Jim Bishop, builder of Bishop Castle in Colorado, dies at age 80 [Video]

Bishop is well-known in Colorado for Bishop Castle, which he built himself in the San Isabel National Forest.

PUEBLO, Colo. — Jim Bishop, builder of southern Colorado landmark Bishop Castle, died Thursday at age 80.

Bishop’s family said in a social media post that he passed away early Thursday morning in Pueblo, surrounded by his loved ones. Memorial services will be announced at a later date.

Bishop is well-known in Colorado for Bishop Castle, a 160-foot-tall marvel he built himself in the San Isabel National Forest about 15 miles outside of Rye. The eccentric Bishop often greeted visitors at the castle, which he began building by hand in 1969. The project persevered through Bishop’s cancer diagnosis in 2014 and a legal dispute in 2015.

> From 1999: Jim Bishop and the building of Bishop Castle

The Bishops — Jim and his wife, Phoebe, who died in 2019 — made their kingdom free to enter. A hand-painted sign on the property makes it clear …