Bishop Castle – an Elaborate and Intricate One-Man Project by Jim Bishop – Design You Trust — Design Daily Since 2007

Bishop Castle – an Elaborate and Intricate One-Man Project by Jim Bishop

Bishop Castle is an elaborate and intricate one-man project named after its constructor, Jim Bishop, that has become a roadside attraction in central Colorado.

Bishop bought the land for the site for $1250 when he was 15, and construction on what was originally intended to be a family project to build a cottage started in 1969. After Bishop surrounded the cottage with rocks, several neighbors noted that the structure looked something like a castle. Bishop took this into consideration and soon began building his castle.

More: Bishop Castle h/t: wikipedia

According to Roadsideamerica, “for most” of the 40 years he has worked on the castle “Bishop was engaged in a running battle with Washington bureaucrats over the rocks that he used,” which came from the National Forest surrounding his property. “Bishop felt that they were his for the taking, the government wanted to charge him per truckload.” That dispute has been settled. In 1996, he was challenged by the local and state government over unsanctioned road signs that pointed to the site. They settled the dispute by issuing official road signs.

The site has become a tourist attraction, and RoadsideAmerica.com devoted a chapter to the castle and rated it “major fun” and describing it as, “one man’s massive-obsessive labor of medieval fantasy construction”. But it also issued a “parent’s alert,” warning potential visitors that Jim Bishop is “a tough-talking man with strong, extreme beliefs, and sometimes he expresses them bluntly and loudly. If you and your children want to avoid potentially offensive rants (involving politics and race), you may want to steer clear.

In the winter of 2014–15 a dispute developed over control of the castle after Jim Bishop and his wife Phoebe were both diagnosed with cancer, and David Merrill, who Jim “considered a friend,” was made a trustee of Bishop Castle. According to Westword.com website, Merrill turned the site “into Castle Church—for the Redemption, according to the Custer County Clerk and Recorder’s Office”. Since then, the Bishops have “spent $20,000 trying to get a clear title to Bishop Castle, and to get Merrill’s name off all paperwork.”

On March 28, 2018, a fire ignited on the Bishop Castle property, disintegrating the gift shop and a guest house. The fire is speculated to be electrical, and did not damage the castle itself (which is mostly made of stone). Despite the fire, the attraction re-opened to the public later that week, while being supported with donations and volunteer labor.







If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Design You Trust Facebook page. You won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

Shanghai’s 1000 Trees Project Takes Shape
Extraordinary Design Shelter That Looks Like A 'Flintstones House', And No One Wants To Buy It
This Master Of Art Installation And Illusions Creates Rooms That Will Make You Think The Walls Are Waving At You
The Buzludzha Monument
“Potemkin Village” - A Fake Urban Decorations Among The Ufa City
Reimagining The Simpsons’ Home In 8 Popular Architectural Styles
Engineers And Architects Create A Carbon Neutral Modular Hotel Made From Concrete Pods
Watertower By Tom Fruin
A Giant Ancient Egyptian Statues Unearthed
The Unique Bridge Between Sweden and Denmark
These Tiny Bubble Domes Let You Sleep Under The Stars
Stunning Socialist-Era Architecture: The Brutalism Of Zagreb, Croatia
Solar-Powered Cylindrical Treehouse In Mexico Is Made With Sustainable Bamboo
This Humble Little House Was Designed For A Chef To Live On The Coast Of Norway
Stunning Images Of The Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World Restored In Their Prime
The City Of Utrecht In The Netherlands Turns 316 Bus Stops Into Bee Stops
This Serene Outdoor Sanctuary Has Sculptural Concrete Seating
Spanish Designer Fernando Abellanas Works In A Secret Studio Right Under The Bridge
Vocklabruck Platform in the Middle of a Lake
New York Secret Rooftop World
Skirts and Saddle Shoes: Favorite Styles of ’40s Teenage Girls
Street Scenes of the U.S. From the 1960s Through 30 Wonderful Color Real Photo Postcards
Amazing Vintage Photos of Postwar New York From 1945 to 1948
Wearing Futuristic Protective Suits, Washington State Crews Destroy First US Murder Hornet Nest