By Ray LaVoie
When Patrick Castro began building his custom home on Arbutus Ave. near Grove City’s Town Center, it was meant for himself and his two sons.
“It was a bachelor pad,” Castro’s partner Kristie Doyle says, laughing. “That’s why there’s no tub and the closet is really small.”
Doyle and Castro first met in middle school. They reconnected in spring 2019 while Castro was in the process of a divorce and planning to build in Grove City. Doyle, whose husband passed away in 2018, was also in the process of building a condo. When the pair started dating in February 2020, Castro’s plans for his custom home were already in motion.
“I wanted an empty lot or a tear-down house to build the house I wanted, which when I designed the house, it was myself and my two boys,” Castro says. “Now it’s us and three boys.”
Patrick Castro and Kristie Doyle
What it’s lacking in tub space, it makes up for in other unique features, including a garage with 9-foot doors and lift system that can allow up to six vehicles to fit inside.
“Myself and my boys have always been car people,” Castro says. “I wanted to be able to have a garage that could store multiple cars but still have cars driven.”
Above the garage is a standalone studio apartment, which Castro intends to list on Airbnb.
The main living area on the first floor is an open-concept family room, dining area and kitchen. Off the kitchen is the master bedroom and bath. There are two bedrooms on the second floor and another bedroom in the basement.
“We decided to have (the basement) finished when we knew it was going to become our home, not my home,” Castro says. “That’s how we ended up with the third bedroom so each boy would have their own bedroom.”
All three boys will be living at home this summer. Castro’s sons, Jacob and Dylan, are Hilliard Bradley graduates. Jacob graduated from West Virginia University this spring, while Dylan will be a junior at Shawnee State University in the fall. Doyle’s son Ethan graduated from Grove City High School in 2022 and will attend Columbus State Community College in the fall.
By Ray LaVoie
The family moved into the house, built by 3 Pillar Homes, in April 2021. Castro worked with a designer, but added his own touches, such as the handmade dining table prominently placed in the dining space.
“When they cleared the lot, the trees they took down, I took to a sawmill … and I built the table,” Castro says.
Some of the couples’ favorite details include the built-in fireplace wall in the basement and the durable flooring in the garage and basement they picked out from Garage Floor Coating of Columbus.
As much as Castro loves the home he created, he and Doyle love the location most of all. With the house just blocks from Grove City’s Town Center, the couple takes lots of walks around the area and frequents downtown establishments.
Their home is a relatively rare new build for the area, which makes it all the more special to see the transformation of the lot.
“It’s just fun to look at the very first picture with the garage sitting there and the dumpster in front of it,” Doyle says. “It’s just really cool to see this is here after what was.”
By Ray LaVoie
Claire Miller is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com.
