Highlands Inn, Carmel Highlands

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Highlands Inn
Highlands Inn front entrance.jpg
Highlands Inn entrance
Highlands Inn, Carmel Highlands
General information
Architectural style Arts and Crafts
Location Carmel Highlands, California, U.S.
Address120 Highlands Drive
Coordinates 36°30′6″N121°56′14″W / 36.50167°N 121.93722°W / 36.50167; -121.93722
Construction started1915
Construction stopped1917
OpeningJuly 28, 1917
Management Hyatt
Technical details
Floor count2
Design and construction
Architect(s)Will Shaw (1981–1982)
Main contractorRobert Gillett
Awards and prizesTop Honor Award from American Institute of Architects [1]
Other information
Number of rooms48
Number of restaurants1
Number of bars1
Website
Highlands Inn

Highlands Inn is a historic resort hotel located in Carmel Highlands, California. Constructed in 1917 by Frank Devendorf, one of the early co-founders of Carmel-by-the-Sea and a real estate developer, the inn was built on land acquired in 1906 from local ranchers, south of Point Lobos. This establishment is part of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation. [2]

Contents

History

Views from the Highlands Inn Seaward, Carmel Highlands.jpg
Views from the Highlands Inn

In 1906, Frank Devendorf, of the Carmel Development Company, acquired land from nearby ranchers. Devendorf developed the Carmel Highlands in 1915, located five miles to the south of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Devendorf wanted a resort hotel to be the focal point for further development of the Carmel Highlands. He handpicked the granite rocks nearby for building the walls and stepping stones. Marine artist William Frederic Ritschel helped Devendorf plan sight lines for the best ocean views. [2] Devendorf enlisted the services of building contractor Robert Gillett to construct the Highlands Inn. [3] Its overall architectural style is from the turn-of-the century Arts and Crafts movement. [4]

The Highlands Inn was completed in 1917, with an official opening taking place on July 28, 1917. [5] [6] [7]

In 1922, Devendorf sold the Highlands Inn to Edward H. Tickle, later California State senator for Monterey. [8] Devendorf undertook the development of the remaining Highlands area for residential purposes. [2] In 1925, the articles of incorporation of the Highlands Inn Co., were filed in the County Clerk office. [9]

The building of the Big Sur Coast Highway in the 1930s opened the area to more tourists. Point Lobos, which borders the Highlands on the north, became a state park in the mid 1930s. [10]

The Highlands Inn was sold in 1981, to a group of investors. [11] In 1984, the Highlands Inn won first place in the historical renovation category of the Project Design Award presented by the American Society of Interior Designers. [4] : p146  The renovation of the Highlands Inn was completed in May 1985. Will Shaw won a Top Honor Award from the American Institute of Architecture for the design. [1]

The Highlands Inn came under the ownership of Hyatt in 1995, and the company continues to operate the establishment as a hotel. [12] In 1998, Condé Nast Traveler selected the Highlands Inn as one of the top 50 resorts in the U.S. for offering rooms with views. [13] In 2011, Hyatt's Carmel Highlands was included in the Travel + Leisure list of the 500 Best Hotels in the World for that year. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmel Highlands, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Carmel Highlands is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, United States. It is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of Carmel-by-the-Sea, at an elevation of 318 feet. Carmel Highlands is just south of the Point Lobos State Reserve, and serves as the northern gateway of the Big Sur coastline along California State Route 1. Carmel Highlands was laid out in 1916 by developers Frank Hubbard Powers and James Franklin Devendorf and the Carmel Development Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael J. Murphy (builder)</span> American builder

Michael James Murphy known locally as “M. J. Murphy” was an established master builder in the Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He had a significant influence on the character and architecture of the Village of Carmel during his career. From 1902 to 1940, he built nearly 350 buildings. He founded M. J. Murphy, Inc., which continues to supply building material for the Monterey Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Albert Work</span> American businessman and banker

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh W. Comstock</span> American builder

Hugh White Comstock was an American designer and master builder who lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He and Michael J. Murphy were responsible for giving Carmel its unique architectural character. Comstock developed a "Fairy Tale," storybook architectural style, that has been closely identified with Carmel. Twenty-one of his cottages remain in the area today. Comstock developed a modern use of adobe in the construction of a post-adobe brick called "Bitudobe."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Franklin Devendorf</span> American builder

James Franklin Devendorf, was a pioneer real estate developer and philanthropist. Devendorf and attorney Frank Hubbard Powers (1864-1921), founded the Carmel Development Company in 1902. He became the "Father" of an artists and writers' colony that became Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, which included the Carmel Highlands, California. Devendorf spent the next 30 years of his life developing Carmel and the Carmel Highlands into a community of painters, writers, and musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Hubbard Powers</span> American politician and lawyer

Frank Hubbard Powers, served in the California State Assembly for the 41st district from 1895 to 1897. He was a San Francisco attorney for Heller & Powers. He and real estate developer James Franklin Devendorf (1856-1934), founded the Carmel Development Company in 1902. They established an art colony that became Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, which included the Carmel Highlands, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santiago J. Duckworth</span> American builder

Santiago Jacob Duckworth, known locally as S. J. Duckworth, served in the California State Assembly for the 61st district from 1893 to 1895. He was as an early Monterey pioneer businessman, real estate developer, and visionary of the short-lived Carmel City. In 1889, he wanted to build a Catholic summer resort, bought the rights to develop the area, filed a subdivision map, and started selling lots. After an unsuccessful undertaking, he sold the property to James Franklin Devendorf in 1902, who went on to found the Carmel Development Company and Carmel-by-the-Sea, and the Carmel Highlands in California, United States. Duckworth helped shape the early development of Carmel, bringing the first major developers and builders, and attracting some of the first residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honoré Escolle</span> French businessman

Honoré Escolle, was as a French businessman from Monterey, California. He was an early pioneer who became a significant landholder in Monterey County. In 1878, he purchased 1,400 unsettled acres (570 ha) acres of the Sanchez's ranch near Gonzales, California. In the late 1880s, he sold 324 barren acres (131 ha) to Santiago J. Duckworth to build a Catholic Summer resort. This land later became Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmel Arts and Crafts Club</span> Early Carmel art club

The Carmel Arts and Crafts Club was an art gallery, theatre and clubhouse founded in 1905, by Elsie Allen, a former art instructor for Wellesley College. After using the facilities of various town parks and hotels, in 1907, a clubhouse was built at Monte Verde Street in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, where the Circle Theatre of the Golden Bough Playhouse is today. The clubhouse served as Carmel's first community cultural center. It held dramatic performances, poetry readings, lectures, and was a summer school for the arts. Between 1919 and 1948 Carmel was the largest art colony on the Pacific coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Inn</span> Historic hotel in California, U.S.

Pine Inn, once called the Hotel Carmelo, is one of the early first-class Arts and Crafts, Tudor, Spanish style hotels established in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The Pine Inn is a historical resource dating back to 1889 when pioneer Santiago J. Duckworth built Hotel Carmelo. James Franklin Devendorf, renamed the hotel the "Pine Inn" in 1904. Today, it is a full-service hotel. The Pine Inn qualified for inclusion in the city's Downtown Historic District Property Survey, and was registered with the California Register of Historical Resources on March 18, 2003. The Inn is significant under the California Register criterion 1, as the first hotel in the history of the downtown district of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argyll Campbell</span> American attorney (1882-1945)

Argyll Campbell was city attorney for Carmel-by-the-Sea, California from 1920 to 1937. He was former chairman of the California Democratic Party to elect governor Culbert Olson. Campbell was a leader in Monterey Peninsula civic life for twenty-eight years. He was known for his efforts to "keep Carmel from radical change."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmel Development Company</span> Historic company in California, U.S.

The Carmel Development Company was a real-estate development company that operated in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California from 1902 to 1965. It was developed by James Franklin Devendorf and Frank Hubbard Powers. Powers provided the capital and did the legal work of the corporation. Devendorf was the general manager and oversaw subdividing and developing the land. Between 1900 and 1910 the Carmel Development Company purchased parcels of real estate from land holders that were subdivided into blocks & lots. This was the original footprint of what would become the incorporated City of Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1916 and the unincorporated Carmel Highlands. The company dissolved in 1965, after the sale of its final parcel known as the Glen Deven Mountain Lands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Wilson Building</span> Historic building in California, U.S.

The Wilson Building, also known as the Philip Wilson Building is a historic commercial building in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. It is an example of American Craftsman architectural style that was built in 1905 on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Dolores Street as a real estate office. In 1916 it became Carmel’s first official City Hall. The building qualified as an important building in the city's downtown historic district property survey and was recorded with the California Register of Historical Resources on November 30, 2002. The building is occupied by two tenants, the J. McLaughlin and The Agency.

The following is a timeline of the history of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbie Jane Hunter</span> American real estate developer

Abigail Jane Hunter, was as an early pioneer businesswoman, real estate developer, and visionary of Carmel-by-the-Sea. In 1889, she worked with Santiago James Duckworth (1862-1930) to help build a Catholic summer resort called Carmel City. After an unsuccessful undertaking, she sold her holdings to Dr. Walton Saunders in 1900. Hunter is credited with coining the name Carmel-by-the-Sea and utilizing it in promoting Carmel City through newspaper advertisements and postcard mailers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph W. Hand</span> American real estate developer

Joseph W. Hand, was an early pioneer businessman, real estate agent, leader in civic affairs, actor, and first president of the Forest Theater in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Delos Edward Goldsmith, was an American master builder and one of the earliest settlers of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Goldsmith built many of the early homes in Carmel. Some of his most notable projects were the construction of the first hotel and the Carmel Bathhouse.

Percy Parkes was an American master builder in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Parkes was one of the main local builders in Carmel through the 1920s and 1930s and the first contractor to build homes on Scenic Drive. His best known commercial buildings are the Seven Arts Building (1928), the Studio Theater (1924), the Dummage Building (1924), and the Percy Parkes Building (1926).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura W. Maxwell</span> American painter

Laura W. Maxwell, also known as Laura Maxwell was an American artist and pioneer. She played a significant role in the artistic community of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, where she settled. Maxwell was one of the pioneering artists who contributed to the establishment of the Carmel Art Association. Maxwell's artistic ability extended beyond the borders of Carmel and the Monterey Peninsula, as her floral paintings, marines, and landscapes in both oil and watercolor gained recognition in various art centers worldwide. Her works reached audiences as far as Paris, France, and made their way to exhibitions in Peking, China. This international exposure speaks to the universal appeal and recognition of Maxwell's talent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Ruhl</span> American California builder

Fred Ruhl was an American building contractor in Monterey County, California. He had an influence on the character and architecture of Pebble Beach, California, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, during his career. Ruhl built the mansion, Outlands in the Eighty Acres, for real estate developer Paul Aiken Flanders. He also worked with architect Robert Stanton to build the historic Normandy Inn on Ocean Avenue in Carmel.

References

  1. 1 2 Robert White (October 27, 1985). "Monterey Bay Aquarium spurs middle coast tourism". The Daily Breeze. Torrance, California. p. 78. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Gilliam, Harold; Gilliam, Ann (1992). Creating Carmel: The Enduring Vision. Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith Books. pp. 15, 80–81. ISBN   9780879053970 . Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  3. ↑ Hudson, Monica (2006). Carmel-By-The-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 53. ISBN   9780738531229 . Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Gary Diedrichs (November 1985). "Romance at the Highlands". Organe Cost Magazine. pp. 146–157. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Carmel Highlands Inn". Carmel Pine Cone . Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. July 19, 1917. p. 5. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  6. ↑ Grimes, Teresa; Heumann, Leslie. "Historic Context Statement Carmel-by-the-Sea" (PDF). Leslie Heumann and Associates. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. p. 22. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  7. ↑ "At Carmel Highlands". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. July 29, 1917. p. 39. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Carmel's Historic Highland Inn Sold". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. August 29, 1946. p. 3. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Articles Filed By Highlands Inn Co". The Californian. Salinas, California. March 30, 1925. p. 4. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Carmel Highlands Association". Carmel Highlands. Carmel Highlands, California. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Highlands Inn In Carmel Sold". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. November 1, 1981. p. 6. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Carmel Highlands Inn is building on its history". Orange County Register. November 11, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Highlands Inn Highlights". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. March 15, 1998. p. 364. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Hyatt Carmel Highlands ranked". The Californian. Salinas, California. January 24, 2011. p. 2. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
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