Steve and Sandy... on the Road With Yoda: Scotty’s Castle

March 12,2009

A 2 story Spanish Villa in Grapevine Canyon, Death Valley. It was a Desert retreat of Chicago Ins. Executive Albert Johnson, Wife Bessie & friend Walter Scott. It is a 25 room mansion with guest house, stables, cook house, gas tank house, patio apartment, courtyard, chime house, power house, solar water heaters & planed swimming pool. Albert had a degree in Civil Engineering. He had great interest in “modern technology” & new inventions. Scotty’s Castle was self-sufficient with 1920’s technology. Construction started in 1925 & continued until 1931 when the effects of the depression & complications to the title of the Castle land materialized. This location was chosen because of it’s abundance of fresh water springs & it’s 3000 ft. elevation, that gives the castle a temperate climate. The young woman was our tour guide.

The cross on the hill is where Scotty is buried with one of his dogs. One of many water falls in the house to help cool it & Scotties bed that he didn’t sleep in.

Dining room these dishes were from Spain. The kitchen sink, The tiles were depicting Ferdinand the bull Story.

Baskets made by the local tribe. The bathroom in the house. It was on the 2nd level.

This is a organ that on the dark wall when it plays the baffles move & you can see light through.

Another one of the bedrooms & an interesting piece of furniture. The windows all had heavy drapes to help keep out the heat & damaging sun.

When Mr. Johnson died he set it up that Scotty could live out his life there. Then it went to a trust managed by a church. When the church decided it was too much to handle they sold it to the parks dept. & donated All of the original furnishings.

The side yard & The start of the swimming pool that wasn’t finished. The tiles were ordered & are now stored in the underground part of house. The pool will never be finished.