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Dates: Tuesday, February 11th or Thursday, February 13th, 9:30am
Location: Zoom! See your e-mail for the link!
Website: https://hearstcastle.org/
a west coast castle
a west coast castle
No, you’re not seeing double! Last week, we were supposed to chat with Hearst Castle but had to cancel at the very last minute due to weather! Our ranger Elaine very graciously agreed to talk to us this week instead, so here we are!
This week we are joining the California State Parks rangers to learn more about the architecture of Hearst Castle and its architect, Julia Morgan. The castle, located in San Simeon, California, is a testament to her engineering and design work. She ultimately designed more than 700 California buildings, though the castle is her most famed location. Before we virtually head up the coast to look at the beauty of the castle and learn about the amazing woman who saw it built, we’ll take a quick look at both Julia Morgan’s other work and some other amazingly large homes in the US!
Julia Morgan
Julia Morgan was one of the most prolific architects in California. Many of her buildings are preserved as a part of the California State Park System. Below, you can read the brochure put together by the CA State Parks. Some of this information may be repeated during our tour, but see how much you can remember!
other hearst properties
other hearst properties
Of course, we all talk about Hearst Castle as the crown jewel of the Hearst empire. But the magnate owned plenty of other grand properties as well! Check out some of his other houses:
Wyntoon
Located just along the McCloud River in Siskiyou County, California, this former fishing resort served as a summer retreat for the Hearst family. It was actually purchased by William’s mother, Phoebe, and renovated by her. She built her dream vacation spot for $100,000 in 1902 (that’s more than 3.6 million today). William was left the bulk of the Hearst fortune, except for Wyntoon. Hearst eventually purchased it from his cousin for $200,000 in 1925. Sadly, the house burned down in 1929 but Hearst rebuilt an even grander castle afterwards. Today, it can only be seen from the river.
You can watch a 5 minute overview of the property here. (Note: The video claims that Julia Morgan worked on Phoebe’s original home here but I can’t find any supporting documentation for that claim. She did, however, work on other homes for Phoebe and was instrumental in William’s rebuilding of the site.)
You can read a little more and see pictures of the original and rebuilt homes here: https://www.activenorcal.com/the-historic-castle-on-the-mccloud-river/
Clarendon
This New York City penthouse boasted 5 stories of living space! It held 7 bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, and 17 rooms in its 7,000 indoor square feet. Multiple rooms had 15-foot vaulted ceilings that displayed tapestries and suits of armor. The Hearsts hosted lavish parties in this location and curried political power in its rooms. After William decided to devote more time to his mistress in California, instead of his wife, he left in New York to entertain and save face here. You can read an overview of their history in this home here: https://americanaristocracy.com/houses/hearst-s-clarendon
To get a look at the inside of the home now, check out this 3 minute video:
The Warwick New York Hotel
Another New York property, this hotel was built under the direction of William Hearst in 1926 for $5 million. The hotel was built to cater to Hollywood movers and shakers, and as a special place for his 34 year long mistress, Marion Davies. She occupied a specially built floor in the 36 story building. Many of the details of the hotel, including the rosebud motif in Randolph’s Bar & Lounge harken to William’s day. Rosebud was a supposed nickname that Marion Davies gave to Hearst.
Beverly House
Also known as The Beverly Estate or sometimes even Hearst Estate, this sprawling estate was one of the last places Hearst lived before his death. Technically owned by Marion Davies and left to her husband (married after Hearst died), this still makes the list for being a place Hearst spent time in California. Davies even hosted newlyweds Jacqueline and John Kennedy during their 1953 honeymoon. The property has been featured for more than a dozen films, including The Godfather, The Bodyguard, Fletch, and The Jerk. To read a little more about this property, click here: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/sporting/a40784827/beverly-estate-nicolas-berggruen-marion-davies-hearst-photos/
St. Donat’s Castle
Hearst bought a real European castle in 1925, sight unseen. He heard that St. Donat’s castle on the Welsh coast was for sale. Coming with its own moat, portcullis, and even dungeons, this castle was truly fit for royalty. Marion Davies and Hearst entertained all manner of European and American stars, and even Prime MInisters and a young JFK. You can read a Union Tribune article about the castle here: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2015/10/31/hearsts-nearly-forgotten-other-castle/
Or you can watch an hour long review of the whole history of St. Donat’s Castle, which dates back to the 13th century, here:
Beacon Towers / St. Joan’s Castle
In 1927, Hearst purchased this castle situated on North Island’s North Shore. While he was still working on Hearst Castle on the East Coast, this already finished castle near New York was a “between seasons home” for his wife, Millicent Hearst. Of course, Hearst had trouble leaving things as they were and renovated much of the castle, adding in decor from his trove. Renovations finished in 1933 and they hosted a dinner/dance party for 2,000 guests. Hearst had to relinquish this castle in 1942 to pay taxes. Sadly, the home was demolished in 1945 to build 8 homes in its place.
You can read a little more about the history of this property here: https://americanaristocracy.com/houses/beacon-towers
Tune in this week as we talk about the most famous property of all and the woman behind the magic!
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