Santa Cruz "Court of Mysteries" Property Is Sold

SANTA CRUZ - A San Francisco couple has purchased what locals often consider the strangest property in Santa Cruz, a piece of real estate one local newspaper says epitomizes the concept of “Keep Santa Cruz Weird.”

According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, a San Francisco couple just bought for $1.58 million the "Court of Mystery", a landmark residents call among other names: The Red Castle, The Yogi Temple and even WTF Headquarters.

The paper says the new owners, Douglas Harr, a partner at tech consulting firm StrataFusion, and artist Artina Morton, want to restore the property and turn it into a family compound and studio.

The website roadtrippers.com gives the landmark 3 stars out of 5.

Be aware, only two people voted.

According to the 'official description on its website, 'This Court of the Mysteries at 519 Fair Ave. was designed by Kenneth Kitchen, who came to Santa Cruz in 1934 with his partner and elder brother, Raymond. Both built their homes near the edge of town, where only a dozen houses stood on the 12-block stretch of Fair. (Raymond's home, converted to industrial use, still stands at 1211 Fair Ave.) Kenneth was a bricklayer, Raymond was a mason, and both exotic homes showed clients their individual craft at its most unfettered. Professional craftsmen have stood in awe at Kenneth's curving brickwork and Raymond's bulbous granite domes."

Sandy Lydon's Central Coast Secrets says the Kitchen brothers moved away from Santa Cruz in the 1950s. "The legends and rumors that swirl about the temple building, in particular, are enough to fill a book," says Lydon. "And, as with most such things, they are invented.

Any plans the couple have will need to be approved by the city.

“The property is listed as historic. In order to do something, they need to work with us to make sure it protects the historical integrity,” Juliana Rebagliati, director of the city Planning and Development Department, told the Sentinel.

The newspaper calls the Court of Mysteries "a temple with Oriental influence a la the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi or the fictional archeologist Indiana Jones."

We were given permission to embed two videos shot by tourist Michael Knight in 2015. Take a look.

-embedded video, images via Michael Knight/Facebook