Ozark Medieval Fortress facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ozark Medieval Fortress |
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| Lead Hill, Arkansas, between Springfield, Missouri and Little Rock, Arkansas | |
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Ozark Medieval Fortress in 2011
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 Ozark Medieval Fortress
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| Coordinates | 36°26′06″N 93°03′42″W / 36.4349389°N 93.0615583°W |
| Type | Castle |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Michel Guyot (first owner) |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Under construction (Paused indefinitely) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 2009-???? |
| Materials | Medieval materials: wood, stone, lime,... |
The Ozark Medieval Fortress was a special project in Lead Hill, Arkansas. It aimed to build a real French castle from the 13th century. What made it unique was that builders used only tools and methods from that time. This meant no modern machines or materials!
Contents
Building a Medieval Castle
What Was the Ozark Medieval Fortress?
The Ozark Medieval Fortress was a plan to create an exact copy of a 13th-century French castle. It was located in Lead Hill, Arkansas. The goal was to build it using only materials and techniques from the 1200s. This included using wood, stone, and lime.
Work on the castle started in 2009. The builders thought it would take about 20 years to finish the entire project. It was like stepping back in time to see how castles were truly made.
How Did the Idea Start?
The idea for the Ozark Medieval Fortress came from another amazing project. This was the Guédelon Castle in France. Guédelon was the first project to build a medieval castle using only old construction methods.
A person named Michel Guyot started the Guédelon project. Two French people living in Arkansas heard about it. They offered to sell some of their land to Mr. Guyot. They wanted him to build a similar castle in Arkansas. Mr. Guyot agreed, and construction began in June 2009.
Visiting the Castle Project
What Could Visitors See?
In May 2010, the Ozark Medieval Fortress opened its doors to the public. Visitors could come and watch the castle being built. It was a chance to see history come alive.
People could also talk to the workers. These workers wore costumes from the medieval period. This made the experience even more real. Starting in 2011, the site also displayed medieval siege weapons. These were tools used to attack castles long ago. The site was open every day from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Why Did the Project Close?
Sadly, in January 2012, the Ozark Medieval Fortress project closed. It closed indefinitely, meaning for an unknown amount of time. The project needed a new buyer or investor to continue. The site is now permanently closed to visitors.
