The first swing of the 3 ton ball from the 210 foot derrick. This mammoth building was razed blow by blow and hauled away as debris.  Some walls were over 8 feet thick with some concrete pilings 25 feet below the surface.  ALL BUILT BY INMATES and destroyed by experts.

The last wall stood alone on a cold January day.  Finally after 1 1/2 years, 32,000 hits with the 3 ton ball, 15,000 truck loads of debris and salvage material, 1,500 loads of new soil, this magnificant building was turned into an ugly weedy parking lot

For a more complete photo album of Castle demolition go to Picasa

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The Castle rotunda stood for many blows of the 3 ton ball.  It drew spectators with cameras wanting catch the rotunda roof finally collapsing.  The rotunda stood fast until everyone left.

....and when no one was watching it collapsed and sent clouds of dust 100's of feet into the air.  The rotundra was finally history.