Laurie of Arabia: Day 2: Mystery Castle, Odd yard, and the Desert Botanical Garden

      Saturday we went to the Mystery Castle in Phoenix near South Mountain. This place has quite the history.

Running Away

      In the late 1920's or early 30's, Boyce Gully of Seattle, Washington learned from his doctor that he had tuberculosis and that his days were numbered. Fearing that he would expose his wife and young daughter, Mary Lou, Boyce got in the car and drove south to Phoenix in an effort to extend his life even for a year or so. He thought he was under a death sentence. He never spoke or contacted his wife and daughter. They had no idea what had happened.

     With a small amount of money and the tenacity of someone in a desperate situation, Gully researched free land, and was able to procure some acreage near South Mountain - outside of Phoenix. Using anything he could get his hands on, stone, adobe, cement, even the car he drove down in, Gully started to build an eclectic castle in memory of the little girl he left behind. The home has 18 rooms with 13 fire places. Gully was a good trader/barterer and got most of his materials for free by trading and bartering with the local natve and Latino communities.

    Ironically, it would be cancer, and not tuberculosis that would take Gully's life in 1945. His lawyer in Phoenix then notified his wife and daughter that they had inherited the property. They moved down and lived in the house until their deaths.

   It would be the 1992 before electricity and plumbing were added to the home! Life Magazine did an article on the house in 1948, and shortly thereafter, Mary Lou and her mother started giving tours of the home. Weddings were allowed at the house, as Boyce had built a chapel, until just a few years before Mary Lou died. A 1999 documentary on the house won an Emmy award.

Enjoy the pictures. This place is fascinating on so many levels!

Downtown Phoenix to the east

Mary Lou had a friend who painted "pet rocks"

Flat Evan near a letter from President Clinton

Closed to the public, this was Mary Lou's bedroom. She died in 2010. Her cat, Cleocatra, still lives in the house.

The yellow glass windows are actually lids from yellow depression glass casserole dishes. These dishes would fetch a huge price on the market today.

Part of the original car that Boyce drove down in, now makes up a window.

Mary Lou's portrain was painted by a protege of Georgio O'Keefe.

Boyce Gully

The Apache basket has been appraised at around $6000! Boyce traded for it.

Our guide was a personal friend of Mary Lou's.

People like to Decorate their Yards

In the posh area called Paradise Valley, on the same street where rocker Alice Cooper lives, is the Lee home. Dr. Lee was a physician. Susan wasn't sure if he is still alive. We aren't sure if the Lee family still owns this home. However, Dr. Lee had a lot of fun, to the chagrin of his upper crusty neighbors , decorating his front yard. Alice Cooper probably loves the place.

Desert Botanical Garden

To finish the day we went to the botanical gardens. The pictures here are "texture" photo, where I get close up because I am looking for patterns or colors. A few pictures are just because I like them.