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There are two reasons to build your house in the dead of night illuminated only by a small lantern and the moon.
Reason one: You are a believer in Eastern mythology and Occult spiritualism building a mysterious and cryptic brick building modeled on a Hindi temple and covered in five-pointed stars and arcane patterns. The light of the moon bathes the structure in unseen power, forging a connection to planes of existence beyond space and time.
Reason two: You are a bricklayer from Pennsylvania working in Santa Cruz in the 1930s and you would rather not deal with inspectors or building permits.
These reasons are not mutually exclusive.
Built by Kenneth Kitchen, who also went by Claire, Clarke and Clarence, the abandoned house at 519 Fair Ave is known by all in the area as the “Court of Mysteries.” It is unclear if the builder Kenneth Kitchen ever called it by that name. Kenneth and his brother Raymond were a bricklayer and a mason respectively, and they built numerous homes around Santa Cruz. They worked together, though they are rumored to have quarreled often and were seen fist-fighting in the streets of Santa Cruz on more than one occasion.
After a decade of building homes, Kenneth bought his own property in then-sleepy Santa Cruz, raised goats on it (and sold their dairy products) and began building his unusual home. Kenneth is said to have hauled all the bricks himself in the back of a fancy car, and built the home modeled after a Yogi temple. Today it is particularly the gateway with its two towers and archway which inspires so much curiosity.
Known as the “Gate of Prophesy” it once held windows through which the sun would stream, and which were lit at night. Though the windows are long gone it still holds a mysterious triangular relief, which some believe is meant to align with the temple’s chimney, before a great catastrophe or even apocalypse. The well house on the property, described as crypt-like, was also once surrounded by four minarets which were smashed by sledge hammer in the 1990s. There are tales that the house, now empty except for a coating of graffiti, once held shells decorated with astrological symbols. There are hidden symbols and messages on the outside and inside of the main building in addition to the well building and on the main entrance, such as triangles and morse-code style dashes and dots.
Even stranger is the story that during WWII, Kenneth erected a “submarine stopping device,” in his yard – not a particularly crazy idea, since 10 ships on the coast of Santa Cruz were attacked by Japanese submarines and six people killed – built out of a large metal wheel with the electronics held in the well house. According to one source (an unnamed interviewee in the oft-cited The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture), the device actually worked and caused problems for the US Navy.
Kenneth left Santa Cruz in 1957, and his path after that is lost to history. Local historians have traced all of his relatives, but after 1957, Kenneth, aka Claire, Clarke and Clarence Kitchen vanished from historical record. After his disappearance the house was briefly turned into a Greek Church earning the nickname the “Unorthodox Chapel.” It has been abandoned since the 1990s. Kenneth is said to have died three separate times, which may have contributed to his fascination with occult sciences, symbology and numerology.
While the home is the subject of many rumors, the truth is little is known about exactly why Kenneth built it in the way he did. He was said to have learned his trade during WWI in Turkey so there is speculation that he also picked up some Eastern and Occult religious ideas while he was there. (If he was there at all.)
Regardless, today the “Court of Mysteries” stands out from its suburban neighbors, giving generation after generation of curious Santa Cruz teenagers a starting place for tall tales and mystic revelations.
originally posted by: CreationBro
For those of you who have never been to Santa Cruz, California, it is a beautiful sea side city. It is home to many interesting people, UC Santa Cruz, a christian mission (mission santa cruz) and much more.
Santa Cruz is also home to cults and secret groups. The "mystery spot", stories of many haunted places, and even lore of satanic, hooded people who rome the forests.
Near the ocean, on the west side of town, is a totally out of place, brick home.
*Some back story:
I attended UC Santa Cruz years ago. My entire stay in Santa Cruz was riddled with high strangeness and bizarre experiences, strings of impossible coinidences. It was like living in a dream sometimes...
One of these occurrences involved a symbol. For a week as i doodled a symbol in my class journals during lecture, i wondered why i was so fixated. It was simply a triangle with a circle inscribed the triangle.
After about a week of doing this, as i left class, i noticed something on the bottom right corner of the blackboard. I walked up, and to my surprise, was that very symbol, and underneath was written:
"Well said..."
Several months later, i told my great friend who I met in college this bizarre happening. He looked at me and paused with an astounded look on his face. He goes on to say,
"You need to see this house. Its literally right down the street. Just...go see it."
So I did. Sure enough, right down the road was....this:
Enter, The Court of Mysteries.
There are two reasons to build your house in the dead of night illuminated only by a small lantern and the moon.
Reason one: You are a believer in Eastern mythology and Occult spiritualism building a mysterious and cryptic brick building modeled on a Hindi temple and covered in five-pointed stars and arcane patterns. The light of the moon bathes the structure in unseen power, forging a connection to planes of existence beyond space and time.
Reason two: You are a bricklayer from Pennsylvania working in Santa Cruz in the 1930s and you would rather not deal with inspectors or building permits.
These reasons are not mutually exclusive.
Built by Kenneth Kitchen, who also went by Claire, Clarke and Clarence, the abandoned house at 519 Fair Ave is known by all in the area as the “Court of Mysteries.” It is unclear if the builder Kenneth Kitchen ever called it by that name. Kenneth and his brother Raymond were a bricklayer and a mason respectively, and they built numerous homes around Santa Cruz. They worked together, though they are rumored to have quarreled often and were seen fist-fighting in the streets of Santa Cruz on more than one occasion.
After a decade of building homes, Kenneth bought his own property in then-sleepy Santa Cruz, raised goats on it (and sold their dairy products) and began building his unusual home. Kenneth is said to have hauled all the bricks himself in the back of a fancy car, and built the home modeled after a Yogi temple. Today it is particularly the gateway with its two towers and archway which inspires so much curiosity.
Known as the “Gate of Prophesy” it once held windows through which the sun would stream, and which were lit at night. Though the windows are long gone it still holds a mysterious triangular relief, which some believe is meant to align with the temple’s chimney, before a great catastrophe or even apocalypse. The well house on the property, described as crypt-like, was also once surrounded by four minarets which were smashed by sledge hammer in the 1990s. There are tales that the house, now empty except for a coating of graffiti, once held shells decorated with astrological symbols. There are hidden symbols and messages on the outside and inside of the main building in addition to the well building and on the main entrance, such as triangles and morse-code style dashes and dots.
Even stranger is the story that during WWII, Kenneth erected a “submarine stopping device,” in his yard – not a particularly crazy idea, since 10 ships on the coast of Santa Cruz were attacked by Japanese submarines and six people killed – built out of a large metal wheel with the electronics held in the well house. According to one source (an unnamed interviewee in the oft-cited The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture), the device actually worked and caused problems for the US Navy.
Kenneth left Santa Cruz in 1957, and his path after that is lost to history. Local historians have traced all of his relatives, but after 1957, Kenneth, aka Claire, Clarke and Clarence Kitchen vanished from historical record. After his disappearance the house was briefly turned into a Greek Church earning the nickname the “Unorthodox Chapel.” It has been abandoned since the 1990s. Kenneth is said to have died three separate times, which may have contributed to his fascination with occult sciences, symbology and numerology.
While the home is the subject of many rumors, the truth is little is known about exactly why Kenneth built it in the way he did. He was said to have learned his trade during WWI in Turkey so there is speculation that he also picked up some Eastern and Occult religious ideas while he was there. (If he was there at all.)
Regardless, today the “Court of Mysteries” stands out from its suburban neighbors, giving generation after generation of curious Santa Cruz teenagers a starting place for tall tales and mystic revelations.
There are many more stories and lore about this place. Who knows what it may really be, or what it all means.
Thanks for reading.
Source:
www.atlasobscura.com...
For numerologists, this is my 777th post at 4:55 on 10:22 👍
originally posted by: humanoidlord
quick do this:
step 1: buy two radios
step 2: search for "loud alex jones rants" on youtube
step 3: play it in your phone while at the house
step 4:wait for the lulz
originally posted by: EA006
a reply to: CreationBro
It looks tranquil. I would like to visit
originally posted by: CreationBro
originally posted by: EA006
a reply to: CreationBro
It looks tranquil. I would like to visit
It is very tranquil, but as queztalcoatl14 mentioned, there are dark areas too.
originally posted by: EA006
originally posted by: CreationBro
originally posted by: EA006
a reply to: CreationBro
It looks tranquil. I would like to visit
It is very tranquil, but as queztalcoatl14 mentioned, there are dark areas too.
Meh, it's all nonsense in my mind. Fairies, witches, warlocks all that jazz.
Unless you meant there were literally some dark places? Lol
originally posted by: Tundra
a reply to: CreationBro
I know im a little late on this thread. But maybe the symbol that you were drawing was actually leading you to atlas obscura.
Yes! S**t just got real in here.
Cool thread, s&f.
originally posted by: Tundra
a reply to: CreationBro
I just say its synchronicity. For some reason I find it very humorous though.