Bridgeport Castle Alex Rico (1976)

When Alex Rico's wife Gisela died prematurely from ovarian cancer, Rico felt compelled to turn their home into a castle to honor the memory of the "queen of my heart for life." "I told my kids I want to do something so I could remember your mom. Not in the cemetery. This is something I see every day," said Rico in an interview with Block Club Chicago. 

Rico, a plumbing contractor for the City of Chicago, provided a friend in construction with a drawing of his plans who said it would only take several months to build. The friend and Rico ended up creating the castle over the span of three years, working in the garage and backyard and then using a boom to install the crenellations, battlements, towers, and a faux balcony. Most of the additions are made of wood; however, they are painted to look like stone and reinforced with rebar to prevent any safety hazards. 

Rico is happy for visitors to admire the Castle from the street; however, the interior of the home is not medieval, and he does not give tours. 

Narrative: Annalise Flynn, 2020

Source:

Bridgeport Man turned his Home into a Castle to Honor his Late Wife, 'The Queen of my Heart for Life,' Block Club Chicago, Bob Chiarito, February 14, 2020

Update, June 2024: The Bridgeport Castle was sold in April 2024. It appears that the majority of the castle elements were removed prior to the sale.

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3410 S. Carpenter
Chicago, Illinois, 60608 us
Latitude/Longitude: 41.8323427 / -87.6524921

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