Vision & Values

Mission Statement

Piatt Castles, Co. Inc. is a private, family-owned corporation that offers tours and other public programs at Piatt Castle Mac-A-Cheek. It is the mission of Piatt Castles to interpret the life-stories of multiple generations of the Piatt family on this land as a case study enabling our visitors to:

• consider their own family histories;

• realize that history is the story of individuals making many choices; and

• explore relationships among objects, people, places, events, and ideas.

Values Statement

We value and respect those who came before us. We study the past, in part to understand who we are today. Our programs seek to share that understanding with others in order to spark interest in creating the future.  As a company, Piatt Castle values: Artistry, Accuracy, Compassion, Cooperation, Craftsmanship, Creativity, Diplomacy, Equity, Inventiveness, Memory, Preservation, Public Service 

Context and Progress

The culture in which we exist was shaped by the oppression and exploitation of many groups of people, and the Piatt family is committed to understanding that context through the study of history while promoting equity, inclusion, and justice for all by working in the present and looking to the future.

Piatt Castle Mac-A-Cheek sits on Native land. This area was a homeland for Shawnee, who were forcibly removed in 1786. No matter where you are coming from or how you got here, we invite you to move respectfully with us on this land and in this space. We encourage you to deepen your understanding of Native history and culture and to support Native art, people, and organizations in your community.

The Piatt family recognizes the horrific legacy of American slavery and supports ongoing work for racial equity in several ways, including by donating to the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia to support their mission "to use objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote social justice."  The museum is located at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.