Shea's Castle
Encyclopedia
Shea’s Castle, also known as Sky Castle and Castle Ranch, is a castle
built in 1924 by the developer Richard Peter Shea. Shea, a New Yorker
, moved to the dry climate of Southern California
in hopes of improving the health of his wife, Ellen. Shea made his fortune developing Hancock Park
in Los Angeles
. He spent two years building the castle on about 1,500 acres (6 km²) of land in the Antelope Valley
, just west of Lancaster
and just south of the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
.
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 bankrupted Shea. The bank took over the castle and Shea died penniless.
A variety of owners and renters have occupied the castle since. Roy Rogers
trained his horse Trigger
there. A non-profit flying group added a runway, dam and lake there. The playboy Tommy Stewart Lee lived there for a short time before his family declared him mentally incompetent. He later committed suicide.
The castle has seen its share of development plans as well, but to this day it remains pretty much unchanged. There are petroglyphs on the property, as well as natural springs and an FAA approved landing strip. It has been a location for 1967's Blood of Dracula's Castle
and TV shows such as Air Wolf, Bat Masterson
, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Rat Patrol
, and Starsky & Hutch
.
It is currently a private residence.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
built in 1924 by the developer Richard Peter Shea. Shea, a New Yorker
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, moved to the dry climate of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
in hopes of improving the health of his wife, Ellen. Shea made his fortune developing Hancock Park
Hancock Park
Hancock Park is a park in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, area, which is the location of the La Brea Tar Pits, the George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art . The park does not, however, lie within the Hancock Park neighborhood which is...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He spent two years building the castle on about 1,500 acres (6 km²) of land in the Antelope Valley
Antelope Valley
The Antelope Valley in California, United States, is located in northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert...
, just west of Lancaster
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
and just south of the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is a state-protected reserve of California, USA, harboring the most consistent blooms of California poppies, the state flower. The reserve is located in the rural westside of Antelope Valley in northern Los Angeles County, west of Lancaster. The reserve...
.
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 bankrupted Shea. The bank took over the castle and Shea died penniless.
A variety of owners and renters have occupied the castle since. Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
trained his horse Trigger
Trigger (horse)
Trigger was a palomino horse, made famous in American Western films with his owner/rider, cowboy star Roy Rogers.-Pedigree:...
there. A non-profit flying group added a runway, dam and lake there. The playboy Tommy Stewart Lee lived there for a short time before his family declared him mentally incompetent. He later committed suicide.
The castle has seen its share of development plans as well, but to this day it remains pretty much unchanged. There are petroglyphs on the property, as well as natural springs and an FAA approved landing strip. It has been a location for 1967's Blood of Dracula's Castle
Blood of Dracula's Castle
Blood of Dracula's Castle is a 1969 horror cult B-movie directed by Al Adamson.-Plot:Count Dracula and his vampire wife , hiding behind the pseudonyms of Count and Countess Townsend, lure girls to their castle in the Arizona desert to be drained of blood by their butler George , who then mixes...
and TV shows such as Air Wolf, Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson (TV series)
Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry and the half-hour black and white shows ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961...
, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Rat Patrol
The Rat Patrol
The Rat Patrol is an American television program that aired on ABC during the 1966–1968 seasons. The show follows the exploits of four Allied soldiers who are part of a long-range desert patrol group in the North African campaign during World War II...
, and Starsky & Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
.
It is currently a private residence.