”
The way God would have done it if he had the money,
”
was George Bernard Shaw’s retort after spending a week at
the
”
Enchanted Hill
”
at Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
“The way God would have done it if he had the money,” was George Bernard Shaw’s retort after spending a week at the “Enchanted Hill” at Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
Between 1919 and 1948, William Randolph Hearst and his architect, Julia Morgan, transformed a coastal knoll overlooking the Pacific into a legendary 123-acre estate of gardens, terraces and guest houses dominated by Hearst’s 100 room residence, La Casa Grande.
A legacy of unmatched beauty and wonder remains for all the inhabitants of this planet to enjoy.
Hearst, who headed up an immense publishing, ranching and mining empire, was the heartbeat and brain of this magnificent work of love and ego. He filled it with the most beautiful, expensive and exotically tasteful works of art, sculptures, Persian rugs, furniture and antiques from the four corners of the world.
The first structures attempted were three guesthouses. Done in a Mediterranean Village style, they were named for their views. Casa del Mar (House of the Sea), Casa del Monte (House of the Mountain) and Casa del Sol (House of the Sun).
They were lavishly decorated and furnished with an Italian warmth and villa type coziness not found in the main house. They ran from 10 to 18 rooms each with a character and warmth of their own. Casa del Mar, the largest of the three with its charming 18 rooms, was Hearst’s favorite.
He spent much time here enjoying the marvelous view of “his ocean.” It’s 8,000 plus square feet echoed an ocean theme with gold seashell motifs running through most of the house.
In 1922, work was started on the great house, Casa Grande, a Spanish Colonial type structure of poured concrete faced with Utah limestone. Twin bell towers and copper domes housing 36 bronze carillons from Belgium were put in place by architect Morgan, who had shimmering blue and gold tiles specially designed and added to enhance her already stunning creation.
Building the 100-room, four-story, 73,000-square-foot (plus) Casa Grande was a mammoth job akin to the pyramids, if they were built in the same era.
A large crew hauled building supplies and aggregate for the reinforced concrete up six miles of bad road. Bulky, heavy loads took half a day to get from the pier to the building site.
It took approximately two years of continuous building to complete. (Keep in mind that some of this building went on during the Depression). But as far as Hearst was concerned, it was never really complete. He kept adding and improving right up to the time of his death in 1951.
One of the most impressive rooms is the Refectory, which has an exquisitely unique 400-year-old hand-carved wooden ceiling imported from an Italian monastery The building includes an interesting musician’s gallery.
The Refectory is where guests met for galas and parties. Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, George Bernard Shaw, Gary Cooper and Winston Churchill were some of the celebrities who attended.
If so inclined, guests could take advantage of the comfortable 85-foot library, a delightfully decorated room with 5,000 valuable books, none of which were insured. When asked why there was no insurance, Hearst answered, “No money could begin to cover their loss.” At times, up to 60 invited guests enjoyed the amenities of Hearst Castle. Available were tennis, swimming, horseback riding, bowling, fishing and a private movie theater. You name it,and if it existed, it was there.
Hearst was a dedicated animal lover and had signs posted about the roads saying, “Animals have the right of way.” For years the largest private zoo in the world existed in San Simeon.
Hearst had more than 70 species living on his land within 2,000 fenced-in acres. Ostriches, buffalo, yaks, emus, kangaroos, llamas, zebras and even giraffes roamed In special open type enclosures. Thirty species of exotic animals from tigers to great apes enjoyed the best captivity could offer. In the latter part of 1930, most of the animals found homes in other zoos.
The grounds were and still are spectacular. Hundreds of tons of top soil were hauled up the steep hillside, five terrace levels were built from scratch, a mile-long road for walking and riding was created and giant oaks and 30-foot cypresses were transplanted.
More than 100,000 pines, citrus, cedar and eucalyptus trees were planted. The hillside was covered with flowers. Hearst’s favorite camellias grew in abundance. Three thousand rose bushes, fuchsias, star jasmine and azaleas joined the others for a glorious show.
More than half a million flowers were propagated annually in greenhouses especially built for the property. Seasonal flowers were always planted and in bloom throughout the grounds.
The Neptune Pool (one of two pools) is a glorious massive swimming area that reminds one of a place Greek tragedies might have taken place. Magnificent and beautifully detailed with perfect architectural balance. Superb statuary by Charles Cassou circles the pool that holds 345,000 gallons of water. Lovely natural turquoise-colored water relaxes the senses to make this a spot of pleasant tranquility.
It took three efforts to get the Neptune Pool to meet final approval of this man with an eye for perfection.
Hearst Castle was dedicated as a state historical monument in 1958. Millions of people from every corner of the world have enjoyed the stunning beauty and sense of history of this magnificent estate.
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IF YOU GO
TOUR INFORMATION: Hearst Castle is open daily for tours with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Advance reservations are advised for all tours. Four different one- and three-quarter-hour tours are offered. It is too vast an area to see it all in one day. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes.
Evening tours: A two-hour evening tour is offered on certain evenings in spring, fall and winter. A view of the sunset from the “Enchanted Hill” makes this a well attended event. Reservations are definitely advisable.
Reservations: For reservations, tickets, directions and information call (800) 444-4445. Visa, Master Card and American Express are accepted. You can also book online at www.hearstcastle.org.
Places to stay: For lodging information, contact the San Simeon Chamber of Commerce at (805) 927-3500. San Simeon State Beach has basic family campsites that can accommodate trailers and RV’s Reservations area must.
