A teenage boy with no formal training in construction set out to build a small stone cottage in the mountains of southern Colorado. More than five decades later, that modest project had transformed into a 16-storey, 160-foot-tall medieval-style castle, complete with towers, bridges, stained-glass windows and even a fire-breathing dragon.The man behind this extraordinary creation was Jim Bishop, whose ambitious undertaking is widely regarded as one of the largest one-man construction projects in the world. Known as Bishop Castle, the sprawling structure was built largely by Bishop himself, without formal architectural or engineering training.Bishop died in November 2024, aged 80. Today, his son Dan looks after the castle and continues to welcome visitors to the unusual landmark, which remains open to the public and operates on donations.
From a paper route to a mountain property
Jim Bishop began constructing the castle as a teenager. (Photo: Kirsten Dirksen)
Bishop’s remarkable journey began in 1959, when he was just 15. He had saved money from delivering newspapers, mowing lawns and doing odd jobs, along with earnings from working at his father’s ornamental ironworks. He used his savings to put down $500 towards a 2.5-acre piece of forested land in the mountains of southern Colorado. The property cost $2,500, which he paid off over the next 10 years.Because he was underage, his parents had to sign the paperwork on his behalf. After buying the land, Bishop reportedly cycled 48 miles into the mountains to see what he had purchased.He had already fallen out with school following a disagreement with an English teacher and eventually dropped out of high school. Instead of pursuing formal education, he learned ironwork and masonry through practical experience. His grandfather, a Navy tinsmith, taught him some of the skills involved in working with metal.In 1969, Bishop and his father began constructing a small stone cottage on the property. The original idea was to create a weekend retreat in the mountains. But as the structure began attracting attention from motorists travelling along Highway 165, people started asking whether he was building a castle. Some even mocked the idea.That reaction eventually became the inspiration for something much bigger.Recalling the moment his grandfather asked Jim what he was doing while digging at the property, Dan said his father replied, “The people want a castle. I’m going to build one. I’m expanding.”According to Dan, the idea of building a castle had taken hold of his father’s imagination, and he decided to pursue it.
A cottage that became a castle
Colorado’s Bishop Castle stands 160 feet tall. (Photo: Kirsten Dirksen)
Bishop’s son recalls that his father initially spent about three years building the rock cottage. He then worked on the beginnings of a castle for nearly a decade, with friends occasionally offering to help but rarely turning up. Eventually, the project became a one-man undertaking.The original cottage gradually evolved into an extraordinary structure featuring multiple towers, stone arches, buttresses, wrought-iron bridges, battlements, stained-glass windows and a grand hall. One of its most striking features is a metal dragon designed to breathe fire.The tallest tower rises approximately 160 feet above the ground, with around 15 feet of its foundation buried down to bedrock. According to Dan, his father built much of the structure by relying on his own calculations, instinct and practical understanding of balance rather than architectural drawings.Bishop reportedly carried out much of the heavy work himself. He would collect rocks from nearby creek beds using a half-ton truck, bring them back to the property and move them into position using a system of pulleys and baskets. Dan says his father handled each rock an average of seven times before it reached its final position.Explaining his father’s approach to construction, Dan recalled a line Jim often used: “Engineering without money is ingenuity.” He said his father had plenty of the latter, despite having no formal engineering education.The work was largely done during the summer months. During winter, Bishop returned to his ornamental ironwork business to earn money for his living expenses and finance the next phase of construction. He would then devote much of June, July and August to building the castle.
The fire-breathing dragon and unconventional engineering
Following Jim’s death, his son Dan took charge of the castle. (Photo: Kirsten Dirksen)
The castle is filled with unusual architectural features that reflect Bishop’s imagination. Among them is a metal dragon whose mouth can release enormous flames. Dan explained during a tour of the property that his father initially installed a hot-air balloon burner in the dragon, which produced a flame of about five feet. The current mechanism is considerably more powerful.The structure also contains elaborate stone arches, metal frameworks, towers and unfinished projects, including an elevator and an inclined escalator. Bishop had envisioned the latter as a way to help visitors in wheelchairs access parts of the castle.His son explained that many of these ideas existed primarily in his father’s imagination. Bishop rarely drew detailed plans and often came up with new additions as he went along. He took inspiration from photographs of Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, the work of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí and other architectural references he encountered in magazines.Despite the scale of the undertaking, Bishop continued to build without conventional construction machinery or formal engineering assistance. Electricity did not reach the property until 1993.
Clashes with authorities and a monument to freedom
The project also brought Bishop into conflict with local authorities. At one point, officials told him that he needed building permits and could not continue constructing beyond a certain height. According to Dan, his father challenged the restrictions and presented an argument based on the legal doctrine of laches at a local board meeting.Bishop saw the castle as a symbol of individual freedom and the possibilities of determination. His son described it as a monument to what a person could accomplish with limited resources, provided they had the will and desire to keep going.Speaking about his father’s philosophy, Dan said, “This place is a monument to freedom. What you can do without much if you have the will and desire and you don’t let them stop you.”Jim also had a strong sense of spirituality, although Dan said he was not particularly religious. His father often said that “with these two hands and the help of God” he had built Bishop Castle. For him, the structure was almost like a temple.The castle was never intended to become a conventional tourist attraction. Bishop did not charge admission, and visitors were encouraged to contribute donations instead. The family continues to follow that approach.
His son continues the legacy
After Jim Bishop’s death in November 2024, his son Dan took on the responsibility of looking after the castle. Having grown up around the construction, Dan learned many of the practical skills by watching his father work. He now considers himself a steward of the property rather than simply its caretaker.During a tour featured in a video by Kirsten Dirksen, Dan spoke about his father’s determination and the challenges of maintaining the unusual structure. He also revealed that he hopes to complete an unfinished tower and connect it to another section through a bridge.Dan has continued working on the property despite facing his own setbacks, including a fall from a roof that left him with a broken hip. He said he enjoys being there and watching visitors experience the castle.When asked how he sees his role in the project, Dan put it simply: “I consider myself a steward.” He wants to preserve the freedom his father enjoyed while continuing to look after the creation he left behind.