Death Valley  

 Sundial: 76
State/Province:  California Country:  USA
Dial Type:  Vertical Dial Condition:  Excellent
  Latitude and Longitude: 37° 1.933' N  117° 20.490' W
Location:
  • Scotty's Castle is located in the Grapevine Mountains 45 miles north of Stovepipe Wells on State 190 in Death Valley National Park, CA.

    Scotty's Castle is CLOSED until further notice due to flood damage, and is not likely to re-open to the public until 2020.
 
Description:
  • Prospector and con man Walter Scott convinced Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson to invest in his gold mine in the Death Valley area. The mine was a fraud, but Johnson began building his Spanish Revival Villa in 1922 that continued until the stock market crash of 1929. Martin de Dubovay was the architect, Mat Roy Thompson was the engineer and head of construction, and Charles Alexander MacNeilledge was the designer

    This handsome vertical dial is built into side of the chimney on the main building. The dial is made of terra cotta tiles with a bronze gnomon.
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: US National Park Service
  • At the top of the dial are two faces looking opposite. Below the images is the word "Janus" for the Roman two-faced god of time who presided over the end and beginning of each year.
  • Designer: Charles Alexander MacNeilledge, designer
  • Builder: Mat Roy Thompson, head of construction
  • Construction Date: circa 1927
 
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Last Revised: 2017-08-24 14:50