For the past few years, one of my favorite side projects is my involvement with the Preston Castle in Ione, CA. It was correctional institute for minors.
The Preston School of Industry was built in 1890 in the Romanesque Revival style. Red sandstone bricks quarried six miles from Ione and made at San Quentin and Folsom prisons make up the castle’s distinct exterior. The Preston School of Industry remained open until 1960 when new facilities for the school were completed. The building remained vacant and fading into disrepair until September 10, 2001.