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Coordinates: 37°1′56″N 117°20′29.4″W / 37.03222°N 117.341500°W / 37.03222; -117.341500
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| refnum=78000297<ref name="nris">{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=78000297}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination form - Death Valley Scotty Historic District|date=1978-07-20|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref name="nris2">{{cite web|url=http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2010-09-22|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
| refnum=78000297<ref name="nris">{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=78000297}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination form - Death Valley Scotty Historic District|date=1978-07-20|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref name="nris2">{{cite web|url=http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2010-09-22|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''Scotty's Castle''' (also known as '''Death Valley Ranch''') is a two-story [[Mission Revival Style architecture|Mission Revival]] and [[Spanish Colonial Revival architecture|Spanish Colonial Revival]] style [[villa]] located in the [[Grapevine Mountains]] of northern [[Death Valley]] in [[Death Valley National Park]], [[California]], US. Scotty's Castle is named for [[gold prospector]] [[Walter E. Scott]], although Scott never owned it, nor is it an actual [[castle]].
'''Scotty's Castle''' (also known as '''Death Valley Ranch''') is a two-story [[Mission Revival Style architecture|Mission Revival]] and [[Spanish Colonial Revival architecture|Spanish Colonial Revival]] style [[villa]] located in the [[Grapevine Mountains]] of northern [[Death Valley]] in [[Death Valley National Park]], [[California]], US.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scotty's Castle |url=https://www.dvconservancy.org/scottys-castle/ |url-status=live |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Death Valley Conservancy |language=en-US}}</ref> Scotty's Castle is named for [[gold prospector]] [[Walter E. Scott]], although Scott never owned it, nor is it an actual [[castle]].


The ranch is located about {{convert|45|mi|km}} north of [[Stovepipe Wells, California]], via [[California State Route 190]] to Scotty's Castle Road, or about a three-hour drive from [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]].<ref name="nps"/>
The ranch is located about {{convert|45|mi|km}} north of [[Stovepipe Wells, California]], via [[California State Route 190]] to Scotty's Castle Road, or about a three-hour drive from [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]].<ref name="nps"/>


The property was severely damaged by flooding in October 2015 and is not currently open to the public.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature/flood-2015.htm|title=Flash Floods of 2015|date=2016-08-23|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref>
Scotty's Castle was severely damaged by flooding in October 2015, and a fire in 2021 that destroyed the historic garage/workshop that was used as the visitor center. Scotty's Castle is temporarily closed to the public.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature/flood-2015.htm|title=Flash Floods of 2015|date=2016-08-23|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-22 |title=Fire at Scotty’s Castle Destroys One Historic Outbuilding, Damages Another |url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/2021-04-22-scottys-fire.htm |website=National Park Service - Death Valley National Park}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
Line 37: Line 37:


==Tours==
==Tours==
=== In Person ===
Approximately 100,000 people tour the villa each year. The Johnsons' original furnishings and clothing can still be seen today. The National Park Service gives guided tours of Scotty's Castle for a fee. Park rangers dress in 1930s style clothes to help take the visitor back in time. During the tour, guests are treated to the sounds of a 1,121-pipe [[Welte-Mignon|Welte]] [[theater organ]].
Approximately 100,000 people tour the villa each year. The Johnsons' original furnishings and clothing can still be seen today. The National Park Service gives guided tours of Scotty's Castle for a fee. Park rangers dress in 1930s style clothes to help take the visitor back in time. During the tour, guests are treated to the sounds of a 1,121-pipe [[Welte-Mignon|Welte]] [[theater organ]].


An underground mystery tour is also available for those wishing to see the inner workings of the building. One-quarter mile of tunnels run under the building, where visitors can visit the powerhouse and see thousands of tiles that were to be used for the never-finished swimming pool. The tunnels also contain hundreds of [[nickel-iron battery]] cells, used to regulate power and provide backup power. The main house tour is [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|ADA]] accessible, but the underground tour is not.<ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/scottys-castle.htm|title=Scotty's Castle|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
An underground mystery tour is also available for those wishing to see the inner workings of the building. One-quarter mile of tunnels run under the building, where visitors can visit the powerhouse and see thousands of tiles that were to be used for the never-finished swimming pool. The tunnels also contain hundreds of [[nickel-iron battery]] cells, used to regulate power and provide backup power. The main house tour is [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|ADA]] accessible, but the underground tour is not.<ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/scottys-castle.htm|title=Scotty's Castle|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>


=== Video ===
Scotty's Castle is featured in Episode 607 of ''[[California's Gold]]'' with [[Huell Howser]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Scotty's Castle – California's Gold (607) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University |url=https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/1995/12/10/scottys-castle-californias-gold-607/}}</ref>
Scotty's Castle is featured in Episode 607 of ''[[California's Gold]]'' with [[Huell Howser]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Scotty's Castle – California's Gold (607) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University |url=https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/1995/12/10/scottys-castle-californias-gold-607/}}</ref>

=== Virtual reality ===
Scotty's Castle can be toured in 3D [[virtual reality]] from a computer, smartphone, or with VR goggles - the result of a collaboration between the [https://www.dvconservancy.org/ Death Valley Conservancy] and the National Park Service.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Death Valley Conservancy |date=2022-06-10 |title=Take a Virtual Reality Tour of Scotty's Castle |url=https://www.dvconservancy.org/news-from-death-valley/2022/take-a-virtual-reality-tour-of-scottys-castle/ |url-status=live |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Death Valley Conservancy |language=en-US}}</ref>


==Water and electricity==
==Water and electricity==
Line 49: Line 54:


==2015 flood damage==
==2015 flood damage==
On October 18, 2015 the Death Valley area was hit by a significant rain storm, receiving nearly {{convert|3|in|cm}} of rain as the storm stalled over the Grapevine Canyon area for five hours. [[Flash flooding]] struck Scotty's Castle, leaving mud and debris stacked along the perimeter of the structures, up to {{convert|1|ft|cm}} high inside the visitor center, and the access road to the property was destroyed. The flood caused the property to be closed for an extended period of time while repairs to the property are carried out and a new access road is built.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-california-death-valley-flash-flood-scottys-castle-20151027-htmlstory.html|title = Still reeling from flash floods in Death Valley, Scotty's Castle may be closed a year or more| website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date = 28 October 2015}}</ref> The NPS has stated that the castle itself is not likely to re-open to the public until 2022,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/historyculture/scottys-castle.htm|title = Scotty's Castle - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)}}</ref> though "flood recovery tours" of the grounds happened between December 2017 and April 14, 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/historyculture/scottys-castle.htm|title=Scotty's Castle - Death Valley National Park|accessdate=December 25, 2017|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dvnha.org/news/183-scotty-s-castle-flood-recovery-tours|title=Scotty's Castle Flood Recovery Tours|publisher=Death Valley Natural History Association|language=en-gb|access-date=2017-12-26}}</ref> A fire on April 22, 2021 destroyed the former visitors center and further stalled rehabilitation efforts.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/2021-04-22-scottys-fire.htm | title=Fire at Scotty's Castle Destroys One Historic Outbuilding, Damages Another - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service) }}</ref>
On October 18, 2015 the Death Valley area was hit by a significant rain storm, receiving nearly {{convert|3|in|cm}} of rain as the storm stalled over the Grapevine Canyon area for five hours. [[Flash flooding]] struck Scotty's Castle, leaving mud and debris stacked along the perimeter of the structures, up to {{convert|1|ft|cm}} high inside the visitor center, and the access road to the property was destroyed. The flood caused the property to be closed for an extended period of time while repairs to the property are carried out and a new access road is built.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-california-death-valley-flash-flood-scottys-castle-20151027-htmlstory.html|title = Still reeling from flash floods in Death Valley, Scotty's Castle may be closed a year or more| website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date = 28 October 2015}}</ref> The NPS has stated that the castle itself is not likely to re-open to the public until 2023,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/historyculture/scottys-castle.htm|title = Scotty's Castle - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)}}</ref> though "flood recovery tours" of the grounds happened between December 2017 and April 14, 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/historyculture/scottys-castle.htm|title=Scotty's Castle - Death Valley National Park|accessdate=December 25, 2017|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dvnha.org/news/183-scotty-s-castle-flood-recovery-tours|title=Scotty's Castle Flood Recovery Tours|publisher=Death Valley Natural History Association|language=en-gb|access-date=2017-12-26}}</ref>
== 2021 outbuildings fire ==
A fire on April 22, 2021 destroyed the historic garage/workshop dating from 1922 that was used as the visitor center, along with another historic outbuilding on the property.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/2021-04-22-scottys-fire.htm | title=Fire at Scotty's Castle Destroys One Historic Outbuilding, Damages Another - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service) }}</ref> Upon investigation, the [[California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection]] reported that the fire started inside the Visitor Center. However, investigators were not able to conclusively determine the cause of the fire.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-24 |title=Scotty’s Castle Visitor Center fire investigation inconclusive |url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/scotty-s-castle-fire-report-inconclusive.htm |url-status=live |access-date=2023-01-07 |website=National Park Service - Death Valley National Park}}</ref> While the main castle building was unscathed, this delayed the property rehabilitation efforts and pushed back the public reopening until 2023. The National Park Service intends to rebuild the garage/workshop.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scotty's Castle |url=https://www.dvconservancy.org/scottys-castle/ |url-status=live |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Death Valley Conservancy |language=en-US}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 61: Line 69:
* [http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/scottys-castle.htm National Park Service page on Scotty's Castle]
* [http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/scottys-castle.htm National Park Service page on Scotty's Castle]
* [http://digital-desert.com/scottys-castle/ Interior and exterior photo tours of Scotty's Castle]
* [http://digital-desert.com/scottys-castle/ Interior and exterior photo tours of Scotty's Castle]
* [https://www.dvconservancy.org/scottys-castle/ Death Valley Conservancy page on Scotty's Castle]


{{Death Valley}}
{{Death Valley}}

Revision as of 08:01, 8 January 2023

Scotty's Castle
(Death Valley Scotty Historic District)
Scotty's Castle
Scotty's Castle is located in California
Scotty's Castle
Scotty's Castle is located in the United States
Scotty's Castle
LocationDeath Valley National Park
Nearest cityBeatty, Nevada, USA
Coordinates37°1′56″N 117°20′29.4″W / 37.03222°N 117.341500°W / 37.03222; -117.341500
Area719.57 hectares (1778.0574 acres)
Built1922 - 1931
ArchitectMartin de Dubovay
EngineerMat Roy Thompson
DesignerCharles Alexander MacNeilledge
Architectural styleProvincial Spanish
(Mexican, Spanish, and Mediterranean influences)
NRHP reference No.78000297[1][2]
Added to NRHPJuly 20, 1978

Scotty's Castle (also known as Death Valley Ranch) is a two-story Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival style villa located in the Grapevine Mountains of northern Death Valley in Death Valley National Park, California, US.[3] Scotty's Castle is named for gold prospector Walter E. Scott, although Scott never owned it, nor is it an actual castle.

The ranch is located about 45 miles (72 km) north of Stovepipe Wells, California, via California State Route 190 to Scotty's Castle Road, or about a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, Nevada.[4]

Scotty's Castle was severely damaged by flooding in October 2015, and a fire in 2021 that destroyed the historic garage/workshop that was used as the visitor center. Scotty's Castle is temporarily closed to the public.[5][6]

History

Construction began on Scotty's Castle in 1922, and cost between $1.5 and $2.5 million. Prospector, performer, and con man Walter Scott, born in Cynthiana, Kentucky, also known as "Death Valley Scotty," convinced Chicago millionaire Albert Mussey Johnson to invest in Scott's gold mine in the Death Valley area. Though initially angered when the mine turned out to be fraudulent, Johnson was fascinated with the colorful Scott and the two men struck up an unlikely friendship. By 1937, Johnson had acquired more than 1,500 acres (610 ha) in Grapevine Canyon, where the ranch is located.

After Johnson and his wife Bessie made several trips to the region, and his health improved, construction began. It was Mrs. Johnson's idea to build something comfortable for their vacations in the area, and the villa eventually became a winter home.

The Johnsons hired Martin de Dubovay as the architect, Mat Roy Thompson as the engineer and head of construction, and Charles Alexander MacNeilledge as the designer.[1]

Unknown to the Johnsons, the initial survey was incorrect, and the land they built Death Valley Ranch on was actually government land; their land was farther up Grapevine Canyon. Construction halted as they resolved this mistake, but before it could resume, the stock market crashed in 1929, making it difficult for Johnson to finish construction. Having lost a considerable amount of money, the Johnsons used the Death Valley Ranch to produce income by letting rooms out, upon the suggestion of Scott.

The Johnsons died without heirs and had hoped that the National Park Service would purchase the property, and in 1970, the National Park Service purchased the villa for $850,000 from the Gospel Foundation (the socially-oriented charity Johnson founded in 1946), to which the Johnsons had left the property.[7] Walter Scott, who was taken care of by the Gospel Foundation after Johnson's passing, died in 1954 and was buried on the hill overlooking Scotty's Castle next to a beloved dog.

Tours

In Person

Approximately 100,000 people tour the villa each year. The Johnsons' original furnishings and clothing can still be seen today. The National Park Service gives guided tours of Scotty's Castle for a fee. Park rangers dress in 1930s style clothes to help take the visitor back in time. During the tour, guests are treated to the sounds of a 1,121-pipe Welte theater organ.

An underground mystery tour is also available for those wishing to see the inner workings of the building. One-quarter mile of tunnels run under the building, where visitors can visit the powerhouse and see thousands of tiles that were to be used for the never-finished swimming pool. The tunnels also contain hundreds of nickel-iron battery cells, used to regulate power and provide backup power. The main house tour is ADA accessible, but the underground tour is not.[4]

Video

Scotty's Castle is featured in Episode 607 of California's Gold with Huell Howser.[8]

Virtual reality

Scotty's Castle can be toured in 3D virtual reality from a computer, smartphone, or with VR goggles - the result of a collaboration between the Death Valley Conservancy and the National Park Service.[9]

Water and electricity

The springs of Grapevine Canyon provided the water supply for the ranch and were used to generate electricity. The springs, located about 300 feet (91 m) higher than the villa, generated enough water flow and pressure to turn a Pelton wheel, which ran the generator that furnished the villa's electricity. The power was regulated and backed up by the large bank of nickel–iron batteries in the house's tunnels. The springs provided enough water to meet all the needs of the ranch, with enough left for other uses.

A water fountain was constructed in the Great Hall, where water dripped down a rock face creating evaporative cooling and into a catch basin for recirculation. A 1930s solar water heater, much larger than today's solar water heaters, is near the main house, and a large stock of railroad ties salvaged from the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad is in the area.

2015 flood damage

On October 18, 2015 the Death Valley area was hit by a significant rain storm, receiving nearly 3 inches (7.6 cm) of rain as the storm stalled over the Grapevine Canyon area for five hours. Flash flooding struck Scotty's Castle, leaving mud and debris stacked along the perimeter of the structures, up to 1 foot (30 cm) high inside the visitor center, and the access road to the property was destroyed. The flood caused the property to be closed for an extended period of time while repairs to the property are carried out and a new access road is built.[10] The NPS has stated that the castle itself is not likely to re-open to the public until 2023,[11] though "flood recovery tours" of the grounds happened between December 2017 and April 14, 2018.[12][13]

2021 outbuildings fire

A fire on April 22, 2021 destroyed the historic garage/workshop dating from 1922 that was used as the visitor center, along with another historic outbuilding on the property.[14] Upon investigation, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that the fire started inside the Visitor Center. However, investigators were not able to conclusively determine the cause of the fire.[15] While the main castle building was unscathed, this delayed the property rehabilitation efforts and pushed back the public reopening until 2023. The National Park Service intends to rebuild the garage/workshop.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination form - Death Valley Scotty Historic District". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 1978-07-20.
  2. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-09-22.
  3. ^ "Scotty's Castle". Death Valley Conservancy. Retrieved 2023-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b "Scotty's Castle". National Park Service.
  5. ^ "Flash Floods of 2015". National Park Service. 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  6. ^ "Fire at Scotty's Castle Destroys One Historic Outbuilding, Damages Another". National Park Service - Death Valley National Park. 2021-04-22.
  7. ^ National Park Service: The Gospel Foundation
  8. ^ "Scotty's Castle – California's Gold (607) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University".
  9. ^ Death Valley Conservancy (2022-06-10). "Take a Virtual Reality Tour of Scotty's Castle". Death Valley Conservancy. Retrieved 2023-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "Still reeling from flash floods in Death Valley, Scotty's Castle may be closed a year or more". Los Angeles Times. 28 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Scotty's Castle - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)".
  12. ^ "Scotty's Castle - Death Valley National Park". National Park Service. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  13. ^ "Scotty's Castle Flood Recovery Tours". Death Valley Natural History Association. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  14. ^ "Fire at Scotty's Castle Destroys One Historic Outbuilding, Damages Another - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)".
  15. ^ "Scotty's Castle Visitor Center fire investigation inconclusive". National Park Service - Death Valley National Park. 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2023-01-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "Scotty's Castle". Death Valley Conservancy. Retrieved 2023-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scotty's Castle.
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