A Folk Art Environment

During a recent road trip along the coast of California, I came across the story of Arthur Beal, the creator of Nitt Witt Ridge. Beal spent over fifty years building his beloved “poor man’s Hearst Castle” on two and half acres of hillside land in Cambria.

Having long ago visited Hearst Castle, I decided to find out what a “poor man’s Hearst Castle” looks like and took a short drive from Moonstone Beach in Cambria to Nitt Witt Ridge. The ramshackle, fenced off site is easy to find.  It’s hard to see a lot of the structure detail from the street, but a closer look reveals abalone shells, beer cans, car parts, and other reclaimed and discarded items.

Beal purchased the property at 881 Hillcrest Drive in 1928. He was a garbage collector for the town in the 40’s and 50’s and apparently used a lot of the trash he collected for his building materials. Initially it was a one room shack, but using a pick and a shovel, Beal built out the property into sprawling “castle.” As the years passed and Beal’s home expanded, he became well known around town as an eccentric by some and a nut case by others. His notoriety soon brought media to his door and he was featured in several news stories.

Beal died ten years ago, but before his death Nitt Witt Ridge was declared California Historical Landmark, No. 939, as a thematic landmark in connection with the Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments. The plaque reads:

Nitt Witt Ridge, one of California's remarkable twentieth-century folk-art environments, is the creation of Arthur Harold Beal (Der Tinkerpaw, or Capt. Nitt Witt), a Cambria Pines pioneer who sculpted the land using hand tools and indigenous materials, inventiveness and self-taught skills. A blend of native materials and contemporary elements, impressive in its sheer mass and meticulous placement, it is a revealing memorial to Art's cosmic humor and zest for life. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 939. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation for saving and preserving arts and cultural environments with the Art Beal Foundation, non-profit and educational corporation. June 26, 1986.

The site is currently owned by Michael and Stacey O'Malley who bought the property in 1999. They offer tours of the site, but reservations are required.  The number to call is 805-927-2690.