Shakespeare Chateau hits auction

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- After only having six owners through its long history, the Shakespeare Chateau is up for auction.

The property, along with two nearby structures, is listed on the auction site Instant Gavel and has an estimated sale price between $1 and $2 million.

The current owner, Isobel McGowan, has operated it as a bed and breakfast for over a decade. Bringing in tourists from around the world to come and see its beauty while checking out what St. Joseph has to offer.

However, no purchase agreement requires the property to remain a business if purchased, leaving its future to fate.

"It's very sad and very scary, actually, because this has been a cornerstone of our tourism entity," said St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Marci Bennett. "What we have to give to our visitors or serve up to our visitors. For the past 15 years, since Isabel has been here. "

Since McGowan saved the property, it's been not only a longtime bed and breakfast, but also featured on film. McGowan hopes whoever buys the home keeps it the tourist spot it has been.

"It really is a big impact on tourism, although this is kind of a single one-off standalone facility," McGowan shared. "It's not going to have as big of an impact as, you know, say one of your big chains. And yet this one has so much more draw."

McGowan and Bennett said, however, that it's not just a simple purchase; it's a commitment that doesn't come with many houses, no matter how it may be lived in or used in the future.

"You can sign your name on the bottom line, and you become the owner, but it is a, it's a true privilege to own a property of this significance, of this importance and of this lasting beauty," McGowan told KQ2. "So I really hope that they will feel the gravity of the moment that, when they sign on that bottom line, they understand that they are taking truly an American treasure into their hands."

Bidding on the home will conclude at 4 p.m. on Sept. 16.