Bishop Castle is a one-man project located in Rye, Colorado. Built by local man Jim Bishop, the “castle” is the result of decades of hard work and dedication.
THE HISTORY OF BISHOP CASTLE
When Jim Bishop first bought the 2.5-acre plot where Bishop Castle now sits, even he couldn’t have imagined what he would create over the next fifty years. There were no plans, no blueprints, nothing; if he wanted to build something, he just did it.
Jim bought the land on which Bishop Castle now sits way back in 1969 for $450 dollars at the tender age of 15. Originally the plan was to start a family project of building a cottage on the land. However, those plans soon changed…
As Jim started surrounding the cottage he was building with rocks, neighbors began to comment that it looked a little bit like a castle. It was from these comments that he got the idea to build more than a cottage, and so his cottage became a castle!
Jim had no experience in construction; however, spending his youth working in his family’s iron shop meant he did have some experience with metal. Using rocks he had found locally, along with some elaborate ironwork, Jim just kept building.
Whenever Jim thought of a new feature, he would simply build it. He once stated, “I just build, I don’t measure.” And so new features were continually added over the years to Bishop Castle, including a fire-breathing iron dragon (the fireplace ventilates through the dragon’s nose) located at the front of the castle. Other prominent features include a bridge, stained glass windows, a viewing deck, and two castle towers.
After close to five decades of building, with the 160-foot-tall Bishop Castle mostly completed, Jim stated that Bishop Castle was “built by one man with the help of God.” With Jim now in his 70s and in ill health, it’s unlikely that much more will be added to Bishop Castle any time soon.
LEGAL TROUBLES AT BISHOP CASTLE
Unfortunately for Jim Bishop, building Bishop Tower hasn’t been free of controversy. For years Bishop was engaged in a running battle with Washinton bureaucrats over the rocks he was using to build the castle.
Bishop argued that he was free to use the rocks which came from the National Forest surrounding his property. However, the government wanted him to pay for the rocks by the truckload.
In 1996, Jim was also challenged by local and state governments over unsanctioned road signs that pointed to Bishop Castle. Bishop eventually settled that dispute by taking down the signs and having official road signs replace them.
SETBACKS AT BISHOP CASTLE
As Bishop Castle grew, more and more people came to see it. Eventually, becoming a fully-fledged roadside attraction. Despite the growing number of visitors, Jim refused to charge people for visiting but eventually did set up a donation box.
Despite its popularity, the Colorado Chamber of Commerce refused to list the castle as an attraction on its pamphlets. The bad blood between Bishop and the state of Colorado over the rocks he used to build the property, as well as no insurance company wanting to be responsible for a codeless building, meant it never became an official attraction.
Another setback occurred in 2018 when a fire ripped through the guest house and gift shop. The fire, which was speculated to be electrical, did not damage the castle itself, which is mostly made of stone. Despite the setback, Bishop Castle re-opened a week later, supported by donations and volunteer labour.
BISHOP CASTLE IN RECENT YEARS
With Jim in poor health, much of the upkeep of Bishop Castle has fallen to Daniel, Jim’s son. Daniel has said that “I don’t plan on working on anything until he’s gone because he wants it to be a one-man project as long as he’s alive.”
Daniel would like to eventually realize his father’s vision for Bishop Castle, a castle surrounded by a perimeter wall lined on the inside with vendor stalls.
“There’s enough work there that it would take two or three lifetimes to complete, and I’m already 45.”
BISHOP CASTLE TODAY
The castle today remains a popular roadside attraction, even with the local authorities refusing to acknowledge it as one. Visitors can now visit the newly renovated gift shop and spend time wandering around the castle and its surroundings.
The castle can even hold large events, such as weddings! So if you fancy a castle wedding in Colorado, Bishop Castle has you covered!
If you like Bishop Castle, check out Mystery Castle and Hard Luck Mine Castle, two other unusual “castles” which were both built by one person.