PHOENIX — A historic Phoenix landmark can be demolished, as a one-year denial of a demolition permit will expire Friday for the Mystery castle.
The "Mystery Castle" sits at the base of South Mountain, though it's fallen into disrepair and been subjected to vandalism and weather damage in recent years.
In 2023, the owners of the house applied for a demolition permit from the City of Phoenix. That permit was denied for a year, which ends on November 22.
What happens next is unclear.
The house was the creation of Boyce Luther Gulley, a Seattle man who came down with tuberculosis in the 1930's. Gulley picked up and left Seattle for Arizona, as so many with health issues did at the time, but left his family behind with no knowledge of where he was or how he was doing.
“They don't really know what happened to him," historian Marshall Shore said, "until suddenly they get a little phone call from a lawyer saying, Hey, you should come move into your castle.”
What Mary Lou Gulley and her mother found in Arizona was a castle built of, well, everything.
"An old jail door was a door. There were hubcaps put into the wall," Shore said. "There were walls made out of wine bottles. There was a chapel. There was a dungeon.”
Life magazine wrote a multi-page spread about the house and Mary Lou Gulley. That article made the house famous and Mary Lou eventually opened up the house to tours and weddings.
Mary Lou Gulley died in 2010 and the house was turned over to a foundation, which runs it today.
If the foundation wants to apply for a new demolition permit, a City of Phoenix spokesperson said it's able.
One of the people who run the foundation told 12News they continue to work with the city to "preserve the property".
City councilmember Kesha Hodge Washington, who represents the district where the castle is located, sent a statement to 12News:
"Over the last year, I have been working through the city’s Historic Preservation Office to seek alternative options to demolition. I am aware that the stay of demolition is set to expire later this week, however, the city is continuing conversations with the private property owner to explore available alternatives.”
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