About Castle Remedies
Meet the Doc
Dr. Edward (Lev) Linkner is a holistic medical doctor with a family practice located in the Parkway Center in Ann Arbor. His office is on the second floor, right above Castle Remedies. He has been involved with holistic medicine for over 45 years and in solo practice for over 30 years. Our selection of supplements is curated by Dr. Linkner based on actual clinical effectiveness and evidence-based research.
"Our team is dedicated to serving our patients with love. By using a variety of tools, including Herbal medicine, Homeopathy, nutritional supplements, relaxation techniques, lifestyle techniques and conventional medicine we hope to help you become as healthy as possible. We believe in the wisdom of nature, and at the same time individuality. We also think that it is best to use natural methods as much possible rather than just suppressing symptoms. Lifestyle is the key to good health. We strive to help each person achieve optimal health! Therefore, by combining the best of Holistic and conventional medicine we can achieve the best results for you." Visit Dr. Linkner's Website
Meet Our Staff
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Caitlin
Caitlin has enjoyed working at Castle Remedies since 2012. She is the store manager, webmaster and author of the weekly email newsletter. Caitlin is an herbalist who has studied with David Winston and Jim McDonald. She teaches classes at Castle, including Introduction to Homeopathy and Herbs for Michigan Gardeners. She is also a volunteer coordinator of the annual Great Lakes Herb Faire. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, reading, spending time with family and playing board games. Caitlin is pictured with her son Bernie.
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Karen
Karen began working at Castle Remedies in 2014. She is one of our two buyers and is in charge of keeping our homeopathic pharmacy stocked. She fields requests for rare and unusual remedies, researches availability, and makes the connection happen. You can rest easy in her care! She enjoys coffee, crossword puzzles, and spending time with family. Karen has an adorable pet turtle named Merlin and maintains a live "turtle cam" which provides constant entertainment for the staff. Merlin loves swimming and basking under her heat lamp. Merlin does not enjoy being picked up or otherwise bothered.
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Tajalli (Taj)
Taj started working at Castle Remedies early in 2017. She is our second buyer and works diligently to keep your favorite products in stock, including our fabulous gifts and jewelry. She has excellent taste in many things, including picking out the coolest, prettiest, and most elegant gifts and jewelry. Taj enjoys watching comedy shows, spending time with her family, listening to music, and daydreaming about taking naps (she never actually has time to nap, though). She is pictured with her dog Kermit, whose hobbies include eating things that he really shouldn't be eating, and mediating disputes between the two cats he lives with: Squeakers and Edward.
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Shirlina
After attempting to get everyone in one picture, Shirlina compromised with a photo collage of herself and her 6 kitties: (from top left to right) Mikey, Patches, Pudly, Sir "Buddy" Chesterfield, Trixie and Sophie. Trixie is the baby and Buddy is a tripod! In her spare time, Shirlina is passionate about reading and writing. Music is an all-time love of hers, whether it's listening, singing, or playing. She also enjoys making artsy and crafty things. Shirlina became interested in holistic medicine early on through her reading and research habits. In 6th grade, she read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," which led her to discover that the University of Michigan used to have a homeopathic hospital. Her interest took root and grew from there!
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Judah
Judah is currently attending art school and is working towards becoming a tattoo artist. In his free time, Judah enjoys drawing and painting, playing video games, and spending time relaxing in the great outdoors. He began to learn more about natural healing after working under an acupuncturist and herbalist, and finds all forms of holistic medicine very interesting. Judah is pictured with Stinkee (black and white tuxedo cat) and Bugheera (black cat). One of them is syndactyl (born missing or having fused toes)... can you guess who?
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Takako
Takako is a self-described minimalist and is very passionate about reducing, reusing and recycling. She creates beautiful rugs and hats from rescued materials. Her hobbies include exercise, wellness and cooking. Her favorite sports are currently pickleball and swimming, although in the recent past she achieved third place in her age group in a half marathon. Takako spent time working as an interpreter for Japanese customers at Delta Airlines, as well as being a stand up comedian. She currently thinks (or perhaps wishes) that is engaged to MLB player Shohei Ohtani.
Memories of Castle Remedies
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Grand Opening 1987
The Parkway Center welcomes with doors open. The houses shine with a fresh coat of paint and newly installed landscaping.
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The Original castle
When the Parkway Center opened in 1987, Castle Remedies moved from Liberty Street into a single room on the second floor.
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Tending the Shop
Mary Tillinghast minds the counter. The remedy chest rests against the wall, along with herbal tinctures and supplements.
About the Parkway Center
Located at 2345 South Huron Parkway in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Parkway Center is home to a wide variety of holistic health care practitioners including chiropractic, dentistry, holistic family medical practice, gynecology, herbal medicine, homeopathy, massage therapy, naturopathy, nutrition, psychotherapy & counseling, and reiki. To learn more about the holistic practitioners located at the Parkway Center, visit our Practitioners page. Each practitioner is independent in their practice and can be contacted directly to set up an appointment. Castle Remedies is located in the basement level of the Parkway Center.
The Parkway Center was established in 1987 by Dr. Lev (Edward) Linkner and Dr. Dennis Chernin. It is a very charming and unique medical center with an interesting story - especially for those who are passionate about the history of Ann Arbor. Read on to learn about the history behind the two Victorian houses that make up the Parkway Center.
The Haller House
Circa 1890. Originally located at 410 S. Main Street.
"The house was begun in 1889 for Martin and Pauline (Bender) Haller. Martin's father, Jacob, a skilled and inventive watchmaker, came to Michigan in 1854. He worked in the booming lumbering areas of the Upper Peninsula to earn enough money to bring his family from Wurttemberg to Ann Arbor and open a jewelry store on Huron Street in 1858. The elder son, George, carried on the family business, but Martin and John G. Koch founded the furniture company of Koch and Haller, which later became the Haller Furniture Company. The firm was bought out by Jacobson's after a disastrous fire in the 1960s.
This nine-room Queen Anne house of wood frame construction, like the Laubengayer house next door, is a gem of the Victorian era left behind in a changing urban scene. The iron tower ornaments, or finials, provided a touch of elegance to late nineteenth century buildings. The finials at 410 and 416 South main Street are two of over twenty styles shown in the 1899 catalogue of the E.T. Barnum Company of Detroit. The interior of the house was remodeled somewhat since its purchase in 1975 by DeLoof and Associates Realtors."
(Article and picture from the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission, 1977)
The Laubengayer House
Built mid 1880s. Originally located at 416 S. Main St.
"This is one of the best preserved of Ann Arbor's fine Queen Anne homes. Both the interior and exterior are in "mint" condition. Except for some modernization of the kitchen and baths, the inside, including beautiful oak woodwork and a staircase with the original gas light on the newel post, remains unchanged. An unusual feature which remains today is the carriage step from the north side of the porch.
The house was built by Jacob Laubengayer, who was born in Scio Township in 1840. Jacob's father, J.G. Laubengayer, emigrated from Germany in 1830 and prospered on his Scio farm. Jacob learned the butchering trade, becoming the proprietor of a popular meat market on South Main Street in Ann Arbor. He, his wife Mary, and their child, Olga, moved into the new home in the mid 1880s. They rode out in a fine carriage and their home and gardens were a delight to the eye for many years.
Jacob died in [the early 1900's] but Mary lived in the family home until 1919. The house was purchased in 1920 by Lewis and Myrtie (Forshee) Nixon who moved with their young children, Don and Betty, from a 260 acre farm on Nixon Road. Lewis was the son of Nathon Nixon, whose pioneering father, John Nixon, had come to Ann Arbor Township in the 1920s to farm 160 acres and keep a public house on the road to Detroit. In 1977, Mrs. Nixon still owned this house and her children owned the family farm on Nixon Road.
(Article and picture from the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission, 1977)
