Loved ones remember Jim Bishop, builder of Bishop Castle
RYE, Colo. (KRDO) - Loved ones are remembering Jim Bishop, the beloved builder of the iconic Bishop Castle in Rye’s Wet Mountains, after his passing early Wednesday.
Most people will remember Jim Bishop for the iconic landmark he built, but his son, Dan, says he’ll remember his father’s persistence which made it all possible.
“I’m in awe every day of what he’s done. It means I’ve got a big set of shoes to fill,” Dan Bishop, Jim’s son, told KRDO. “But, I don’t have to fill them because he taught me that it was more important that I be myself.”
Jim’s son had an unconventional childhood. His father started construction on the now famous castle a few years before he was born in the 1960s.
“My favorite thing to do when I was a kid with my dad was blast off dynamite,” Dan joked.
Dan watched as his father’s determination led to the erection of a masterpiece that thousands of people would visit, also in awe of how it came to be by one man with a big dream.
Jim fought for what he believed in – even after a fire burned down the old gift shop in 2018, legal disputes and family debacles.
“My grandpa didn’t want to build anymore than he had to,” Dan explained. “And when my dad told him ‘the people want a castle and I’m going to build them one,’ my grandpa said ‘I thought we came to the mountains to get away from the people and now you want to build a castle to bring them to us?’”
The fact the wondrous man-made attraction is free (something you don’t see too often in today’s tough economy) makes it that much more special.
“This is somewhere people can put gas in their car and still come visit it even though they don’t have money,” Dan said.
Jim passed away at 80 years old after a hard fight with Parkinson’s disease. His memory will live on through the joy his castle brings people.
“I’ve gotten a lot of condolences today for our loss. I don’t think he would want that,” Dan told us. “He would want you to come visit it and enjoy it, and share his memory, love and happiness.”
Jim’s son, Dan, will continue his legacy by allowing people to visit the castle for free with an optional donation. He told KRDO it's a no-brainer since the place has already become such a big part of his life over the years.
