Mystery Castle is located in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, in the foothills of South Mountain Park. It was built in the 1930s by Boyce Luther Gulley for his daughter Mary Lou Gulley. After learning he had tuberculosis, Gulley moved from Seattle to the Phoenix area and began building the house from found or inexpensive materials. Boyce Gulley died in 1945, and Mary Lou and her mother were notified by attorney that they had inherited the property. Shortly after, the mother and daughter moved in.
Mystery Castle
Their story attracted attention, giving the home some renown as well as its exotic name: A Life Magazine story (January 26, 1948) [1] used the headline "Life Visits a Mystery Castle: A Young Girl Rules Over the Strange Secrets of a Fairy Tale Dream House in the Arizona Desert." The photograph featured Mary Lou posing atop the cantilever staircase leading to the roof of the house. That same year, Mary Lou and her mother began offering tours of the home.
Said to be held together by a combination of mortar, cement, calcium, and goatmilk, the sprawling 18-room, three story castle is built from a wide range of materials – stone, adobe, automobile parts, salvaged rail tracks from a mine, telephone poles, etc. It features a chapel, cantina, and a dungeon. Parts of the castle remain unfinished, and electricity and plumbing weren't added until 1992. As the housing boom progressed in Phoenix, new development encroached close to the castle and its grounds, making it far less isolated.
Mary Lou Gulley died on November 3, 2010. The property is now maintained by the Mystery Castle Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization.[2]
Extensively vandalized on March 6, 2022, the Mystery Castle suffered an estimated $100,000 in damage. No arrests have been made.[4] The Castle was closed for tours, but reopened on March 18, 2022.[5]
Galleryedit
Overview of the castle
Main entrance
Patio
The castle in 2023
Staircase
Exterior wall detail
One of eighteen rooms in the castle
Another room in the castle
Mary Lou Gulley's bedroom
Another bedroom in the castle
A window which Gulley made with the spoke rim of an old car
mystery, castle, located, city, phoenix, arizona, foothills, south, mountain, park, built, 1930s, boyce, luther, gulley, daughter, mary, gulley, after, learning, tuberculosis, gulley, moved, from, seattle, phoenix, area, began, building, house, from, found, in. Mystery Castle is located in the city of Phoenix Arizona in the foothills of South Mountain Park It was built in the 1930s by Boyce Luther Gulley for his daughter Mary Lou Gulley After learning he had tuberculosis Gulley moved from Seattle to the Phoenix area and began building the house from found or inexpensive materials Boyce Gulley died in 1945 and Mary Lou and her mother were notified by attorney that they had inherited the property Shortly after the mother and daughter moved in Mystery CastleTheir story attracted attention giving the home some renown as well as its exotic name A Life Magazine story January 26 1948 1 used the headline Life Visits a Mystery Castle A Young Girl Rules Over the Strange Secrets of a Fairy Tale Dream House in the Arizona Desert The photograph featured Mary Lou posing atop the cantilever staircase leading to the roof of the house That same year Mary Lou and her mother began offering tours of the home Contents 1 Construction 2 Gallery 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksConstruction editSaid to be held together by a combination of mortar cement calcium and goat milk the sprawling 18 room three story castle is built from a wide range of materials stone adobe automobile parts salvaged rail tracks from a mine telephone poles etc It features a chapel cantina and a dungeon Parts of the castle remain unfinished and electricity and plumbing weren t added until 1992 As the housing boom progressed in Phoenix new development encroached close to the castle and its grounds making it far less isolated Mary Lou Gulley died on November 3 2010 The property is now maintained by the Mystery Castle Foundation a 501c3 non profit organization 2 The Mystery Castle has been designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride 3 Extensively vandalized on March 6 2022 the Mystery Castle suffered an estimated 100 000 in damage No arrests have been made 4 The Castle was closed for tours but reopened on March 18 2022 5 Gallery edit nbsp Overview of the castle nbsp Main entrance nbsp Patio nbsp The castle in 2023 nbsp Staircase nbsp Exterior wall detail nbsp One of eighteen rooms in the castle nbsp Another room in the castle nbsp Mary Lou Gulley s bedroom nbsp Another bedroom in the castle nbsp A window which Gulley made with the spoke rim of an old carSee also edit nbsp Arizona portalList of historic properties in Phoenix Arizona Phoenix Historic Property Register Tovrea Castle El Cid Castle Bishop Castle a one man construction project near Rye Colorado Coral Castle a one man structure created by Latvian American eccentric Edward Leedskalnin located in Florida References edit Life Magazine 26 January 1948 Retrieved February 5 2011 Home mymysterycastle com Phoenix Points of Pride Archived from the original on October 1 2006 Retrieved October 18 2006 Vandals cause extensive damage to Mystery Castle near South Mountain suspects wanted 6 March 2022 Mystery Castle Location and Tours External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mystery Castle Phoenix Arizona Mystery Castle official site Article and photos with contact information about the Mystery Castle Article and photos Photos taken on Jan 8 2011 U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Mystery Castle 33 21 30 N 112 03 48 W 33 3583792 N 112 0632024 W 33 3583792 112 0632024 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mystery Castle amp oldid 1167879559, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
