Archives
4:06:00 PM EDT
Feeling Happy
CASTLE ON THE COAST
I have always been inclined to sudden whims. I am
usually level-headed and ponder my actions overly much, but
ocassionally, I am overwhelmed by an irresistable impulse to
experience something that breaks the routine and the ordinary.
Since this is not customary for me, it can both amaze and
alarm the ones closest to me. Namely, my daughter and son.
My daughter and I were talking about some of these times and
she reminded me of the time she and I visited Atalaya.
Atalaya is a castle on a plantation that is adjacent to
Brookgreen Gardens in Huntington Beach, South Carolina.
It was built in the early 1930's by Archer and Anna Huntingdon
and was their winter home for many years. Built by local
craftsmen , it is an example of Moorish architecture, designed
by the couple. The living quarters alone contain thirty or
more rooms. Built around three sides of the huge, open
inner courtyard it also contains studios where she did her
remarkable sculptures, (many exhibited in Brookgreen
Gardens) and a square 40 foot tower in the inner court.
The front of the square faces the ocean. The rear has
a smaller, entry court.
We had visited Brookgreen Gardens before and
I dearly love the botanical gardens and the statuary. I
had read about Anna Hyatt Huntingdon and I decided we
would go to see her winter home, Atalaya, (the Spanish
word for watchtower.) At this time, my son was four
years old and my daughter was thirteen, going on twenty!
My daughter wanted to see the castle and my husband
took us there through the windswept coastal area. We
actually saw alligators lying in the sun in one place. I do not
remember many, if any, houses after we left the Gardens.
The castle was in an isolated area . We drove and drove.
My small son fell asleep and my husband noticed that we
would soon need gasoline, so when we arrived at the
entrance to the castle, he decided to let my son sleep
while he drove to find a gas station. He left us to tour
the castle and promised to return shortly. It was a
sweltering , hot day in June.
We passed the gatekeeper and paid a small fee.
We asked about a guided tour and were told that none
were being conducted but were given maps and literature.
As we made our way around the covered walkway, lined
with archways and planters, we became aware that we
were seeing no other tourists. We went inside out of the
heat, and the thick stone walls caused our voices to echo
eerily through the rooms. They were mostly empty of
furniture, with a few odds and ends, nothing of value. I
think almost everything had been moved to a house at the
Gardens. So there wasn't much to se except the large cistern
and the bear pens. Mrs. Huntingdon sculpted larger than life
statuary and stabled horses(and other animals) for her designs.
Anyway, if there was electricity, we saw no signs of it. We
soon tired of the dimly lit, vacant rooms and became a little
uneasy as we could hear or see no other people besides our
selves. We decided to go across the courtyard and make
our way back to to the gatekeeper. Even though the sun was
shining brightly, it was too quiet and too spooky for comfort.
Then we heard voices from an adjacent room and
peering in we saw three men. When he turned, I heard my
daughter gasp audibly. She whispered , "Mom, it's Vincent
Price." Now, I am no fan of horror movies, but I did
recognize that face. My heart skipped a beat as I heard
a chuckle that vibrated through the room. I thought , "Is
my mind playing tricks on me ?" Then , I thought, " Is
he part of the castle, a look-alike planted to scare the
pants off visitors like us?" I couldn't decide, but I
guided my daughter to a more open area, as I thought we
were alone with three men, regardless of who they were.
We tried to retrace our steps back from where we
came, but we rounded a corner and there they were again.
I was frightened by this time and DD was actually clutching
my arm as we turned away. I could hear the men conversing
softly and determined to put distance between us. I breathed
a sigh of relief as we crossed the inner courtyard but as we
passed through, there they were again! I got a good look
this time as he said "Nice day, isn't it ?'" He was dressed
impeccably and the men with him were well-dressed. As I
mumbled a reply and kept walking , faster, I could feel their
eyes following us. Minutes later, I heard a hollow laughter
coming from the rooms we had left. Scary stuff!
Thank goodness, dear hubby had returned and was
waiting for us near the wall. He said, "I was getting
worried about you girls. The boy was still asleep or
I would have come after you." Weakly we sank into
seats and looked at each other. As we related our tale,
he said, "Let that be a lesson to you ." But he told me
later that he should not have let us go alone. We never
dreamed we would be the only tourists.
We will never know who the men were for sure. I am
convinced that it was really Vincent Price, perhaps
looking for a possible movie location. I know it wasn't
our imagination, even though I know the power of
suggestion is very powerful. Or did they plan to
scare us. If so, it worked. Come to think of it,
one of his companions looked a little bit like
Alfred Hitchcock, but he's dead, isn't he?
All this took place over thirty years ago, but to
this day, all I have to say to my daughter is the
word, Atalaya, and she shutters visibly.
Written by krmprm Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | 
digg this
-
very interesting tale!! not sure how I would have handled it, probably ran and screamed out the door
betty -
It would be quite a place to see, but what a scarry time you had...It does make you wonder what was going on. I think we all need to break the routine and ordinary sometimes...I 'll be doing it as often as possible as soon as camping season begins. 'On Ya' - ma
-
Old homes like that are quite often haunted by those who passed that way before. Perhaps you met with the former residents of the home? (winks) Sounds like a scary story indeed. Thanks for stopping by my journal and commenting. I have put yours on my alerts. (Hugs) Indigo
http://journals.aol.com/rdautumnsage/ravens-lament/
4/14/08 11:18 AM
And I REALLY loved this entry. I love scary movies, and Vincent Price has always been one of my favorites...that laugh! I also have a strange fondness for being a tiny bit scared--your adventure in the castle sounds like a lot of fun, but then I'm a little strange sometimes...!
Thanks for a great story--I felt like I was there, and could imagine what it felt and sounded like!
Beth
http://journals.aol.com/luvrt