Knights of Pythias Castle
Weiser & Surrounding Area, Washington County
- Grants: 1999, 2004
Location: 30 East Idaho, Weiser, Idaho 83672
The Pythian Castle is one of Idaho’s purest examples of early fantasy architecture and is also one of the relatively few examples of the fantastic in the overall work of Tourtellotte and Hummel Architects. The castle was built in 1904 at a cost of $9000. Roberts and Sheff quarried the stone for the faced at Sand Hollow, about ten miles from the town of Weiser. The sandstone was hauled by wagon to the town, where it was hand cut by Hamilton and reader of Weiser, who did the masonry. The richly textured and sculptured stonework exhibited a high degree of craftsmanship, and its crenellated medieval castle design demonstrated a richly imaginative styling. The Weiser Architectural Preservation Committee owns the building.
