Visit the Castle

story by Beth Kornegay | photography by Sarah Reeves

When dairy farmer Remigius ‘Remi’ Achille Caenen immigrated from Belgium to the Shawnee area at the turn of the 20th century, he moved into an area with plenty of wideopen spaces. Caenen decided land located at today’s 12401 Johnson Drive would be the perfect place to build a home for his family. He used native Kansas limestone from the property to build what would be known to locals as Caenen Castle. Said to be modeled after a French or Belgian castle, Caenen cut all the stone by hand. He also built a home across the street made of leftover stone.

Caenen spared no expense in his attention to detail and luxury; the home contained a full basement and 10 bedrooms. Records also show Caenen installed a “lighting plant” to produce gas for the interior lights by using water and calcium carbide shards in addition to a very modern interior water system. The total cost of the home was $10,000, and it was completed in 1907.

Members of the Caenen family lived in the castle until 1925 when it was rented to a Dr. Elstone, who turned it into a nursing home for the mentally ill, calling it the Monrovia Rest Home. Through the years, the building has been used as a night club, a restaurant, and a haunted house Halloween attraction. Most recently, Renee Kelly operated Harvest restaurant in the castle after the building was renovated from 2003 to 2005. It was added to the Register of Historic Kansas Places in 2006.

When Kelly closed her restaurant in 2017, the castle sat vacant with a for-sale sign in the front yard. With no buyers beating down the heavy oak doors with offers, the building and its contents went up for auction in 2019.

new owners

Originally from the Kansas City area, Carla and Dan Dyer began talking about what to do during retirement and started looking for the perfect place to host a winefocused hospitality business. They were living at Florida at the time, and, after looking at the Kansas City area for potential rental properties, Dan Dyer ran across the auction listing for the Caenen Castle. With the auction just three days away, the Dyers hopped on a plane and flew to Kansas City to see the property in person. They didn’t tell any of their family or friends that they were in town looking at the castle.

The couple visited the castle several times over the course of two days, developed a business plan, and decided they wanted to participate in the online auction. On the day of the auction, the Dyers were heading back to Florida. The couple was at the airport counter when they logged in to the auction, submitted their bid, and saw the castle would be theirs.

Inside the castle, the Dyers have added their own touches. While many of the renovations aren’t readily seen—roof repair, new air conditioning and heating units, new mortar in the stones in the turrets— they have also beautifully landscaped the grounds. A cuckoo clock from their time living in Switzerland hangs in the great hall. Stones were removed from the southside of the building and repurposed, expanding the building to house a farm winery outlet space. An industrial kitchen with a professional chef will allow the business to serve delicious cuisine, and a wine cellar is available to rent for private functions.

now open

When the renovations were complete, the Dyers opened Wandering Vine at the Castle, an “urban wine experience.” The couple has partnered with Grace Hill Winery in Whitewater (just north of Wichita) to stock the wine cellar, and Wandering Vine will serve as a farm winery outlet for Grace Hill.

The couple had been making red wine for 10 years as a hobby. Their friends enjoyed the wine, so the couple went looking for a Kansas winery to partner with as they were preparing to open the castle. Dan Dyer’s formulas for red wine are being produced at Grace Hill Winery and will be released next year.

On her first birthday after purchasing the castle, Carla Dyer received a tiara because, as her daughter told her, “every castle needs a queen.” Now all the women in the family have their own tiaras, which are on display behind the bar at Wandering Vine.

While they now own the castle, the Dyers recognize the rich history of the building itself and its role in the community.

Touted as much more than a restaurant, Wandering Vine will allow the Dyers to focus on the wine

experience and booking private events. Over time, they’ll expand dining hours, and the menu will evolve. When it opened in late October, Wandering Vine offered a menu focused on fresh food and items based on local history with ties to the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails. Described as American West cuisine, the menu also features Kansas steak and pork.

The Dyers met when they were 15 years old at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park and have been married for more than 40 years. While their roots are in Kansas City, the couple and their two children traveled extensively and moved eight times during their marriage, living in Europe and visiting Asia and South America many times. It was during those travels that they took local culinary classes in Morocco, Spain, Chile, and Italy.

When deciding on a name for their business, the couple was inspired by their travels.

“Life has taken us to many places, and we took those opportunities to explore and sample cultures around the world, driven by our passion for food and wine. Anywhere you wander, joy and celebration are linked to the food and drink. Now our life story has brought us back here to grow in this new direction. But remember, not all who wander are lost,” says Dan.

The Dyers are hands-on owners, and their focus with Wandering Vine is on hospitality. They interviewed many sommeliers over several months before finding the perfect match for their new business, and you’ll find the couple working in the dining room and the wine tasting area.

With Covid-19 social distancing guidelines, the Dyers have reduced seating by about 40 percent from what was originally planned and have built partitions between tables. Masks are required for staff at all times as well as for guests while moving around the building.

Hours of operation are 4–8 p.m. on Thursdays, 4–10 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m.–8 p.m. on Sundays. Additional information can be found at www.WanderingVine.com as well as on the business’ Facebook page, @wanderingvineKC.

WANDERING VINE 12401 JOHNSON DRIVE SHAWNEE, KS 66216 (913) 379-1300 | WWW.WANDERINGVINE.COM FACEBOOK: @WANDERINGVINEKC

GRACE HILL WINERY 6310 S. GRACE HILL ROAD WHITEWATER, KS 67154 (316) 799-2511 | WWW.GRACEHILLWINERY.COM FACEBOOK: @GRACEHILLWINERY

The Cottages at Shawnee is a newly built luxury home with 24/7 care for up to 12 residents. Amenities include: ⊲ Private Rooms ⊲ Private Bath with Roll-in Shower ⊲ Covered Outdoor Patio ⊲ Fresh Cooked Food ⊲ Daily Activities ⊲ And More! Call (913) 268-2956 today!

CottagesAtShawnee.com 13509 W 67th St. Shawnee, KS 66216