Hotel Del Monte

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Hotel Del Monte
NPS herrmann hall lrg.jpg
The former Hotel Del Monte, now known as Herrmann Hall
Location Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, United States
Built1926–1927
ArchitectsLewis P. Hobart and Clarence A. Tantau
Owner Naval Postgraduate School, United States Navy

The Hotel Del Monte was a large resort hotel in Monterey, California, from its opening in 1880 until 1942. It was one of the finest luxury hotels in North America. [1] During World War II, it closed and the building was leased to the United States Navy. [2] It was first used by the Navy as a school where enlisted men spent the second, third, and fourth months of an eleven-month course being trained as electronic technicians. Later the Hotel Del Monte became the Naval Postgraduate School. [1] [2] Today, the building is called Herrmann Hall. It contains school administrative offices and the Navy Gateway Inns and Suites, a hotel.

Contents

History

Original hotel, 1883 Beauties of California (1883) (14762391891).jpg
Original hotel, 1883
Drawing of grounds from the book Mexico, California and Arizona; being a new and revised edition of Old Mexico and her lost provinces.(1900) The Hotel Del Monte- Monterey - Pg-371.jpg
Drawing of grounds from the book Mexico, California and Arizona; being a new and revised edition of Old Mexico and her lost provinces.(1900)

Charles Crocker, one of California's Big Four railroad barons, established the resort through Southern Pacific Railroad's property division, Pacific Improvement Company (PIC), and opened the first hotel June 3, 1880. [3] The first true resort complex in the United States[ citation needed ], it was an immediate success. [1] Nearby, along Monterey Bay, was a railroad depot where the Del Monte (named for the hotel) served patrons arriving by train.

The property extended south and southeast of the hotel and included gardens, parkland, polo grounds, a race track, and a golf course. Originally used for hunting and other outdoor activities, the hotel's property became Pebble Beach, an unincorporated resort community, and the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links. The famous 17-Mile Drive was originally designed as a local excursion for visitors to the Del Monte to take in the historic sights of Monterey and Pacific Grove and the scenery of what would become Pebble Beach. [4] The hotel became popular with the wealthy and influential of the day, and guests included Theodore Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway, as well as many early Hollywood stars.

The St. John's Chapel, Del Monte was built in 1891 by Charles Crocker and Collis P. Huntington for guests staying at the Hotel Del Monte. [5]

Advertisement in Sunset 1906 Del Monte Hotel 1906 Ad.jpg
Advertisement in Sunset 1906
Hotel Del Monte in 1915 Hotel Del Monte 1915.png
Hotel Del Monte in 1915

On February 27, 1919 Samuel Finley Brown Morse formed the Del Monte Properties Company, and acquired the extensive holdings of the Pacific Improvement Company, which included the Del Monte Forest, the Del Monte Lodge (since renamed the Lodge at Pebble Beach), and the Hotel Del Monte. [6]

The hotel's shops included branches of Gump's, I. Magnin and City of Paris. [7]

There have been three buildings on the same site. The first building was designed by architect Arthur Brown Sr., who had been the Southern Pacific Railroad's Superintendent of Bridges and Buildings. [8] [3] It was destroyed by fire on June 1, 1887 and was replaced. [3] The El Carmelo Hotel in Pacific Grove was built by (PIC) in 1887, and was sometimes called the sister hotel of the Hotel Del Monte. [9] Two guests were killed and the hotel damaged in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Humorist Josh Billings died at the hotel in 1885. [3]

The Del Monte Golf Course opened in 1897 as a public club. The Del Monte Cup championships were played at the Del Monte Golf Course beginning in 1898, and was open for men and women. It is one the oldest continuously operating golf course in the United States. The first Pacific Coast Golf Association Women's Championship and the first PCGA Open were held at the Del Monte Golf Course. [10]

The Hotel’s famed Art Gallery, which was established in 1907 and quickly became the venue for California's most prestigious artists, was also rebuilt; according to the detailed eyewitness account of Carmel artist Jennie V. Cannon, the space for exhibiting art was expanded. [11]

Arizona Garden, Hotel Del Monte, Monterey. Circa 1885 Arizona Garden, Hotel Del Monte, Monterey, by Watkins, Carleton E., 1829-1916.jpg
Arizona Garden, Hotel Del Monte, Monterey. Circa 1885

Also on the grounds are nine additional structures including the Roman Plunge Pool Complex, built in 1918 and designed by Hobart and Tantau, later the architects of the third hotel building. The pool itself was designed by Hobart. [12] The Roman Plunge Solarium was restored in 2012 by architect James D. McCord. At that time the main Plunge was reconstructed as a reflecting pool and its original above-ground finishes restored. [13] The Arizona Garden (1882), originally designed by landscape architect Rudolph Ulrich, is also on the grounds. [12] [14]

Del Monte Foods traces its name back to an Oakland, California food distributor who used the brand name "Del Monte" for a premium coffee blend made especially for the hotel. [15]

William and Grace McCarthy standing with an automobile in front the second Del Monte Hotel. Del Monte Hotel.jpg
William and Grace McCarthy standing with an automobile in front the second Del Monte Hotel.

On September 27, 1924, the second of three hotels, Hotel Del Monte building was destroyed by fire. The property surrounding the hotel became known as Pebble Beach, now a world-renowned resort and golf course. [3]

The current building dates from 1926. It was designed by architects Lewis P. Hobart and Clarence A. Tantau. [2]

The Hotel Del Monte was requisitioned by the Navy at the beginning of World War II and used as a pre-flight training school. [3] In 1947, the U.S. Navy purchased the hotel and its surrounding 627 acres for $2.5 million. [3] In 1951 the United States Naval Academy's postgraduate school moved from Annapolis, Maryland, to its new location—the former Hotel del Monte. [2] The hotel is now Herrmann Hall, the central building of the Naval Postgraduate School.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Del Monte Forest is a census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 4,204, down from 4,514 at the 2010 census. The census area includes the separate well-known community of Pebble Beach.

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

Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of the golf courses of Cypress Point Club, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, and Pebble Beach Golf Links.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">17-Mile Drive</span> Scenic road

17-Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula in California, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses, mansions and scenic attractions, including the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock and the 5,300-acre Del Monte Forest of Monterey Cypress trees.

Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Links is a public 18-hole golf course owned by the city of Pacific Grove, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pebble Beach Golf Links</span> Public golf course in California, U.S.

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Del Monte is a district of Monterey, California. It was formerly an independent unincorporated community in Monterey County. It is located in the east part of Monterey, at an elevation of 16 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Finley Brown Morse</span>

Samuel Finley Brown Morse was an American environmental conservationist and the developer of Pebble Beach. He was known as the Duke of Del Monte and ran his company from the 1919 until his death in 1969. Originally from the eastern United States, Morse moved west and fell in love with the Monterey Peninsula, eventually owning and preserving vast acreage while also developing golf courses and The Lodge at Pebble Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion Hollins</span> American golfer and golf course architect

Marion B. Hollins was an American amateur golfer. She is known as an athlete and as a golf course developer, one of the only known female golf course developers in history. She won the 1921 U.S. Women's Amateur and was runner-up in 1913. She also had many other amateur wins. She was the captain of the first U.S. Curtis Cup team in 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Improvement Company</span> Holding company of the Southern Pacific Railroad

The Pacific Improvement Company (PIC) was a large holding company in California and an affiliate of the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was formed in 1878, by the Big Four, who were influential businessmen, philanthropists and railroad tycoons who funded the Central Pacific Railroad, (C.P.R.R.). These men were: Leland Stanford (1824–1893), Collis Potter Huntington (1821–1900), Mark Hopkins (1813–1878), and Charles Crocker (1822–1888). They were controlling stockholders and directors of the company. Archived records date from 1869 to 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey Peninsula</span> Peninsula in California, USA

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. Evelyn McCormick</span> American painter

Mary Evelyn McCormick was an American Impressionist who lived and worked around San Francisco and Monterey, California at the turn of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casa del Rey Hotel</span> Building in Santa Cruz, California

Casa del Rey Hotel was a resort hotel in Santa Cruz, California. During World War II the hotel was converted to the Naval Convalescent Hospital, Santa Cruz. The hotel was built in 1911 by Fred Swanton on Beach Street as a Santa Cruz Boardwalk development plan. The Resort Hotel had: a pool; gardens; and a grand pedestrian bridge to cross the street to visit the beach. The hotel was at about 500 Beach Street and Cliff Street. In addition to the hotel, there were built Cottage apartments. Later after the war the hotel became a senior citizen housing. In the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake there was serious damage to the hotel and was taken down. The site now is the parking lot across the street from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park.

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

Thomas Albert Work was an American businessman and banker of Pacific Grove, California, known around Monterey as T. A. Work. He was owner of the T. A. Work company that made him the single largest business property owner on the Monterey Peninsula. He owned several banks, including the First National Bank of Monterey, Bank of Pacific Grove, Salinas, and the Bank of Carmel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Chapel, Del Monte</span> Episcopal Church in California

St. John's Chapel, Del Monte is a parish of the Diocese of El Camino Real Episcopal Church in Monterey, California, founded in 1891. Intended for guests at the Hotel Del Monte, the property was donated by railroad tycoon Charles Crocker. St. John's Chapel is an example of an Episcopal church designed by architect Ernest Coxhead, with his shingle style architecture. The Chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 21, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian P. Graham</span> American artist

Julian Pitzer Graham, nicknamed “Spike” was an American photographer. His legacy is over 40,000 photographs and negatives of many famous people that visited and lived on the Monterey Peninsula. Between 1924 and 1963, Graham, was an independent, official photographer for Del Monte Properties, which is known today as the Pebble Beach Company. His photographs appeared in magazines such as Life and National Geographic, national and international newspapers, books, fashion layouts, and promotional material used for advertising the Pebble Beach Company. Graham's photographs chronicle the history of the Monterey Peninsula which includes the creation of Cypress Point Golf Club, Pebble Beach Golf Links and the Monterey Peninsula Country Club. His career lasted 39 years until his death at his home in Carmel Valley, California on March 13, 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Carmelo Hotel</span> Historic Hotel

El Carmelo Hotel was Pacific Grove's first hotel, opened to guests on May 20, 1887. It was sometimes called the sister of the Hotel Del Monte. It was located on Lighthouse Avenue between Fountain and Grand Avenues, Pacific Grove and owned by the Pacific Improvement Company (PIC). In 1907, the name of the hotel changed to the Pacific Grove Hotel. In 1917, the PIC decided to dismantle it and use the wood in the reconstruction of The Lodge at Pebble Beach, California that had burned down on December 17, 1917. The empty block was sold to W. R. Holman in 1919 to open the Holman Department Store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lodge at Pebble Beach</span> Historic building in California, U.S.

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

The Doud Building, also known as the James Doud Building is a historic commercial building in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. James Cooper Doud established the building in 1932, built by master builder Michael J. Murphy as a mixed-use retail shop and residence. It is an example of a Spanish Colonial Revival architecture style building. The structure is recognized as an important commercial building in the city's Downtown Conservation District Historic Property Survey, and was nominated and submitted to the California Register of Historical Resources on February 21, 2003. The building is now occupied by the Mad Dogs & Englishmen Bike Shop and the Carmel Sport clothing store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Josselyn</span> American photographer (1883–1964)

Lewis Josselyn,, was an American portrait, landscape, and community photographer and early resident of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He was the official photographer for the Forest Theater, a historic amphitheater in Carmel.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "History of NPS and the Infamous Hotel Del Monte". Naval Postgraduate School. Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey". The California State Military Museum. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hathaway, Pat. "Hotel Del Monte, Monterey". California Views: The Pat Hathaway Photo Collection. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  4. ↑ The Hotel Del Monte, California's Most Historic Resort Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School
  5. ↑ "St. John's Chapel, Del Monte, California". Laurel Cottage Genealogy. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Pebble Beach Resorts | Golf Resorts, Courses & Spa Vacations". Pebble Beach Resorts. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010.[ dead link ]
  7. ↑ Historic Hotel Del Monte Herrmann Hall Naval Postgraduate School Dudley Knox Library November, 2014
  8. ↑ Bender, Henry E. Jr. (2013). Southern Pacific Lines Standard-Design Depots. Berkeley: Signature Press. p. 43. ISBN   9781930013339.
  9. ↑ "El Carmelo, Pacific Grove Hotel" (PDF). The Board and Batten. Pacific Grove, California. 2002. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  10. ↑ Neal Hotelling (February 17, 2023). "West Coast women's golf starts off just a little in the rough" (PDF). Carmel Pine Cone . Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. p. 21. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  11. ↑ Edwards, Robert W. (2012). Jennie V. Cannon: The Untold History of the Carmel and Berkeley Art Colonies, Vol. 1. Oakland, Calif.: East Bay Heritage Project. pp. 45–47, 200. ISBN   9781467545679. An online facsimile of the entire text of Vol. 1 is posted on the Traditional Fine Arts Organization website ( "Jennie V. Cannon: The Untold History of the Carmel and Berkeley Art Colonies, vol. One, East Bay Heritage Project, Oakland, 2012; by Robert W. Edwards". Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.).
  12. 1 2 "NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY MONTEREY" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 15, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  13. ↑ California Preservation Foundation award 2012
  14. ↑ "Pacific Horticulture Society - Rudolph Ulrich's Arizona Gardens". Pacifichorticulture.org. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Our History". Del Monte Foods. Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2013.

Coordinates: 36°35′52″N121°52′24″W / 36.597889°N 121.873312°W / 36.597889; -121.873312

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