LEAD HILL, Ark. -- Windsor Castle and the Tower of London are both famous castles. They are also many miles away. However, thanks to the vision of a group of French investors, the Ozarks will soon be home to a similar structure with 45-foot-high towers, a drawbridge, and six-foot-wide stone walls.
The Ozark Medieval Fortress is old fashioned through and through.
"We're building a 13th century castle and we're using only 13th century tools and techniques," said Ozark Medieval Fortress Site Manager Jacob Atkins.
Visiting the fortress is like taking a trip back in time to the age of stone cutters and blacksmiths.
"You can't go and buy new tools and new things, so you adapt to what you have and you make the things work that you have," Atkins said.
Heavy equipment here runs off elbow grease and a little bit of grain.
"It's a culture shock. When you come here, it's the whole American mentality of production, production, production that goes right out the window," he said.
Welcome to everyday life at the Ozark Medieval Fortress. At first glance it doesn't appear to be all that majestic but, after considering the project is in year two of 20, the picture starts to come a little more clear.
The crew is unique as the project itself.
Brad Fire Cloud is a native of the area and a proud Sioux Indian.
"[We have] five generations right here in Boone County," said Fire Cloud.
Luke Sorensen is the youngest on the crew at 17 and is vital to daily operations.
"[I'm] mostly self taught," he said. "Some of the chisels go to the stone carving shop up there. Also, I make a lot of chisels for the work on the wall."
"Not many people can take a stone and carve it with a chisel and hammer," Atkins said.
Every piece of wood, every bit of water, and every stone all comes from the land on which they work.
"Millions [of stones] -- it's unbelievable how much we use," Atkins said.
Some might call it a tourist destination; others might call it a piece of history in the making. It's certainly one of a kind, not only in the Ozarks but also the entire country.
The idea to build a medieval fortress came from a French archaeologist and entrepreneur who decided to build one in France in 1997. It's still being built today. A man who has lived in Arkansas for some 20 years visited the fortress in France and decided the project would be perfect for the Ozarks.
The Ozark Medieval Fortress is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday.
