Caenen Castle ~ Shawnee, Kansas by Steve Renich

Caenen Castle
Caenen Castle (pronounced Kay-nen) was built in 1907 by Belgium immigrant Remigius (Remi) Achille Caenen.
Remi and his wife Mary had dreamed of designing a house to resemble a European castle, Chateau Chavaniac, the birthplace of General Marquis de la Fayette. Sadly, Mary would not live to see their dream home. She died suddenly in 1901. Although Remi was deeply saddened by her death and never remarried, he continued planning the home for their children.
In 1905, Remi began constructing the 14-room house, handquarrying the limestone from his land. When the house was finished two years later, Remi lived in it with his nine children for 11 years. He built a smaller house nearby and lived there until his death at age 95 in 1949.
Remi’s daughter, Emma, and her husband Pete Renner occupied the house for several years followed by Mege and Josephine Caenen. After all of Remi’s children had moved out, the home was leased for 25 years to Dr. Elstone, who used the building to operate the Monrovia Rest Home. After Remi’s death, the castle was sold. Over the years, the building served as a restaurant, a private residence, a nightclub and a haunted house.
In 2003, the house was purchased by Chef Renée Kelly and was renovated. On July 15, 2004, it officially opened as Renée Kelly’s at Caenen Castle, a private event venue and catering business. The castle celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007 and now is on the Kansas Historic Register.