About
History ofThe Castle on Mass
Built in 1894 as a personal home for General John N. Roberts, a civil war general and a prominent resident of Lawrence, The Castle is a well-preserved space that is rich in history. With a full limestone exterior, elaborate details like Corinthian Capitols and scrollwork, stained glass, and hand-carved woodwork by a young English artist Sidney Endacott, who later became a renowned artist and sculptor.
In 1947, Ms Libuse "Libby" Kriz-Fiorito purchased the castle and operated the iconic “The Castle Tea Room” which was a beloved restaurant and venue in Lawrence. Libby owned and operated The Tea Room until her death in 2004. Because of Libby, The Castle is part of the National Register of Historic Places.
Now under the management of Husband and Wife Team, Jena Dick and Cory Lauridsen, they hope to provide Lawrence with the forever iconic Castle as an event venue for many years to come.
Learn more about our team below
Jena Dick
Jena is a Lawrence native who graduated from Baker University with a major in Business Management and loved her entrepreneurial studies. After opening her bridal shop, J. Lynn Bridal in 2013, planning and weddings became her focus. She has found joy being part of her friends' and family members' weddings. When she's not at the Castle or the bridal shop, she is playing tennis, traveling, or hanging out with Cory and their dog Finneas.
Co-Owner
Cory Lauridsen
Cory is a University of Kansas Alum and Lawrence local(ish) for most of his life. He has specialized in sales and customer experience with previous jobs for KU Athletics, The Kansas City Chiefs, and Tesla. He was lucky enough to marry the love of his life at an absolutely stunning villa in Positano, Italy. With that kind of experience he now believes that he knows everything about getting married in iconic spaces, like The Castle on Mass for example. He also loves parties and is excited to share such a unique building with his community.
Co-Owner
Jayde Droge
Jayde is a lover of beautiful architecture and of love, so what job could be more perfect than The Castle? As a recent University of Kansas grad, she is a huge fan of Lawrence and all of it’s character. She enjoys being able to create fun and new social media posts that highlight the one of a kind nature of a space as iconic as The Castle. She is also a newlywed with lots of personal experience with weddings. In her free time, she enjoys photography, reading, traveling with her husband, and lounging with her cats, Junie and Frank.
Social Media & Promotions Manager