Iconic ‘castle’ in Fox River Grove cancels all events after village rescinds special-use permit

Fox River Grove’s iconic Bettendorf Castle has canceled all events indefinitely after the village rescinded its special-use permit.

The stone structure – built by an immigrant from Luxembourg who modeled it after medieval castles in his homeland – has long held weddings, tours and other ticketed events. But that’s come to a swift end just as wedding season gets underway because of what the family who owns the building called an “unexpected challenge.”

“It is with heavy hearts that we share some unfortunate news,” read a statement on the castle’s Facebook page signed by William and Daniel Strohl, citing the “recent passing of our beloved mother, who along with our late father, lovingly cared for and shared Bettendorf Castle with the community.”

“The Village of Fox River Grove has informed us that our existing special use permit is no longer valid, as it was originally issued under our parents’ names. They are now requiring us to go through the full process of reapplying for a new special use permit in order to continue hosting tours and events at the Castle,” the statement read.

“While we respectfully disagree with this interpretation—believing, along with our legal counsel, that zoning applies to property, not individuals—we must comply with the Village’s directive to cancel all scheduled events until further notice."

Fox River Grove village officials explained that the original special-use ordinance was granted specifically to owners Michael and Judy Strohl. The Village Board unanimously passed a measure last week canceling out the special permitting.

“It’s really more or less a housekeeping item for us,” Village Administrator Derek Soderholm said. “The original special use was granted to the property and those owners specifically.”

Soderholm confirmed the current owners may go before the village again to apply for a new use permit under their names.

“Anybody who owns that castle can go back through a zoning process to request a zoning ordinance for home tours,” he said.

The Strohls’ April 24 statement said refunds will be provided for affected events would be processed within a few days, “minus the standard payment processing fee, which is out of our control.”

“We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment this may cause,” the Facebook message said. It added the owners hope to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

Ticketed events scheduled in May on the Bettendorf Castle website include a sold-out Princess Tea Party and a self-guided tour on May 24. The website says the tour, which is also listed as sold out, will be for the exterior only as the “village will not allow inside tours.”

The owners could not be reached for additional comment.

The castle’s distinctive features include turrets, a drawbridge and a dungeon. Its builder, Theodore “Teddy” Bettendorf, arrived in 1931 took over 36 years to construct the castle out of collected stones from local farmers’ fields, quarries and the excavation of Lake Julian in Cary, according to the Bettendorf Castle’s website.

The Strohls were at odds with the village and neighbors for years with multiple permitting and lawsuit battles. In 2012, a McHenry County judge ruled that Michael Strohl was not guilty of violating local ordinances when he allowed busloads of visitors onto his property. The 2018 ordinance for public tours was granted when Strohl planned for off-site parking and a shuttle transportation service.

“We gave an inch and they took a mile, and I’ve had to deal with a lot of people living on that street who literally have moved because it got so bad,” Trustee Steve Knar said at last week’s Village Board meeting. “It really took apart the fabric of one of our streets, so I just hope we don’t make that mistake again.”

A 2011 lawsuit accused neighbors of writing down the license plate numbers of Bettendorf Castle visitors and having a Chicago police officer run the numbers to obtain their personal information. The neighbors were accused of calling the visitors and asking them not to return to the castle. The Chicago police officer was fired as a result.