Capturing the Castle

On a hilltop in Ione, California, there stands an unlikely castle with fanciful turrets and a soaring clock tower, looming over the town at its feet. This is Preston Castle, formerly known as the Preston School of Industry, which operated as a youth correctional facility from 1894 through 1960. Fascinated by this unique building, I have photographed its interior over a ten-year period, and learned something of its history. Meanwhile, the Preston Castle Foundation has been working to preserve and restore selected rooms, and many of these photos will take you back in time to their state of arrested decay.