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About a hundred years ago, two very different men shared a similar dream — to build a castle in central California. They’d both devote their lives and resources to do so, and they’d both succeed. Which is why, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, you’ll find one of the most luxurious homes you could ever hope to set foot in. And also one of the trashiest.
The former is Hearst Castle, built by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, with an army of artisans, architects, engineers, designers, and laborers. The latter is Nitt Witt Ridge, built from found items and garbage by Arthur Harold Beal, a man with literally zero building experience. And while the Hearst Castle has long been a quintessential road tripping destination since opening to the public, Nitt Witt Ridge just might be the more memorable adventure.
Josh McNair — a photographer and expert on lesser-known excursions throughout California — has made it his mission to find quirky locales like Beal’s temple of decrepitude. His website, California Through My Lens, offers a guide to the state’s endlessly eclectic experiences. He calls Nitt Witt Ridge, “The Hearst Castle of Trash Art.”
“Everybody knows about Hearst Castle,” he explains, “but Nitt Witt Ridge took over 50 years and was made with only trash. There’s this awesome juxtaposition of those two places being so close to each other.”
This month, Uproxx is focused on the offbeat destinations you can swap out for crowded tourist haunts. Making McNair the perfect pick to coax us out of LA or San Fran to visit the strange, off-kilter, slightly mad world of Nitt Witt Ridge.
THE HISTORY:
FROM MCNAIR: They call it “The Poor Man’s Hearst Castle.” Arthur “Art” Beal was living in the area of Cambria, up on the central coast, in the 1920s. In the late 1920s, he bought this property, and then he just started building it over the course of 50 years — adding on all sorts of crazy stuff.
DETAILS: Located in Cambria, CA, you’ll find Nitt Witt Ridge at 881 Hillcrest Dr, Cambria, CA 93428. The house is as extraordinary as it is odd. In 1928, Beal was working as a garbage collector for the town when he bought a piece of property. The strange artist began carving out the side of the hill by hand, with just a pick and shovel, and then methodically building his own structure using junk, trash, and found materials.
Built around the same time as Hearst Castle, it’s the ultimate expression of Outsider art. With Beal rejecting the opulence up the road and simultaneously making commentary on it. Where Hearst had a marble swimming pool, and expensive art at every turn — like a 14th century imported ceiling — Beal had a toilet on the roof that he’d sit on to chat with the neighbors and also, used toilet seats to frame his art, pictures of cowboys that he’d hang on the wall.
THE CONSTRUCTION:
FROM MCNAIR: There are rumors that Beal did some work at Hearst Castle, that he was towing some stuff in his truck for Hearst Castle, and they say that he might have taken some of those pieces home and added it to his site. He just built and built and built on this property. He used everything from abalone shells to old tire rims, to beer cans, everything…
The guy just built up this kind of crazy house.
DETAILS: The property is made mostly of stone and cement but covered in odd details and incorporates trash and discarded items, including some pieces from Hearst’s mansion. The massive heaps of Busch beer cans are certainly a unique feature. Neighbors who lived in the area, when Beal was still alive, say that every 15 minutes, he took a quick coffee break while working. The “coffee” was a can of Busch beer in a mug.
THE INTERIOR:
MCNAIR: The house has a bunch of super unique stuff. There’s this old kitchen that Beal built that has all these old cans of food that are still there. Like food that he’d canned, and it’s all still inside. So, that’s kind of unique.
And then he has this outhouse that he built “his” and “hers” toilets in. He didn’t really have a partner or anything during this time, so I don’t know who was going into this outhouse and sitting next to him on this toilet, but it’s a fun story.
DETAILS: One must-do when visiting the house is to take a tour with the owner, Mike O’Malley — a character in his own right — who tells colorful stories and anecdotes about Beal. Tour times are uneven, but if you arrive at the top of the hour between 10 am and 4 pm there’s a good chance O’Malley will stop by.
If you don’t want to risk it, you can call (805) 927-2690 to make a reservation. O’Malley asks for a $10 donation for the experience.
WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA:
MCNAIR: One thing I love is that both houses, Hearst and Nitt Witt, were the dream houses of the people who created them. Hearst Castle was the dream of William Randolph Hearst and Nitt Witt Ridge was the dream of Arthur Beal. It’s so interesting to be able to see that kind of juxtaposition of two very different people’s dreams being built around the same few decades within a few miles of each other.
Nit Witt is a historical landmark in California and Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark — so it’s really cool to be able to have so much unique history in that area with the two different “dream houses.”
DETAILS: If you don’t want to take the 15-minute jaunt to see Hearst Castle after touring Ntt Witt Ridge, we recommend exploring Cambria — which is a picturesque little town known as the gateway to Big Sur. Grab lunch at the quirky Robin’s Restaurant or a burger or sandwich and glass of wine at Indigo Moon. Later, head to Moonstone Beach for an easy stroll that starts at its boardwalk and takes you past pristine beaches, seals, tide pools, and bluffs. It’s an amazing way to spend an afternoon, and a seriously cool departure from the normal Hearst Castle stop on PCH.
