Nitt
Witt Ridge
The State Historical Landmark No. 939
plaque reads as follows:
Nitt Witt Ridge, one of California's remarkable twentieth-century
folk-art environments, is the creation of Arthur Harold Beal (Der
Tinkerpaw, or Capt. Nitt Witt), a Cambria Pines pioneer who sculpted the
land using hand tools and indigenous materials, remarkable inventiveness
and self-taught skills. A blend of native materials and contemporary
elements, impressive in its sheer mass and meticulous placement, it is a
revealing memorial to Art's unique cosmic humor and zest for life.
California Registered Historical Landmark No. 939.
Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in
cooperation for saving and preserving arts and cultural environments
with the Art Beal Foundation, non-profit and educational corporation.
June 26, 1986.
Artist/recluse Art Beal bought his hillside lot in 1928, and spent most
of the next 50 years carving out the terraces with only a pick and
shovel, and creating his very own "castle on a hill." His Nitt Witt
Ridge sits on a hill at 881 Hillcrest Drive at the northwest end of
Cambria. Beal was garbage collector for the town of Cambria in the 1940s
and '50s, and made good use of what other Cambrians were throwing away,
as well as the natural materials on the property, in the nearby pine
forests, and on the area's beaches.
After Art Beal's death in 1992 at the age of 96, Nitt Witt Ridge was
maintained for a while by a group of interested Cambrians, but slowly it
began to deteriorate, and there were doubts that this unique piece of
Americana would survive into the 21st century.
In 1999, current owners and caretakers of Art Beal’s legacy, Michael and
Stacey O'Malley, purchased Nitt Witt Ridge and resolved to save the
two-and-a-half-acre labor of love. They have shored up staircases,
re-done walls and parts of the foundation, and cleaned up the gardens.
They share their enthusiasm for Art Beal and his quirky creation by
providing guided tours of the property. The tours are $10 for adults and
$5 for children; reservations are required. Do call ahead of time; the
O'Malleys are at 805-927-2690.
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