The Most And Least Luxury Home In The U.S.

October 18, 2008

The most luxurious residence in the country is coincidentally located just a few miles north of the most non-luxurious home. They are both located along the Pacific Coast Highway in California’s central coast area. The famous Hearst Castle, in San Simeon, California, is undoubtedly the most luxurious. It was the home of William Randolph Hearst, head of a newspaper empire. His estate, completed in 1947, includes 165 rooms and is situated on 127 acres on a rugged mountain side facing the ocean. It includes 41 fireplaces, 56 bedrooms and 61 bathrooms. Millions of people have participated in tours of the extravagant property.

When Hearst was first considering the development of his lavish estate, he commented, "I’m a bit tired of camping out in tents at the ranch in San Simion. I think I’ll build a little something on the mountain." It’s amazing what can be done with a lot of money and influence.

Six miles down the coast on the Pacific Coast Highway, in Cambria, a local trash hauler named Art Beal used construction materials scavenged from the Hearst Estate to build his own very unique three-level residence. He also used a variety of materials he obtained during his trash hauling assignments. He hated to throw anything of the least value away — items that might be useful in the construction of his hillside home.

Beer cans, car parts, toilet fixtures and other unlikely oddities were used in the construction of what became known as the Nitt Witt Ridge house, certainly one of the most unconventional homes in the nation. Beal, of Irish and Native American parentage, lived most of his childhood in orphanages. He started his long-term construction project in 1928. It’s now a Historic Monument Property. Beal once commented, "I built this house with two helpers, Mother Earth and Dame Nature." A few years ago the property was purchased by Mike and Stacey O’Malley, who undertook a major restoration project.

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