On a hilltop in Ione, California, there stands an unlikely castle with

fanciful turrets and a soaring clock tower, looming over the town at

its feet. This is Preston Castle, formerly known as the Preston

School of Industry, which operated as a youth correctional facility

from 1894 through 1960.

Fascinated by this unique building, I have photographed its interior

over a ten-year period, and learned something of its history.

Meanwhile, the Preston Castle Foundation has been working to

preserve and restore selected rooms, and many of these photos will

take you back in time to their state of arrested decay.