Home Made

In 1969, on a hill in Millbrook, NY, newlyweds Peter and Toni Ann Wing began a strange construction project using salvaged and recycled materials. The result was the spectacular Wing's Castle, complete with parapets and turrets, now a bed and breakfast.

In 1972, Howard Solomon purchased a plot of land in Hardee County, Florida, expecting to build a one-story residence and art studio. But when Howard discovered his land was actually a swamp, he did what anyone would do: he built a castle instead.

In the 1980s, Tom Every set out to build a time machine out of scrap metal, lightning rods and the decontamination chamber from the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Instead, he succeeded, without schematics, in creating the world's largest scrap metal structure.

Leda Livant and Michael Kahn arrived destitute in Cornville, Arizona, but over a 30-year period, using scavenged materials and their bare hands, they created an artistic legacy known as Eliphante that continues to attract and inspire millions.

How does a creationist carpenter pay homage to god? Dutchman Johan Huibers spent three years and $1.6 million constructing a wooden scale replica of Noah's Ark that houses a Biblical museum and can accommodate over three thousand people.

In Sussex County, New Jersey, there is a strange, fairytale-like home built with swirls of color and mosaic tiles, extending from the home itself into its front yard and surrounding area. This is the home of Ricky Boscarino, the eccentric artist who has spent nearly a quarter of a century transforming an old hunting lodge into the artistic and spiritual Luna Parc.