BBB Destination - Cambria

Artist/recluse Art Beal bought his hillside lot in 1928, and spent most of the next 50 years carving out the terraces with only a pick and shovel, and creating his very own "castle on a hill." His Nitt Witt Ridge sits on a hill at 881 Hillcrest Drive at the northwest end of Cambria. Beal was garbage collector for this California town in the 1940s and '50s, and made good use of what other Cambrians were throwing away, as well as the natural materials on the property, in the nearby pine forests, and on the area's beaches.

After Art Beal's death in 1992 at the age of 96, Nitt Witt Ridge was maintained for a while by a group of interested Cambrians, but slowly it began to deteriorate, and there were doubts that this unique piece of Americana would survive into the 21st century.

In 1999, current owners and caretakers of Art Beal’s legacy, Michael and Stacey O'Malley, purchased Nitt Witt Ridge and resolved to save the two-and-a-half-acre labor of love. They have shored up staircases, re-done walls and parts of the foundation, and cleaned up the gardens. They share their enthusiasm for Art Beal and his quirky creation by providing guided tours of the property. The tours are $10 for adults and $5 for children; reservations are required. Do call ahead of time; the O'Malleys are at 805-927-2690.
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