Florida man built a swampy retirement home that became a 12,000-sq-ft castle

In 1972, Howard Solomon set out to build a quiet retirement home in rural Florida, but the land he chose was far from ordinary. Instead of a conventional building site, he found a swamp, yet the challenging terrain did little to discourage him. Solomon adapted his plans and began constructing upwards, slowly transforming the property into a striking three-storey, medieval-style castle. What started as a personal home-building project continued for more than four decades, expanding into a remarkable 12,000-square-foot maze of towers, stained glass, sculptures, workshops and curious handmade details. The castle’s most distinctive feature is its gleaming exterior, which gives the structure an almost otherworldly appearance. Rather than using conventional siding, Solomon covered much of the building with discarded aluminium printing plates that had once been used by a local newspaper. The unusual material was inexpensive, durable and perfectly suited to his passion for transforming unwanted objects into imaginative works of art.How Howard Solomon turned a Florida swamp into a 12,000-square-foot castle of folk artSolomon bought his land in 1972 after returning to the United States from ...