Built in 1892 by William Ingles, great grandson of Mary Draper Ingles, this stunning estate was at one time 360 acres and over time as developed into what is now known as West End Radford. The original structure now sits on thirteen acres bordering the historic New River. The current owners A.C. and Lucy Wilson take great pride in their family’s heritage and the renovation of Ingle’s Castle back to its grand splendor so you may enjoy vintage weddings, corporate events and family gatherings on this riverfront estate located at 13 Ingles Street, Radford, Virginia 24141.
The house and property known as La Riviera in Radford, VA is most often called Ingles Caste by local residents because of its resemblance to a Scottish castle. It was designed by William Ingles for himself and his wife-to-be, Minnie Snow Ingles, whose ancestor was the famous William Brewster, who had sailed to America on the Mayflower. Ingles had graduated from Washington College (now Washington & Lee) as an engineer and was locally renowned for designing a robust railroad bridge in 1888 just down the New River from Ingles Castle near the St. Albans facility. This bridge is still in use by Norfolk-Southern. He also designed a curved bridge just adjacent to the first one to allow easier access to the newly discovered coalfields near Bluefield, West Virginia. This bridge is not in use today, but the piers are still in place.
Mr. Ingles became widely known as Captain Billy Ingles. His father was Thomas Ingles and his mother was Catherine MacClanahan Ingles, both of whom have their portraits hanging in the front hall of Ingles Castle. More famously, Capt. Billy was the great grandson of William and Mary Draper Ingles, who both operated Ingles Ferry on the New River for decades and assisted nearly one million immigrants (including Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett) across the New River on their way to the frontier of Kentucky and Tennessee. Mary Draper Ingles was one of America’s best-known heroines, having been captured by Shawnees at Blacksburg in 1755 and taken to Cincinnati as a slave to mine salt. She escaped and walked 800 miles through un-charted wilderness to rejoin her husband at nearby Ingles Ferry, narrowly escaping starvation.
While Ingles and his new bride were honeymooning in Cuba, Ingles Castle burned to the ground. This unfortunate incident was thought to be the result of a faulty furnace. It was rebuilt on the same foundation in 1892, although a little less elaborate due to financial restrictions.
Many who know of Ingles Castle are familiar with it because of the “woman in the mirror”, who is Nannie Bass, a relative of the Ingles who visited sometime in the summer around 1900, and stood during a thunderstorm in front of the mantle mirror in the library. She and other family members were amazed to later find her image permanently etched in the silver-nitrate-backed mirror from a heavy flash of lightening in the yard during the thunderstorm. The image is still quite visible very visible today.
