Castle of Dreams on the Hill

Giddens Castle c 1931

In 1931 a Shreveport businessman named Tandy Key Giddens purchased 40 acres of land known as Reed's Hill in Princeton. He erected an observation tower on the highest point of the property that looked like a castle. The design of the building, known as Giddens Castle, was inspired by a fourteenth-century German medieval castle on the Rhine River.

The stucco-covered frame building was four stories high, the first two stories forming a cross and the last two being octagon-shaped. On top was a flagstaff and sighting turret easily accessed by a winding stairway. Giddens' purpose of his tower was that "people from all over the country could gather and enjoy the scenery." On a clear day, one could see into two adjoining states, Arkansas, Texas, and several parishes in Northwest Louisiana From the tower.

Several weeks after the castle was completed, Giddens estimated between 15,000 and 20,000 people visited the castle. The crowds were attributed to newspaper accounts of the tower. While visitors came to look at the beautiful scene provided by nature, they also got to enjoy Giddens' collection of fine arts and antiques from around the world. His collection included chandeliers from the court of King Louis XVI, an ancient lamp post from the garden of Jerome Bonaparte of Paris, a painting by Crimoux, and helmets worn by Napolean Bonaparte's officers.

Paul L. Carriger, 1961. Photo by Jack Barham

Often referred to as the "castle of dreams," a fitting name since building the castle was a dream come true for Giddens, and it housed the dreams of others. Including the dream of Paul L. Carriger, who created and operated an experimental radio and television laboratory. It was the first short-wave station in the south, licensed to transmit both sound and picture. Station W9XX went on air with its first test program on Dec. 1, 1931, but it took a couple of months before they transmitted their first television pictures. The station was on the ground floor, and the transmitting laboratories were on the second floor.

According to Carriger, they "were able to transmit picture over a radius of about 100 miles during daylight hours." Having the only receive in this section of the country, making it challenging to test ranges farther than that because they would have to drive the receiver to the selected location and then return to the castle to perform the test.

However, they could receive pictures from such distances as Kansas City, Chicago, and the Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana. Carriger was proud that "the pictures they transmitted with their equipment were perfect television pictures with no ghosting effects or fading." Unfortunately, Paul was a bit before his time, and due to a lack of public interest and financial and technical resources, the request for a station permit was denied.

Giddens Castle after additions made for night club c1935

A couple of years later, developers built an addition to the castle, creating a large and luxurious nightclub for the social elite. The nightclub changed hands and, at one point, was under investigation for allowing gambling. Club Castle was the last nightclub before going up in flames in 1936. The antique chandelier from Louis XIV of France was hanging in the ballroom and destroyed by the fire. Thanks to quick action taken by those on the scene, a large portion of Giddens' collection survived the fire as they were housed in a nearby building.

Today, this area is commonly referred to as Giddens Hill and is now home to Hilltop Campgrounds & RV Park.

By: Amy Robertson