Nitt Witt Ridge

The state called it a memorial while the man was still living in it. Art Beal bought this hillside in 1928 and spent about fifty years cutting terraces with a pick and shovel, building with abalone shell, beer cans, car rims and whatever Cambria threw out, which he knew well because he collected the town's rubbish. The plaque went up in 1986 and Beal died in 1992. The bronze is set into a wall he made, and the gate is shut now.

What the plaque says

Nitt Witt Ridge Nitt Witt Ridge, one of California's remarkable Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments, is the creation of Arthur Harold Beal (Der Tinkerpaw or Capt. Nitt Witt), a Cambria Pines pioneer, who sculpted the land using hand tools and indigenous materials, remarkable inventiveness, and self-taught skills. A blend of native materials and contemporary elements, impressive in its sheer mass and meticulous placement, it is a revealing memorial to Art's unique cosmic humor and zest for life. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 939 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with Saving and Preserving Arts and Cultural Environments and the Art Beal Foundation, Non-Profit and Educational Corporations, June 26, 1986.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Sebastian Store — 7.4 mi
• Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument — 7.6 mi
• Morro Rock — 19 mi
• Atascadero Administration Building — 25 mi