Asilomar Conference Grounds | |
Location | Asilomar Blvd., Pacific Grove, California |
---|---|
Coordinates | 36°37′11″N121°55′53″W / 36.61972°N 121.93139°W |
Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
Built | 1913 |
Architect | Julia Morgan |
Architectural style | Arts and Crafts Movement and American craftsman Bungalows |
NRHP reference No. | 87000823 [1] |
CHISL No. | 1052 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | February 27, 1987 [1] |
Designated NHLD | February 27, 1987 [2] |
Designated CHISL | June 20, 2014 [3] |
Asilomar Conference Grounds is a conference center originally built for the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). It is located on the western tip of the Monterey Peninsula in Pacific Grove, California, near what was formerly known as Moss Beach. Between 1913 and 1929, architect Julia Morgan designed 16 buildings on the property, 11 of which remain standing today. [4] The area is recognized as the homeland of the Rumsen Ohlone people.
The conference facilities were originally known as "Guardamar" [5] . In 1913, Phoebe Hearst proposed a naming competition, resulting in the selection of "Asilomar." The winning entry was submitted by Helen Salisbury, a Stanford University student, who created a portmanteau from the Spanish words asilo ("refuge") and mar ("sea"). In 1956, Asilomar was incorporated into the California State Parks system, and Moss Beach was renamed Asilomar State Beach after the conference grounds. [6]
The YWCA Pacific Coast conferences were originally held at the Capitola, California hotel until 1911. Following growth in attendance and a desire to establish a permanent location, Phoebe Hearst hosted the 1912 conference at her hacienda in Pleasanton, California. Proceeds from that event were used to secure land for a permanent site. A committee persuaded the Pacific Improvement Company to donate 30 acres (120,000 m2) to the YWCA in 1912. In early 1913, it was announced that Julia Morgan, then engaged with the Oakland YWCA building, would also design the new Asilomar campgrounds in the Arts & Crafts style. Construction began in the spring of 1913, and by August, the Social Hall and Longhouses were completed, hosting 300 girls for the inaugural summer program. Merrill Hall, Morgan’s final design for Asilomar, was dedicated in 1928.
Several other prominent California women including Ellen Browning Scripps, Mrs. Warren Olney Jr. and Mary Sroufe Merrill were involved in the creation of the retreat. [7]
In 1956, the State of California acquired Asilomar, and architect John Carl Warnecke was commissioned to design seven additional buildings to expand the grounds. [8] Asilomar was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987 for its role in women's recreation, the development of the YWCA, and the resort heritage of nearby Monterey, California. [9] [10] [11]
Today, the property is officially known as Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds and is operated by California State Parks. While it primarily functions as a conference center, it also welcomes individual guests and is frequently used for social events such as family reunions. The grounds remain open to the public. Between 1956 and 1994, the site was managed by various nonprofit organizations in collaboration with California State Parks. Delaware North Companies operated the facility from 1997 to 2007, after which Aramark took over operations in 2009 under a 20-year contract. [12]
To maintain its rustic charm, the rooms at Asilomar are free of telephones and televisions, although Wi-Fi has been added in recent years.
In 2012, construction began to improve the site's accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. These renovations, which continued through 2014, included replacing old asphalt pathways with brick pavers and improving accessibility to several buildings.
The Asilomar Conference Grounds were featured in the film The Shift (2009) by Wayne Dyer, which was shot on location at Asilomar State Beach. [15] [16]
The 1975 Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA was prominently featured in the PBS documentary The Gene: An Intimate History .
Pacific Grove is a coastal city in Monterey County, California, in the United States. The population at the 2020 census was 15,090. Pacific Grove is located between Point Pinos and Monterey.
The Hacienda is the current designation for a historic hotel in Monterey County, near the town of Jolon, California. It was completed in 1930 for use by William Randolph Hearst as temporary housing for his employees and guests and headquarters for activities taking place on the surrounding land. The lodge building, designed by architect Julia Morgan, replaced and expanded upon an earlier wooden structure known as the Milpitas Ranch House which was destroyed by fire in the 1920s. The 1930 hotel has also been known as Milpitas Hacienda, Hacienda Guest Lodge and Milpitas Ranchhouse, under which name the property was placed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1977.
Julia Morgan was an American architect and engineer. She designed more than 700 buildings in California during a long and prolific career. She is best known for her work on Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.
Asilomar State Beach, officially Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds State Park, is a state park unit of California, United States. It provides public access to rocky coast and dune habitat on the Monterey Peninsula. The property includes the Asilomar Conference Grounds, a conference center built by the YWCA in 1913 that is now a National Historic Landmark. The 107-acre (43 ha) site is located in Pacific Grove and offers overnight lodging and views of the forest, surf and sand.
Bernard Ralph Maybeck was an American architect in the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th century. He worked primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area, designing public buildings, including the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and also private houses, especially in Berkeley, where he lived and taught at the University of California. A number of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Asilomar can refer to a number of things:
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is a federally protected marine area offshore of California's Big Sur and central coast in the United States. It is the largest US national marine sanctuary and has a shoreline length of 276 miles (444 km) stretching from just north of the Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco to Cambria in San Luis Obispo County. Supporting one of the world's most diverse marine ecosystems, it is home to numerous mammals, seabirds, fishes, invertebrates and plants in a remarkably productive coastal environment. The MBNMS was established in 1992 for the purpose of resource protection, research, education, and public use.
State Route 68 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, located entirely in Monterey County. It runs from Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove to U.S. Route 101 in Salinas. The approximately 20-mile (32 km) long highway serves as a major route between the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas.
Monterey State Historic Park is a historic state park in Monterey, California. It includes part or all of the Monterey Old Town Historic District, a historic district that includes 17 contributing buildings and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The grounds include California's first theatre, and the Monterey Custom House, where the American flag was first raised over California.
Riverside Art Museum is an art museum in the historic Mission Inn District of Riverside, California. The museum is a non-profit organization which focuses on addressing social issues and offers art classes as well as other events in order to inspire and build community.
The Chinese Historical Society of America is the oldest and largest archive and history center documenting the Chinese American experience in the United States. It is based in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
The Old Custom House is the oldest surviving government building in California, built in 1827 by Mexican authorities in Monterey, then the capital of Alta California. The former custom house is the first designated California Historical Landmark, marking the site where U.S. Commodore John Drake Sloat raised the American flag and declared California part of the United States in 1846 during the American Conquest of California.
Asilomar State Marine Reserve (SMR) is one of four small marine protected areas (MPAs) located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four MPAs together encompass 2.96 square miles (7.7 km2). The SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.
The YWCA Building at 1040 Richards Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, popularly called the Richards Street Y, is now officially named Laniākea, which means 'open skies' or 'wide horizons' in the Hawaiian language. It was designed by San Francisco architect Julia Morgan, who considered it one of her favorites. The building consists of two large units which are connected by a two-story loggia. The main building is three stories high and faces Richards St. with a frontage of 165 feet. The second unit, which is directly in the rear of the first, is somewhat smaller, being two stories high with a large basement.
The Hostess House is a historic house in Palo Alto, California. It was built in 1918 by the YWCA for members of the United States Army to meet their relatives while they were still serving in World War I. The Hostess House was originally located in Camp Fremont.
Hearst Gymnasium for Women, now called the Hearst Memorial Gymnasium, is a historical building in Berkeley, California. The Hearst Gymnasium for Women was built in 1927. The building and it site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1982. The Hearst Gymnasium for Women was designed by Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan. The Hearst Gymnasium for Women was named after Phoebe Apperson Hearst (1842–1919), the mother of William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951). William Randolph paid for the gymnasium building as a memorial to his mother. The gymnasium replaced the original gymnasium that was lost in 1922 fire. The original wooden gymnasium was called Hearst Hall designed by Maybeck. Hearst Gymnasium for Women operated as retreat center for women, as it also had fine lodging, a fine dining hall, social center and three outdoor swimming pools. The building also houses the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology. The gymnasium has: dance studios, classrooms, conference rooms, a large and small gymnasium. Next to the gymnasium are the Hearst Tennis Courts, Hearst North Field, and the Hearst Field Annex. When opened the gymnasium also had an indoor rifle range.
Bjarne Cato Dahl (1897–1989) was an American architect, known for his significant contributions to the architectural landscape of Hawaii from the 1920s to the 1940s. Dahl's architectural career initially took root in California before he established himself in Hawaii, where he became a key figure in shaping the region's unique architectural identity. His work is characterized by a synthesis of modernist principles and local Hawaiian elements, marking a distinct period in the evolution of Hawaiian architecture.
The YWCA Building, now the Envision Academy of Arts & Technology and Common Webster, is a historic Young Women's Christian Association building in Oakland, California designed by early female architect Julia Morgan. It was completed in 1915, became an Oakland Designated Landmark in 1977, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.