The Dwarf Castle – Alpharetta, Georgia - Atlas Obscura
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The Dwarf Castle

Alpharetta, Georgia

A man's home is his castle. 

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Not many, besides fairy tale Princesses, get to live in a castle and you certainly don’t find many castles in this affluent exurb of northern Georgia. But one truck driver decided to change that.

According to the county, the house was begun in 1950 and was built by Rudy and Ruth McLaughlin. Rudy was a long-haul truck driver who told his wife he would build her a castle - and did! It was heavy work – mortar and concrete for the roof was lifted in five-gallon buckets.

The home is surrounded by a wrought iron fence and features gnomes – though some call them dwarfs and hence the name – guarding the lawn. A swimming pool surrounding the castle doubles as a moat. The two-bedroom house is a little over 1400 square feet and has two garages. The garages are only accessible via a drawbridge.

As this is a private home, it is not open for tours–but it is still quite a curiosity to behold from the road.

Know Before You Go

The best place to park is off Summerhill Drive at the neighborhood pool parking lot. You can then walk down to the right to get a closer look.

eccentric homes homes architectural oddities architecture
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