NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1O24-OO18 National Historic Landmark Nomination. Exp. XKtt-84 (3-82) Theme IX. D. (Recreation) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service For NPS us* only National Register of Historic Places received Inventory Nomination Form date entered See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries complete applicable sections_______________ 1. Name_________________ historic Asilomar Conference Grounds __ ________ and or common Asilomar_____________________________ 2. Location street & number Asilomar Boulevard not for publication city, town Pacific Grove vicinity of state California code 06 county Monterey code 053 3. Classification Category Ownership Status Present Use x district x public X occupied __ agriculture museum building(s) private unoccupied commercial nark structure both work in progress educational private residence site Public Acquisition Accessible entertainment religious object in process x yes: restricted government scientific being considered .. yes: unrestricted industrial transportation X N/A no military x other: Recreation 4. Owner of Property (Conference Center) name California Department of Parks and Recreation street & number -O- Box 2390 city, town Sacramento J^vicinity of state California 95811 5. Location of Legal Description courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Recorder's Office, Monterey County Courthouse street & number 240 Church Street city, town Salinas state California 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Historic Buildings Survey title Asilomar Conference Grounds has this property been determined eligible? yes _x_no date August 1984 federal X state county local Resource Management and Protection Division depository for survey records California Department of Parks and Recreation city, town 1950 - 20th Street, Sacramento state California 682 7. Description Condition Chock ono Chock ono ^•M-f ^Jidir>+ deteriorated - unaltered X original site _JL_good __ ruins _X_ altered _. moved date _191?_-_28 —— __•_ _. __ __ fair __ unexposed Doscribo tho presont and original (if known) physical appoaranco The historic core of the Asilomar Conference Grounds contains 11 buildings, all designed by the noted American architect, Julia Morgan, in a rustic "Craftsman" mode intended to fit sensitively into the scenic oceanside location. Built among the dunes and Monterey pines of Asilomar Beach, the buildings utilize compatible materials such as redwood shingles and shakes, exposed stone foundations, porch piers, and fireplaces. The focal point of the complex is the large circle flanked on the three land sides by the Administration Building (east), the Chapel (north), and the Crocker Dining Hall (south). Dormitory facilities lie to the east and north of this core. Access roadways, following Morgan's plan, wind through the complex from the massive stone entrance gates, also designed by her; retaining walls are of exposed stone; and pathways are often lined with stone where they cut into the grade. New construction, described at the end of this section, has occurred around the edges of the historic core. It does not obscure the view from the historic structures to the sea. The features that remain from the historic period are: 0 the Entrance Gates (1913) 0 Administration Building (Phoebe A. Hearst Social Hall) (1913) 0 Crocker Dining Hall (Mary A. Crocker Kitchen and Dining Room) (1918) 0 Memorial Chapel (1915) 0 The Lodge (Visitor's Lodge) (about 1918) 0 Scripps Lodge (1927-28) 0 Viewpoint (originally the "Health Cottage") (about 1918) 0 Hilltop ("Stuck-Up Inn") ("House of Happiness") (about 1918) 0 Outside Inn (about 1913) 0 Merrill Hall (1927-28) 0 Tide Inn ("Pirates Inn") ("Reserve Cottage") (1923) 0 Pinecrest (David Visel's Cottage) (1927-28) Along with the road plan, the Morgan-era structures are all judged to contribute to the historic significance of the complex. They are described individually below:1 Entrance Gates The entrance gates, at the intersection of Asilomar and Sinex Avenues, consist of two square rough-cut granite columns positioned at an angle which leads the visitor into Asilomar. Craftsman-style ironwork, containing lighting, surmounts the columns. The entrance gates, among the earliest of Morgan's features on the grounds, introduce the informal Craftsman ethic employed by her throughout the complex. 683 8. Significance Period Areas of Significance — Check and justify below prehistoric archeology-prehistoric community planning landscape architecture religion ..... 1400-1499 archeology-historic conservation - law _ . science .._. 1500-1599 . agriculture economics literature . sculpture _ . 1600-1699 architecture education military . social/ . - 1700-1799 art engineering . music humanitarian .__ 1800-1899 commerce exploration settlement philosophy --.theater JL 1900- _._ communications industry . politics government __ transportation invention _ JJ_ other (specify) s) Specific dates 1913-36 " Builder Architect Julia Morgan Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Summary Asilomar (Spanish for "retreat" or "refuge by the sea") was designed as the Young Women's Christian Association's national camp and conference grounds in the West. It is significant for its role in the work of the Association and in the development of the Monterey peninsula as a resort area. It is also notable architecturally, as an example of its style and as an outstanding work by Julia Morgan, a noted California architect, who was one of the first women to achieve eminence in the architectural profession in the United States. History The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), which pioneered in recreation and leadership training for young women, established Asilomar in 1913. Previ­ ously, the YWCA's western conferences had been held at Mills College, near Oakland, California, in 1897; at the Hotel Capitola ("Guardamar"), in Santa Cruz, which burned in 1912, in 1900-11; and in tents at the "hacienda" of Mrs. Phoebe Apperson Hearst, of the publishing family, in 1912. In 1913, Mrs. Hearst, a vigorous supporter of the YWCA movement, motivated the Pacific Improvement Company (a predecessor of the present-day Del Monte interests), to donate to the "YW" 30 undeveloped seaside acres in Pacific Grove that became the nucleus of Asilomar. Mrs. Hearst made substantial monetary contributions and gifts, including camping equipment, to Asilomar, as did Mary A. Crocker, of the San Francisco banking family (for whom Crocker Hall would be named). Donations from members of the Huntington, Doheny, Baldwin, Merrill, and Scripps families; funds raised through the sale of food at the Palace of Food Services at the Panama-Pacific Inter­ national Exposition in 1915; and other fundraising efforts permitted the YWCA to meet stipulations set by the Pacific Improvement Company for the enhancement of the property.^ The task of developing Asilomar fell to Julia Morgan (1872-1957). Morgan was the first woman to receive an architect's license in California. She had also been the first woman accepted in the architecture section of L'Ecole de Beaux- Arts in Paris. When she took on the Asilomar project, Morgan had already designed the main buildings at Mills College and additions to Mrs. Hearst's "hacienda."^ 6B9 9. Major Bibliographical References SEE CONTINUATION SHEET 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property approximately 9 Quadrangle name Monterey, California Quadrangle scale QQ _____ UT M References A U |0 I |s|9|5|l |0 |p| U |0 b 13 |o 18 |Q I ll IO I b \9 6 I 61 fl nl L D Is B [2 16 ft Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing C ll 10 I Is |9 |5 |4 |Q |Q I |4 p |5 12 |8 16 p I D ll io I Is b 16 I a q nl la n Is v IR K r> El . I I I . I , i I I , I , I I , I F . L l Gl i I I I . I i . I I . I I I I I I Hi . I I I . I i I_l Verbal boundary description and justification Boundaries are drawn to encompass the remaining historic structures and their setting. They are indicated on the attached site plan. The boundaries recommended are identical to those proposed for the National Register._______________________________________ _____ List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries state code county code state code county code 11. Form Prepared By name/title James H. Charleton organization History niv-ig-ion, service date September 27. 1984 street & number 1100 "L" Street, NW telephone (202) 343-8165 city or town Washington state DC 20240 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: __ national __ state __ local As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89- 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. State Historic Preservation Officer signature title date For NPS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register date Keeper of the National Register Attest: date Chief of Registration NFS Form 10-900-. OMB No. 1O24-O018 Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department off the Interior National Park Service National Register off Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form Continuation sheet ____________________ Item number _______ 7 ______ Page 2 Administration Building (Phoebe A. Hearst Social Hall) The Administration Building is Morgan's earliest Asilomar building. It was designed and constructed of local natural materials in 1913. The structure, which established the architectural style Morgan employed on the other build­ ings, is a 1-1/2-story, long, rectangular split log and post-and-beam building surmounted by a cross gable and hip roof. The front facade is punctuated with a large central cobblestone chimney and projecting hip-roofed rooms at either end. The projecting eave line is emphasized by post-and-beam and vertical split log detailing which runs across the facades directly below the eave line. The roof line is accented by a central open hip-roofed cupola.