While we are still in Colorado—though not “traveling”—I want to include two more destinations that escaped us: the Bishop Castle and Cano’s Castle. (Full disclosure: There are many beautiful castles and mansions in Colorado, and realistically speaking, one could not cover all of them in the short time that we had allotted for this area. So look for more additions to this annals in the future.)
Bishop Castle
Bishop Castle is a fun and popular tourist attraction in Colorado. It is a weird and wacky structure that strangely reminds me of Antoní Gaudí’s works in Barcelona, like a conglomeration of his imaginative use of form and shape, though void of the fanciful colors that distinguish Gaudí’s designs.
The owner of the castle, Jim Bishop, is also its builder. In 1969 he started working on a family cottage, which he decided to surround with rocks. Several neighbors noted that the structure looked something like a castle. Bishop took this to heart and began building his castle.
Wrote one traveler : “Jim Bishop is truly a man after my own inner child. For the past 40 years, Bishop has been building a castle in the mountains outside Rye southwest of Pueblo. He’s not having a castle built for him on his property nor does his house merely look like a castle. Bishop goes to work every day of the summer hauling and setting stones, casting iron and digging foundations for his personal fortress.
The Castle is a massive structure. At a glance, its most impressive feature is the main tower, which rises so high visitors struggle to get the whole castle in one photograph. The cast iron stairs leading to the top echo the loud clank of footsteps belonging to the bravest of Bishop’s guests.”
For the sake of comparison (and to somewhat prove my point), let us see how the two have at least similar air and playful spirit, albeit separate degrees of sophistication. Obviously, I am an ardent admirer of Gaudí’s.
LEFT: Bishop RIGHT: Gaudí
This (below) to me is the most striking resemblance, a detail that sent me doing this comparison in more detail.
Again, not claiming that similarities are undeniable; just saying that perhaps the details would place them in the same genre of fanciful architecture.
An other "weird and wacky structure" is located in Antonito in southern Colorado, a striking specimen of a sort of folk art.
"One man's junk is my treasure," muses Donald "Cano" Espinoza, a Native American Vietnam veteran, pointing to his masterpiece of a collection of empty beer cans. He lives in Antonito with his mother and set out to build his “castle” after his mother repeatedly demanded that he do something about his growing pile of junk. After more than 20 years he has nearly completed “the Knight” in his series of structures. The first and largest is called “the King,” next to that is “the Queen” and flanking the King is “the Rook.” Surrounding the property is “the Crown.” Cano credits his artwork to his religion and his devotion to God. The land is a gift from God.
Scrap aluminum gives the castle its dazzle: wire, hubcaps, grills, screen doors, window casements. Bicycle reflectors add notes of color. Countless beer cans, carefully cut apart, predominate. The tops and bottoms are nailed to the walls in repeating patterns; the middles have been turned inside-out and hammered flat to create aluminum siding.
There are thousands of aluminum-sided square feet in Cano's castle, but he lives across the street in a trailer behind some trees. He claims Jesus has the castle to Himself, though perhaps a more practical reason is that the local utility company has shut off its water supply.
Some more details:
WYOMING: BUFORD, RAWLINS HAUNTED MANSION
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
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