If you have ever visited Memphis then you’ve probably heard of the famous prince Mongo’s Castle which is also known as Ashlar Hall. This is a historic mock castle located at 13297 Central Avenue in Memphis Tennessee. Ashlar Hall, as it was initially known, was built in 1896 by Robert Brinkley Snowden. He used ashlar stones in the construction hence the name Ashlar Hall**.**

History of Ashlar hall

Robert Brinkley a renowned real estate developer and architect who is also a Princeton alumna after finishing his studies returned to his beloved hometown to build a family estate. At the cost of around 768,000 US dollars, Robert completed Ashlar Hall in 1896. Together with his wife, they lived in the house for years until 1942 when he died and left the property to the wife.15 years after the death of Robert, the wife too passed away and as the norm, the property was left to the family.

The family who was not that well off struggled to maintain the expensive castle for years. Seeing no results, they sat down and decided to change the use from a residential to a commercial building. They, therefore, changed the building into a restaurant. The rooms were turned into dining rooms and the pavement was extended to serve as the parking lot for the guests who graced the fine restaurant.

How did it get deserted?

Since the family was unable to maintain the castle, they changed it into a restaurant until they got an investor who bought the property. The investor after purchasing the property saw no use in renovating the building so he built Highrise Buildings nearby leaving the castle to decay.

The property changed hands for several years including the famous Prince Mongo who bought it, turned it into a club, and later sold it to a friend years later. In 2016, Juan Montoya, a real estate contractor and investor bought the property. Montoya renovated the building, turning it into a theater venue to date. Since April 2019, the former residential palatial home is now a theater venue for a Memphis theater group called Lost In Found.

What remained of Prince Mongo’s Castle?

The famous Memphis castle is now a theater venue for the Lost In Found theater group who has put on a production group called Rites of String. If you get a chance to visit Memphis don’t forget to check out Ashlar Hall or as you may like to call it Prince Mongo’s Castle. You will be amazed by the grandeur of the historic building.