The history of Hearst Castle is fascinating. It was built by Julia Morgan, the only female architect in California at the time, and took nearly thirty years to construct. While the land was expansive, it was challenging to build on the terrain -- lots of rocks. Hearst is of course a controversial figure but his home was majestic and was a meeting place for all sorts of characters -- political figures, hollywood celebrities, athletes, inventors, (some notable names were Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant and Franklin Roosevelt.) They would come by invitation only to enjoy all the amenities from the pools (indoor and outdoor), tennis court, private zoo, the theater or simply enjoy his extensive collection of fine art. Apparently he would never ask anyone to leave, but you knew if you were seated furthest from him at the dining room table you had overstayed your welcome. Here are some photos:
Sunday, November 13, 2011
5 years of Benner Bliss at the Hearst Castle
Also in August, we celebrated our five year wedding anniversary with a trip to the Central Coast! Inspired by our friend's trip to Hearst Castle and Rhianwen's love for turn of the century architecture, off we went. Beautiful landscapes surrounded us as we drove north, the views of the rocky oceanside terrain and waves crashing upon it were just lovely.
The history of Hearst Castle is fascinating. It was built by Julia Morgan, the only female architect in California at the time, and took nearly thirty years to construct. While the land was expansive, it was challenging to build on the terrain -- lots of rocks. Hearst is of course a controversial figure but his home was majestic and was a meeting place for all sorts of characters -- political figures, hollywood celebrities, athletes, inventors, (some notable names were Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant and Franklin Roosevelt.) They would come by invitation only to enjoy all the amenities from the pools (indoor and outdoor), tennis court, private zoo, the theater or simply enjoy his extensive collection of fine art. Apparently he would never ask anyone to leave, but you knew if you were seated furthest from him at the dining room table you had overstayed your welcome. Here are some photos:
The history of Hearst Castle is fascinating. It was built by Julia Morgan, the only female architect in California at the time, and took nearly thirty years to construct. While the land was expansive, it was challenging to build on the terrain -- lots of rocks. Hearst is of course a controversial figure but his home was majestic and was a meeting place for all sorts of characters -- political figures, hollywood celebrities, athletes, inventors, (some notable names were Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant and Franklin Roosevelt.) They would come by invitation only to enjoy all the amenities from the pools (indoor and outdoor), tennis court, private zoo, the theater or simply enjoy his extensive collection of fine art. Apparently he would never ask anyone to leave, but you knew if you were seated furthest from him at the dining room table you had overstayed your welcome. Here are some photos:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)

1 comment:
Just thought I'd take a peek at your blog, since I haven't for awhile. Looks like you've been busy indeed, and having lots of fun. All the pictures are beautiful, but my favorite is the one of the 2 of you in front of the hydrangeas. Now that one should be framed!
Post a Comment