Ozark Medieval Fortress

Ozark Medieval Fortress
Lead Hill, Arkansas, between Springfield, Missouri and Little Rock, Arkansas
Ozark Medieval Fortress in 2011
Ozark Medieval Fortress
Coordinates	36°26′06″N 93°03′42″W / 36.4349389°N 93.0615583°W / 36.4349389; -93.0615583
Type	Castle
Site information
Owner	Michel Guyot (first owner)
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Under construction (Paused indefinitely)
Site history
Built	2009-???? (2009-????)
Materials	Medieval materials: wood, stone, lime,...

Ozark Medieval Fortress is a project designed to construct an accurate replica of a 13th-century French castle in Lead Hill, Arkansas.^[1] Construction is carried out on the site using only materials and techniques appropriate to the 13th century.^[2] The ground was broken in 2009, with the expectation that completion will take about 20 years.

The project was inspired by Guédelon Castle in France, which is the first attempt to build a medieval castle using accurate construction methods, started by Michel Guyot. Two French citizens living in Arkansas offered to sell Guyot part of their land for the building of a similar fortification. Guyot accepted, and construction began in June 2009.^[3]

In May 2010, Ozark Medieval Fortress opened to the public. Visitors had the opportunity to observe the ongoing construction and talk to the costumed workers. Additionally, starting in 2011 a collection of medieval siege weapons was to be on display. The site was open every day from 10AM to 6PM.

In January 2012 the project closed indefinitely, requiring a buyer or an investor.^[4][5]

See also

Guédelon Castle - the original project to build a medieval French castle

References