A man determined to prove his English teacher wrong at the age of 15 went on to build a stunning stone and stained glass castle in Rye, Colorado.
In 1959 Jim Bishop decided to drop out of high school after he got into an argument with his teacher who said that he would ‘never amount to anything,’ according to the castle’s website.
In that same year, Jim decided to purchase a two-and-a-half acre piece of land for $450 with money he earned delivering newspapers, mowing lawns and working with his father Willard in his family’s ornamental iron works.
He convinced his father and mother, Ma Polly, to let him use his savings to buy the property, while they signed off on the land deal.
After building a family cabin on the land with his father for 10 summers, Jim soon became inspired to take on a more ambitious task and build a castle from the ground up in 1972.
Jim Bishop took 60 years to build the Bishop Castle in Rye, Colorado after he purchased the two-and-a-half acre piece of land for $450 in 1959. (pictured: The steel dragon that he also built at the top of the castle)
Jim (pictured) decided to drop out of high school after he got into an argument with his teacher who said that he would ‘never amount to anything’ before he pursued his vision
‘It was originally started as a rock cottage, and you could come and see the rock work that he (Jim’s father) did,’ Dan Bishop, Jim’s son, told Fox 31.
‘Definitely a different style of rock work in the very beginning. My grandpa was helping for about three years, and when people said it looked like a castle, my dad decided to add on to it, and my grandpa didn’t want to have anything to do with it,’ he added.
Soon enough, the one-room stone cottage that Jim built at the age of 25, after he married his wife Phoebe, was at the center of the sprawling castle that took him 60 years to make.
With an ‘Eiffel Tower-shaped fireplace’ attached to the cottage, Jim built the impressive castle all on his own.
Although people offered to help out with the massive project, nobody ever showed up to lend a hand, according to the website.
Jim decided to take his frustration and turn it into motivation and constructed the castle he’s always dreamt of.
As he built the castle near the ‘majestic’ San Isabel National Forest in southern Colorado, Jim started to adopt ‘spontaneous’ ideas for the structure as construction continued.
While he made additions to his castle, Jim also developed a love for working out, as he set up weights that he lifted after long days of working with mortar and stone.
After building a one-bedroom cottage on his land with his father, Jim decided to construct his castle
Jim used his ironwork skills to create the railing for the intricate spiral staircase that is surrounded by thick pieces of stone
Through his determination to complete his aspiration, Jim made sure that every aspect of his life was balanced.
‘This pursuit of balance became an ideal in his self-improvement journey, evident in his stonework, his body, and his mind,’ the website read.
‘Through this approach, Jim began to fully visualize his next steps in construction and how everything would fit together on a grand scale.’
Instead of developing plans for the castle in blueprints, hand written notes or sketched, Jim chose to illustrate his own book, ‘Castle Building from My Point of View.’
Jim chose to illustrate his own book, ‘Castle Building from My Point of View’ that detailed his 60 year process
The 47-page book detailed how he built the ‘awe-inspiring’ Bishop Castle that he said was ‘Built by One Man with the Help of God.’
Some of the tasks that Jim took part in to build the monument included welding, scroll bending, felling timber and milling it into lumber, lifting heavy stone, digging 12ft holes, mixing mortar, and more.
According to the website, Jim ‘handled each and every stone in the castle an average of six times’ before it was finally placed within granite from the Rocky Mountains.
On the south side of the castle, Jim put his ironwork skills to the test as he installed iron arches and forms to the second floor.
He also used his skills to create the railing for the intricate spiral staircase that is surrounded by thick pieces of stone.
Jim accented the castle with beautiful and bright stained glass windows.
Jim decided to allow visitors to explore the magnificent structure free of charge
Jim accented the castle with beautiful and bright stained glass windows
As the castle grew more each day, Jim’s friends started to suggest that he use the structure to make a profit, but he didn’t want others to pay to see his hard work.
Instead, the self-made builder started to invite people to the castle free of charge and allowed them to drop money in the donation box if they pleased.
His donation process made Jim feel like he had created a ‘symbol of American freedom,’ even when he grew frustrated about not having the funds for larger projects within the castle.
Jim’s wife Phoebe then decided to create the Bishop Castle Non-Profit Charitable Foundation for Newborn Heart Surgery, which helped them maintain the donation box on the property.
The organization was established to help local families without insurance to pay for costly medical bills for young children.
She also created a gift shop for the castle inside of the log cabin, which she managed for 13 years.
In the mid-1980s the castle stepped it up one more notch and added a dragon made of scrap pieces of stainless steel.
Jim soon started to construct the ‘scales’ for the dragon sculpture by hand until the dragon was completed that spring.
Jim’s wife Phoebe started a non-profit on behalf of the castle that helps local families without insurance to pay for costly medical bills for young children
The castle is also used for wedding ceremonies, which according to the website, can be booked with a ‘suggested donation’ of $500
The dragon now sits 80ft tall off the Grand Ballroom in the form of a chimney. The dragon was eventually given a fire feature that allowed it to breathe fire with the help of a donated hot air balloon, the website explained.
Today, the three-story castle is filled with bridges, a Grand Ballroom, towers, and spectacular views that have attracted endless tourists.
People can view Jim’s hard work for free and can explore the castle on their own as guided tours are not offered.
Around the castle there are other family-friendly activities to get involved in, including camping, horseback riding, hiking and dining spots.
The castle is also used for wedding ceremonies, which according to the website, can be booked with a ‘suggested donation’ of $500.
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