An Oklahoma man bought a deteriorating 1931 castle for less than $200,000 and spent 3 years turning it into a wedding venue. Take a look at how he did it.

Google Maps street view of Franklin Castle in December 2013.
Google Maps street view of Franklin Castle in December 2013. The castle was covered in vines and the interiors were in disrepair. Google Maps
  • Mike Shelton, the owner of a masonry company, bought a historic Oklahoma castle for $180,000 in 2015.
  • He estimates he's spent around $100,000 over three years to renovate the place.
  • The property, also known as Franklin Castle, is now for sale for $750,000.
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When Mike Shelton first laid eyes on the Franklin Castle in Oklahoma, it was falling apart. Built in 1931, the castle was a shell of its former self — it was covered in vines and the interiors were damaged by water leaks.

Google Maps street view of Franklin Castle in December 2013.
Google Maps street view of Franklin Castle in December 2013. The castle was covered in vines and the interiors were in disrepair. Google Maps

"It was in bad disrepair, almost to the point that somebody might have even considered tearing it down," Mike Shelton, the current owner of the castle, told Insider.

But for Shelton, who owns a masonry company, the castle's intricate stonework stuck out.

"The unique architecture caught my eye, and it felt like something to try to save," he said.

He spent almost ten years eyeing the property before he had the opportunity to buy it for $180,000 in September 2015, per property records

Now, he uses it as an events space for weddings and parties, per a website dedicated to the castle.

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Franklin Castle is located in Tahlequah, a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. It was built in 1931 by Marion E. Franklin, a Northeastern State University professor.

Google Maps street view of Franklin Castle in December 2013. The castle was covered in vines and the interiors were in disrepair.
Google Maps street view of Franklin Castle in December 2013. The castle sat empty for almost ten years before Shelton bought it. Google Maps

Although listed in the National Register of Historic Places in September 2006, the three-story castle sat empty for almost 10 years before Shelton bought it.

By then, many of the castle's original features had fallen apart. The windows were broken and the ceiling had caved in, causing water leaks. The facade of the castle was overrun by vines and weeds were growing in the garden. 

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The uncut stone walls of the castle's facade had to be carefully repaired, as they had been damaged by vines, Shelton said.

Both the exteriors and interiors of the castle required extensive restoration work.
Both the exteriors and interiors of the castle required extensive restoration work. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

"All the exteriors and the stones were restored back to original. We also salvaged all the windows," he said. "I think that was important to keep that look."

Even the interiors required extensive work.

"We also re-plastered all the walls on the inside — they were in bad shape. We were able to save some doors and we restored them back to original. They still have all their original hinges and handles," he added.

Despite the cosmetic-level damage, Shelton found that the castle's walls and foundations were sturdy.

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Two of the biggest transformations in the castle were the floors and the fireplace.

Progress photo of the renovation process.
Shelton replaced the rotten wooden floors with natural stone. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

"All of the wood floors were rotten from water damage, so we had to pull all of those out and redo them in natural stone," Shelton said.

The original metal fireplace was no longer functional, so he rebuilt the fireplace altogether.

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Shelton overhauled the two existing bathrooms while adding a third.

Both bathrooms in the castle were in bad shape
Both bathrooms in the castle were in bad shape. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

The original bathrooms were old and filthy, so he had to put in new pipes and sanitary wares. He then converted a former utility room into an ensuite bathroom for one of the bedrooms.

The castle also lacked an air-conditioning system.

"The castle actually never had air conditioning until I renovated it — they always just opened the windows and let the air blow through, so the air conditioning system was a big addition to the castle," he said.

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In addition to the castle, Shelton also bought the neighboring lot and turned it into a chapel where people could hold their weddings.

The chapel as it is being restored.
The chapel as it is being built. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

"The chapel, it's detached from the castle — it was never part of that property," he told Insider. "It was actually next door and I purchased that property about two years after I got the castle. It used to be an old apartment building."

Shelton paid $100,000 for it in 2017, per county records.

He built the chapel in the same architectural style as the main castle, with an exposed rock facade.

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Shelton also brought in a steeple for the compound.

The steeple was salvaged from another church in Missouri and brought in on a truck
The steeple was salvaged from another church in Missouri and brought in on a truck. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

"It was salvaged from a church in Missouri and we brought it in here with a truck," he added.

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In all, Sheldon thinks he spent about $100,000 over the course of three years on the renovations.

The main living area
The main living area. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

Part of the reason the renovation took so long was because he did most of the work himself.

While the renovated rooms are fitted with modern appliances, Sheldon tried to ensure that all the furniture accurately reflected the design trends of the 1930s.

"The furniture is pretty much time correct from the 1930s, and they all came from a local antique store there in the area called the Briar Patch Market," he said. 

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The combined kitchen and dining area was formed by knocking down two walls to create an open-concept space.

The open-concept kitchen
The open-concept kitchen and dining area. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

The renovated bathrooms have claw-foot bathtubs, which he added because they were in style in the 1930s.

One of the bathrooms after renovation
One of the bathrooms after renovation. Courtesy of Mike Shelton
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There are five bedrooms in the house, and all of them have vintage furniture and decor.

One of the bedrooms in the castle
One of the bedrooms in the castle. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

There's also a round turret in each bedroom, which Shelton turned into a small sitting area.

In the basement, he converted a former coal storage room into a wine cellar.

The wine cellar
The wine cellar. Courtesy of Mike Shelton
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The completed chapel stands at the back of the castle, with an outdoor patio that overlooks the neighboring Tahlequah Creek.

The completed chapel
The completed chapel. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

Source: Franklin Castle website

A spiral staircase in the chapel leads up to the mezzanine floor.

The interiors of the chapel
The interiors of the chapel. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

When used as an events space, the chapel can host up to 50 guests for an indoor ceremony and up to 100 guests for an outdoor ceremony, per the Franklin Castle website.

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Guests can get married under the steeple, which is now a gazebo in the garden.

The steeple is now used as a gazebo in the garden.
The steeple is now used as a gazebo in the garden. Courtesy of Mike Shelton
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After a few years of running it as an events venue, Shelton decided it was time to let go of the property.

The exterior.
The exterior. Courtesy of Mike Shelton

He lives in Tulsa, about an hour away from the castle, and has been trying to find a new owner for the property since 2019.

He first put the castle up for sale in October 2019 for $1.3 million, before cutting its price several times throughout the years. Since September 2021, Franklin Castle has been listed for $750,000, listing records show.

Sherri Sanders, the listing agent, did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

"I think the perfect buyer is probably someone that either wants to live in the castle and rent the chapel out for events. Or just keep the whole property for events and let the brides use the castle to get ready and use the chapel as a wedding facility. It's really pretty versatile," Shelton told Realtor.com in April 2022.

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