Here ye, hear ye! Birdsell Castle in Indiana is now for sale. Everything we know about the property

Indianapolis Star

18-07-2025

If you've ever dreamed of being the king or queen of your own castle, your dream could actually become reality in Southern Indiana.
The 8-acre property that is known as Birdsell Castle is now for sale. The property includes a large cinderblock structure that could be straight out of a fairytale.
Here's what to know about Birdsell Castle.
Birdsell Castle is located at 6900 Dave Carr Road in Charlestown, Indiana.
David Birdsell purchased the castle in summer 2021.
He put in his offer sight unseen within its first week on the market, he said, and though he was offered $75,000 by another interested buyer to rescind his offer, he refused, and ultimately closed the deal for $400,000.
Before it was a modern-day castle, the property served as a water reservoir for an Army ammunition plant.
Prior owner Mackey Griffin transformed the abandoned building into a castle in the 1990s. After Griffin died in early 2020, his wife, Peggy Griffin, sold the property, telling the Courier Journal at the time what made the property special.
'Because it's so unusual,' she said. 'That's the only thing I can say."
Birdsell found himself building stages and horse stables and jousting infrastructure to host Renaissance Fairs and themed events. This pulled focus away from his initial plan of renovating rooms to rent out.
'I got involved, and probably what I should say is distracted by, doing Renaissance fairs and things that just pop up from owning a castle,' he said.
Over the years, the castle has hosted medieval era and Renaissance festivals. He's welcomed Viking and pirate gatherings. There's been weddings in the dungeon.
Having never attended a Renaissance fair before moving to Indiana, Birdsell was soon immersed in the pageantry and spectacle.
'It kind of went to my head a little bit during the Renaissance fairs,' he said. 'I think their slogan was a castle, a king and a fair, and I was the king. And so I was dressed accordingly and would meet people and it was very fun.'
Officially listed as a 2.5-bath, 3-bedroom house, Birdsell said the property has eight bedrooms and eight baths in various stages of completion. Living space totals some 20,000 square feet, he said, not counting a 12-car garage. Then there's the courtyard inside the 20-foot-tall castle walls.
'It's a big property and it's a lot of maintenance, and I'm starting to get older so I have to slow down a little bit,' Birdsell said.
Birdsell intends to keep the listing — with Denise Taylor of Green Tree Real Estate — up for six months before taking it down for listing at a later, undefined date.
Castle furnishings such as iron chandeliers, suits of armor and ornate tables and chairs aren't part of the sale price, but Birdsell said he's open to negotiation.
'It's definitely not for a conservative buyer, people that accept the traditional way of living,' he said. 'I mean, imagine having your kids picked up by a school bus in front of your castle. I think the buyer is going to be somebody that sees the property and the minute they step into it, they have no question in their mind they want to be here.'
The 8-acre property hit the market in May for nearly $1.3 million and as of July is listed for $995,000.
The structure includes a traditional kitchen and living room alongside a blacksmith shop, vampire crypt and apothecary.