. Very disappointing.
I love you so much Jacob ❤️
You are a better man than me. I call everyone's bluff.
+uzi1951 I was not worried about him calling the police, because I wasn't breaking the law. I also didn't feel like sitting there waiting for the police to show up.
I'm here because of Carpetbaggers Livestream from earlier tonight.
My mother told me that during WWII there was a German group on Beaucatcher mountain sending weather forecasts back to Germany for planning in the Atlantic and European theaters of war. She did not say either way as to if they were in the castle or another place on the mountain. No idea if any of this was actually fact or not.
what the hell?! that was odd!
Wow! I would hate to see him if something really bad did happen.
+Kathy Stidham Yeah, his head might explode
Your a good man Jacob...he has the problem !!!
I'm not saying the old gentleman was in the right but I bet u anything this fella is constantly chasing kids off his property whom are there in hopes to witness some crazy sh#t. Unfortunately the place has many stories connected to it which are more than likely bullsh#t. This man probably just wants some peace and quiet and enjoy his amazing property in his later years. I guarantee he is not getting that peace and quiet. It's to the point to where this his how he reacts when he thinks his property is under attack by curious folks. So remember there is 2 sides to every story.
The owner of the house passed away a year or so ago of alzheimer's, it's very possible this was a combination of alzheimer's and years of people trying to get onto the property.
"You used to call me on my flip phone... Or threatened to take a picture of me on it ...." Sang my grandson, laughing at Mr. Gaurdman as he watched your video with me...lol
+Sandy Razien Most people that own castles have smart phones
it looks like it had a lovely t of history, it's a shame that the owner doesn't open it up a few days a year for tourists.
I just read that this was built in two years. 😂🤣
In horse and buggy days! 😂🤣😂🤣
i stopped here a couple of weeks ago and this old dude was outside down next to the rd at the fence with his hood up on his ford ranger truck. very odd. a old dog was laying on a blanket trying to bark. lol it too looked very old and ill. he walked over and said what do you want? i told him i was interested in photographing this place and if it was possible? he said why? you are the 2nd person thats been here today in the last 30 mins. why are you here? its not everyday you see a castle on a hillside i said , is it a privite residence? for sale? accessible? sure looks cool. he said he and his family lived there for 37 yrs. then, he said he had been there 27 and his boss was very wealthy and you had to have alot of money to own a place like this. now go away! i ask more questions, he was telling me not to listen to what stories were told about it. they were untrue. he must be the groundskeeper. not the owner. and yes he is just a old hateful man. i said do you just sit down here and wait to tell people to go away or do you need help getting that car started, i see you have your hood up. lol tree limbs laying all over the place. looks like they need a new groundskeeper. place looks like hell, i told him to have a good day and he got his now updated phone out and took a pic of me as i drove off, i waved
Glad he got a new phone
Wow! Everyone knows about Biltmore but I had never heard of this place before. Thanks for the informative video!
He looked like a painter
I believe the dog sounds are a pack of coyotes...we have them all around here...I'm a native of Asheville
There is an easement on the sides of roads both for ingress and egress reasons, as well as possible widening or maintenance of the road, if needed. You weren't on his property, legally. Notice how far back from the road his fence is set, he cannot have it up next to the road.
+Tunnelfish2 That's kinda what I figured. I'm not a lawyer, but it seemed that I was good up to the fence
SPIT In Your Face ? ... That Is Assault ( Against The Law ) HE was At FAULT .... NOT You
what alarm? you were outside the fence. I guess the dogs heard you talking and woke his ass up on the job!
+Kirsten Phillips Apparently there was a motion detector on the outside of the fence. If he doesn't want it to wake him up, maybe he should put it on the other side of the fence
Spittled
Yikes!! Guess when there's razor wire...should be a clue.
I am trying to find it on Google Earth. Do you have a better address?
It's not my dad New the Poole who owned it in the 60s he stayed there
He probably gets a lot of shit from urban explorers who have no moral compass. I just want to know, looking at the car he drives, I doubt he's at all the owner. Probably just the caretaker. Sometimes when it comes to people that angry all I feel is pity because it must be terrible to live inside that head.
But... anyone who gets nose to nose with me and spittles... gets a face full of stomach gas and death breath. "BWARRPhfffblurp. Sorry."
+Ogre302 I agree with you. I try not to get mad at angry and negative people, because they are the ones that have to live with themselves
Ogre302 No, he couldn't. There's no way for anyone to get in there. Jacob was not on his property. He's just a mean old bastard in the mid cycling of full blown dementia or Alzheimer's setting in. He has probably been used to living a somewhat entitled lifestyle from being at the Castle, so he thinks he's better than everyone else.
I like how you tried to defuse the situation calmly when you realized his anger was escalating. Even after the way he treated you , you still treated the man with respect assuming he had emotional problems. At the end of the video you even apologized to the man for upsetting him.. Class act ....Subscribed!
The guy's name is Perry...he raises wolves and is a long time caretaker...neither Nazi nor satanic, just old school asheville
Sucks people can have so much negativity in them. Especially towards someone as cool as you Jacob!
+Ericka Clements Thank you! Yeah, I don't know why he was so angry
Those dogs barking and everything is probably a recording.
Haha I have met that guy before I got lost on that road and he started following my car and the. Got out and went all crazy on me.
Advice for Homeowners: NEWSFLASH---THIS JUST IN: If you don't want people looking at your house and/or near the surrounding property then don't buy a gigantic place that has a wild reputation and that will automatically get attention. If you're going to live in such a place of course have fences (the razor wire is a bit extreme but it does keep troublemakers out) and professional security guards who don't have stoke-level blood pressure but you can't expect people to go by with their hands up to their faces, shielding their eyes, so they can't see where you live. You live in a place that attracts attention so expect attention.
That's what puzzled me
I guess he thought he was threatening with his little ca. 2003 flip phone. "I'm gonna take yer picture..." 🤗
+Tami Traylor Yeah, I was confused on why that was supposed to upset me
What was up with the military style boots? What a weirdo!
military ?? those are cowboy boots with his pants tucked in
ohhhhhh what was he hiding,very strange
you might have been able to get some information from him about who he was ect....unfortunately, you didn't or couldn't at the time, you handles it well tho!
+pat murphy I would have loved to talk to him, but he didn't seem very friendly
wow! I can see the adrenaline still rushing in you . love the films !
What was that man going to do anyway
Satan worshipping?! I live in Asheville and that sounds like something somebody from one of the surrounding counties would say 😆
That's one nasty man... Show him friendship take a selfie! :)haha I thought he was going to send the dog on you..
+K. Erica Yeah, the dog scared me more then the man
The hurricane hit awful hard in that area, lots of witches there
Is that Mr Lahey
write a letter saying you're interested in the history of the place can you film a little segment there Apologise that you got off on the wrong foot :D
+kitty buckley I don't think there is anyway to make this guy calm down
O my god poor you your the nicest man if he would have just spoken with you he would have seen that too 🤔😳😢🙄💋💕💕💕💕
+monica sheldrake (Monicalovestormsheldrake) He didn't give me a chance to talk.......he came out screaming
Holy Crap, I thought you had dubbed in the dog sounds at first. Well it does seem like a great place to stay away from.
They probably have people screwing around there all the time.
They probably have vandalism around there all the time.
That you were nowhere even really close is what bothered me.
I mean, it is 100% legal to take pictures, or film, as long as you are not "trespassing" on the propert itself.
Bizarre!
barney fife takes his job waaay too serious. and he is obviously underpaid..note the flip phone he was waving around. Lol
+brian wiggins And his paint stained long underwear