This section focuses on unusual buildings, structures, and spaces. Many include concrete statuary and/or recycled building materials. These creations are often referred to as folk art, visionary art or outsider art. Most of the builders had little or no formal architectural training and no connection with the art world. A few constructions by "schooled" artists and architects are included in this section as well. There are also some large-scale religious grottos here as well. If you have any recommendations of other places, I'd love to hear from you. Enjoy!
Narrow Larry "visionary folk art environments in the united states"
Which is to say, this guy’s far from the only one to be an obsessive amateur architect.
http://www.agilitynut.com/h/sunkengardens.html
Oh, my goodness! When I was in high school we used to sneak out to the underground gardens (car lights off to evade detection) and explore the various rooms by flashight. The boys would try to tell the girls that was haunted and we had to watch out for ghosts, as well as the police. We never knew the story behind the construcion, except that the “madman” who built it was dead.
At the time, it was located “way out in the country”, but now there are homes and businesses all around. I remember one little room where there was a built in table and chairs — all out of earth. In case you are wondering abut rain, with all those holes in the roof, Fresno gets about 10 inches a year. It is basically desert. And the “poor soil” is a misnomer.
With water, everything is lush without any additions to the soil. My parents’ house has the same thin soil, and we cut a mountain of overgrown shrubs out of there a few years back. We had prunings piled up in front of the house 50 ft. long, 10 feet deep, and 8 feet high. Then the neighbors allowed us to use their frontage and a tree pruner hauled a lot more away in his truck.
On my next trip I’ll have to take an official tour.
BTW, the irrigation ditches in town are bone dry, thanks to Nancy Pelosi!