Eastsider LA tips us off that evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson's castle in Lake Elsinore is up for sale. McPherson was one of LA's biggest celebrities in the twenties and thirties; she preached on the radio, founded the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, built the Angelus Temple in Echo Park, allegedly faked her own kidnapping in 1926, and died of an accidental barbiturate overdose in 1944. She's been fictionalized by Sinclair Lewis (in Elmer Gantry), Upton Sinclair (in Oil!), Nathanael West (in the Day of the Locust), and Frank Capra (in Miracle Woman). In 1929 she commissioned architect Edwin Bickman to build this five bedroom, six bathroom house, now known as Aimee's Castle, at a cost of $286,000. She owned the house until 1939, and after just a handful of owners, the Foursquare Church bought the house in 2005 for $1 million and completed a restoration. The listing tells us it has "a breathtaking panoramic lake view, large pool and terrace, atrium, oversized living room, domed dining room...servants quarters, gym, and a 2-car garage with direct access through a hidden tunnel." The church is asking $1.495 million.
· Sister Aimee's Castle [Official Site]
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