A Castle Is Rising

            My apologies, dearest readership, for my lack of candor in posting frequency of late. I admire the dedication some of you have, and applaud your awesomeness at blogging. I've been otherwise obligated to silly things like classes and exams, a poor excuse I know, but honest. On the bright side, slacking on my internet ramblings resulted in my killing of the Political Science exams. They didn't even know what was coming. I wish I'd known my knack for politics before now, but hindsight is always 20/20, huh? Usually I take the stance of complete disinterest, not because I don't care as much as I get tired of sifting through all the bullshit. Anyhoo, I've discovered a rather interesting local wonder to share with you guys, hope its cool enough to make up for my commitment issues. Its a little gem which mixes both my geekdom for all things medieval, and my absolute passion for architecture and building.

2010

          There is a real castle being built in the Ozarks. A project is underway, deep in the woods of Northwest Arkansas, to build a 13th-century-style French castle using feudal-era technology and resources. Holy Shit. A French couple, Solange and Jean-Marc Mirat, who live in the Ozarks visited the Burgundy castle in France and thought the Arkansas terrain would be a good match for such a venture. It will be at the same time an extremely unique tourist attraction and an historical re-enactment which will be authentic as possible with concessions made only for safety. Its main purpose is to be, in effect, a window to the past for academics. Visitors are allowed to observe or talk to the workers constructing the fortress, who will be following plans drafted by a French architectural historians. The fortress site is entirely interactive, which has hands-on exhibits all around the castle for all sorts of medieval crafts.

Honey, the draft horse who carries supplies to the workers.

2020

          The workers include 25 full time employees and 15 volunteers. They do an assortment of tasks like chiseling stone, lifting blocks with a human-powered hamster-wheel crane, and making tools, chains, tiles and rope. All of the mathematics needed for construction will be measured out using a 13-knot rope and the most basic of leveling instruments. This beast of an undertaking will boast seven towers, one standing at 70 feet tall, and walls that are 5 feet thick. The fortress will take a stunning 20 years to complete. There will also be a moat and drawbridge. These people are serious!

2030

            Amidst the 50 acres of land, you can take a self guided tour past textile workshops and artisan stations for pottery, blacksmithing, stone facing, and carpentry. there are donkeys, sheep and draft horses. You will probably also encounter a few donkeys, sheep, and draft horses wandering around as you go along your way. These are not merely interactive attractions for visitors, each is actually essential to the building process itself, which is kind of new and refreshing as far as tourist traps are concerned. The site will also stage demonstrations of medieval past times such as falconry, sword fighting, and hurling boulder with catapults. 

              One could easily think that building a French castle here is completely random, but in actuality it is rather appropriate. La Salle claimed Arkansas for France in 1682 and it stayed French until President Jefferson bought it from Napolean 121 years later in 1803. Due to this, many place names in Arkansas are derived from French words, including the word Ozark, from "aux arcs." The last letter of the word "Arkansas" being left unpronounced is a French habit. If you look at a map and follow the Arkansas River, you can see many place names derived from the French. Starting at my home town of Little Rock (which was built at a place called La Petit Roche), go upstream to Maumelle (from "mamelle"), and then on to Fourche, Petit Jean, Ozark and Fayetteville. During French ownership rivers were the main travel route, therefore river towns are more likely to have French names, as opposed to railroad towns which were built under American ownership and usually have English names like Conway (where I go to college now), Altus, Clarksville.

             Most would think these people are just crazy, but I think they are fucking amazing. The castle was opened to the public in May of this year. A single-story outline castle was already in place. Many visitors to the castle will probably be from Hillbilly Vegas, or as some call it - Branson, as it is under an hour's drive from there, very close to the Northern border of Arkansas. One of the things that I think really excites me about this project is that is is not your typical Ozark attraction. Most are never as interesting as their brochure would imply, and you leave feeling almost used, as though your wallet has just been raped. This fortress is clearly on another level. There has been so much thought put into it, and is so significant that people are actually traveling from their home states to come and volunteer their time to be a a part of it all. It is something almost organic, which you can come back to year after year and see the fortress evolve and grow from piles of stone into a castle which will compliment the rolling hills and redefine the landscape.

Their very understated slogan: "They're building it, come see it."

Ozark Medieval Fortress Offical Website


Address: 1671 Hwy 14W. Lead Hill, AR 72644. Tel: 870/436 7625