There's No House In The World Like This One In Arkansas
Tiffany
Author
Quigley Farm, located just south of Eureka Springs, is home to one of the most unique structures in Arkansas. Quigley’s Castle is the centerpiece of the property. A historic house and enchanting museum, Quigley’s Castle has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2003.
The Quigley family were notable for cutting timber in Carroll County at the turn of the 20th-century. W.D. Quigley chose Quigley Farm as the home base for the lumber company he established in 1921. Nearly a decade later, the senior Quigley passed away and left the property to his son Albert. Albert’s wife Elise was excited at the chance of designing her own new house, and construction on what we now know as Quigley’s Castle began in 1943.
Elise’s grand design was to fill her home with nature. Her vision was so extraordinary that local architects couldn’t envision her plan for the house. Using her imagination and the idea of a Roman courtyard atrium, Mrs. Quigley created a two-story space that measured four feet wide within the outer walls of the home. With two foundations she created a natural space for growing plants within the inner and outer wall. The outer walls are beautifully decorated with rocks that Elise had been collecting ever since she was a young girl.
Twenty eight windows around Quigley’s Castle are a perfect source of natural light—just what Elise wished for. The landscaping outside the house features a beautiful garden of roses, wildflowers and an astounding variety of perennials. More than 100 rock sculptures decorate the garden as well. Elise constructed a rock fence more than 200 feet long in 1950 to surround the garden partially. Additionally, an aquarium was installed in the living room wall.
After seeing her imagined house come to life, Elise Quigley lived to enjoy her work on her home for decades. Up until her death in 1984, Mrs. Quigley continued to fill rooms with exotic ideas, such as butterfly collages. Quigley’s Farm itself has even been designed to fit the unique nature of Quigley’s Castle: The property features a fish pond and a spring-fed reservoir. Tours are conducted by the current owners of the house from spring to autumn every year. Quigley’s Castle is a definite trip to make when you’re in the Eureka Springs area.
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