Nitt Witt House in the town of Cambria, California
Image details
Contributor:
Dimitry Bobroff / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
G2G5XEFile size:
28.7 MB (2.3 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
3872 x 2592 px | 32.8 x 21.9 cm | 12.9 x 8.6 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
2016Location:
Cambria, CaliforniaMore information:
Nitt Witt Ridge is a house on two and a half acres in Cambria, California, United States. Artist/recluse Arthur "Art" Harold Beal (d. 1992) bought his hillside lot in 1928 and spent most of the next 50 years carving out the terraces with only a pick and shovel, creating his own "castle on a hill". Arthur Harold Beal is known as Der Tinkerpaw or Captain Nitt Witt. Beal was garbage collector for the town of Cambria in the 1940s and 1950s and made good use of what Cambrians were throwing away, as well as the natural materials on the property, in the nearby pine forests, and on the area's beaches. Some parts are also reportedly remnants from Hearst Castle where he supposedly worked for a time. Other common building materials arebeer cans, abalone shells, and concrete.[2] There are also washer drums, car rims, tile, car parts, and old stoves. After Art died in 1992 at the age of 96, his ashes were spread around his favorite redwood tree on Nitt Witt Ridge. The house still is full of knick-knacks and architectural uniqueness, despite the deterioration and ransacking it suffered after Art's death. In 1999 Michael and Stacey O'Malley became the owners of Nitt Witt Ridge. They have repaired some of the house and cleaned up the gardens. Their enthusiasm for Nitt Witt Ridge is apparent in Michael's guided tours of the property. Tours are available by reservation only and include a four-minute video. Nitt Witt Ridge is California Historical Landmark No. 939. It is considered a thematic landmark, in connection with the Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments.[1] The plaque reads: