Sylvester Dupuy's "Pyrenees Castle" in its early years

The following copy is reprinted from the February 2001 issue of Around Alhambra

On a hilltop, overlooking southwest Alhambra, sits a fabulous castle.

The dense walls of the Pyrenees Castle embrace much history. In 1926, Sylvester Dupuy's dream of building a castle had come true. The Pyrenees Castle was the culmination of his childhod dream to build a replica of a beautiful chateau he had admired when growing up in Southern France.

Dupuy came to America and made his fortune in agriculture. When the time came to build his castle, he hired architects and workers to plan and build, and artisans were brought from Europe to complete the interior.

Dupuy's $250,000 vision was built of concrete and steel. The castle's walls were 3-feet thick at the foundation and 1-foot wide at the eaves. It had 10 bedrooms, eight fully tiled bathrooms with Italian marble floors, a game room, a breakfast room, an office, dens, service and utility rooms, a large basement, an extensive balcony, covered patios and a large wine cellar in which the Dupuy family made its own wine.

Magnificent chandeliers, crystal sconces, gorgeous wood paneling, beautiful hardwood floors, a marbled center hall and a courtyard with a huge water fountain embellished the palace. The 3-acre property also included tennis courts, playgrounds for children and towers guarding its strategic corners.

"There were many parties held at the castle over the years," longtime Alhambra historian Mildred Harrigan said. "I met Dupuy's daughter, Marie, through the Ramona Convent alumni group, of which I am a past president. We both graduated from Ramona Convent."

"Marie told me about the parties and how her parents loved to entertain friends and relatives who came here to visit from the French colony in which her father grew up. When I first visited the castle, I felt I was in something historic!"

Landscaping of the grounds was never completed, however. Dupuy lost most of his fortune in oil investments shortly before his death in 1936.

He left the family home to his widow and his children: Marie, Henry and Frank. His children sold the castle in 1946, and the new owner converted the castle into an eight-unit apartment dwelling. Dupuy's wife occupied one of the units until her death in 1949.

Over the years, the castle has had several owners, sheltered many residents and has been the source of fantastic legends. One tale told of a wealthy motor magnate who never permitted himself to be seen entering or leaving the building. "Eastern gangsters," secret elevators and passwords were the fodder for other tales.

In 1985, a Buddhist meditation temple was blocked from acquiring the castle. Neighbors of the castle led the charge against the temple, claiming traffic, noise and the promise of weekly festivals posed a serious threat to the castle.

Currently, record producer Phil Spector is the proud owner of the castle. A couple of years ago, Spector was quoted in Esquire magazine as saying, "I've bought myself a beautiful and enchanting castle in a hick town where there is no place to go that you shouldn't."

The neighbors are probably happy to have a stay-at-home proprietor with no where to go so that the castle will continue to receive the attention it so rightly deserves.

Pyrenees Castle is as beautiful as it was when first created in 1926. The mystery and legend of Alhambra's famous castle, located high atop its perch, will continue to titlillate the minds of future Alhambrans.