Draft:Pyrenees Castle

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Pyrenees Castle is a historic residence in Alhambra, California, United States. The house was built in the 1920s for businessman and rancher Sylvester Dupuy and was designed by Alhambra architect John Walker Smart. The building is noted for its château-inspired architecture, reinforced-concrete construction, towers, tile roof, marble interior, and landscaped grounds. It later became known as the residence of music producer Phil Spector and was the location of the 2003 death of actress Lana Clarkson.

History

Dupuy family

Sylvester Dupuy was born in 1878 to a French immigrant family with roots in Pau, France, near the Pyrenees Mountains. His extended family operated a sheep ranch in the Los Angeles area. After spending part of his childhood in France, Dupuy returned to California as a teenager and eventually took control of the family's ranching operations. He later expanded his business interests into real estate and oil and became associated with businessman Walter P. Temple in the development of Temple City.

In 1924, Dupuy commissioned Alhambra architect John Walker Smart to design a large residence inspired by the castles he had seen during his childhood in France. Construction reportedly cost approximately $500,000. The resulting house was built of concrete and steel and contained approximately 8,600 square feet of living space. Its features included a Holland tile roof, an Italian marble foyer, ten bedrooms, eight and a half bathrooms, balconies, and a wine cellar. The house also incorporated several concealed passages, including a trapdoor connecting the breakfast area with the wine cellar.

The Dupuy family moved into the house in 1927. The estate covered approximately three acres and included extensive plantings, recreational facilities, and a private playground. The family was part of Alhambra's French-American community, and members of the household participated in social organizations associated with the city's French immigrants.

Dupuy's financial circumstances changed during the Great Depression. He lost much of his wealth through unsuccessful oil investments and died of a stroke in 1937. His widow, Anna Dupuy, subsequently retained the property.

The "Mystery Castle"

The secluded nature of the house led to rumors among Alhambra residents. A 1939 article in the Los Angeles Times described the property as the subject of local stories involving secret rooms, tunnels, and mysterious occupants. The newspaper disputed several of the stories, while acknowledging that the family's privacy had contributed to the property's reputation as a "mystery castle."

By 1946, the property had been divided into eight apartments and sold. Anna Dupuy continued to live in one of the apartments until her death in 1949. The building subsequently became known as the Pyrenees Castle Apartments and was occupied by a variety of residents, including professors from California State University, Los Angeles.

During the following decades the property deteriorated. In the 1970s it was described in the local press as an example of deteriorating historic architecture. In the 1980s, businessman Cris C. Y. Yip purchased the property and undertook a substantial renovation, including interior decoration and installation of a security system. Yip subsequently spent little time at the property, and by the 1990s the estate had come under the ownership of the Bank of Hong Kong.

Phil Spector

In 1998, music producer Phil Spector purchased the property for approximately $1.1 million. Spector lived at the castle during the final years of his career and became increasingly associated with the property in the local and national press.

On February 3, 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was found dead inside the house after accompanying Spector to the property. Spector was subsequently charged with her murder. His first trial ended in a mistrial in 2007. At a second trial in 2009, he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 19 years to life in prison.

The property received extensive national media attention during the investigation and subsequent trials. Jurors in both proceedings were taken to the house as part of the trials' examination of the crime scene.

Spector married Rachelle Short in 2006. Following his imprisonment, Short continued to reside at the property and oversaw its maintenance.

Architecture

The Pyrenees Castle was designed in a château-inspired style reflecting Sylvester Dupuy's childhood in southwestern France. Its construction employed reinforced concrete and steel, while decorative elements included a tiled roof, towers, balconies, and an elaborate marble entrance hall. The interior originally included ten bedrooms, eight and a half bathrooms, and a wine cellar. The property also contained several concealed passages and other unusual architectural features.

The building's appearance and secluded location contributed to its reputation as a landmark in Alhambra. Its design has been described in local historical accounts as resembling the rural castles of France's Pyrenees region.

See also

• Alhambra, California
• Phil Spector
• Lana Clarkson

External links

• Meares, Hadley (October 4, 2013). "Phil Spector's Pyrenees Castle: The Fairytale Castle that Became Home to a Nightmare". PBS SoCal.