Construction Wonders: Hearst Castle Neptune Pool

 

Hearst's Private Zoo

When Hearst built his castle, he wanted it to be a place where his guests would not just feel at home but would also be amazed. That's why he had Julia Morgan build a private zoo.

 

Elephants, antelope, zebras and so many more types of animals were on display on the ranch, many allowed to freely roam and graze on the hills of San Simeon. When the Hearst empire fell on hard times during the depression, Hearst downscaled the assortment, with his family donating most of the rest to zoos and preserves after his death. A herd of Zebras is still permitted to roam free, delighting tourists who stumble upon them.

The Chief Holds Court

 

The Neptune Pool

 

Phoebe Hearst the Berkeley Benefactress and Julia Morgan

It was never easy being a female architect; it was even worse being a female architect from Berkeley. Famed architect Julia Morgan found herself battling the man who trained her just to get an opportunity to design buildings for her alma mater. Luckily she knew wealthy benefactress Phoebe Hearst, who had millions of dollars to spend on building tributes to her late husband on the Berkeley campus.

Ms. Hearst loved the idea of hiring a woman to do what was considered to be men's work at the time and (some say more importantly) wanted to keep Julia Morgan's talents away from her son, who she was certain would use them to build a boondoggle mansion in San Simeon. While Julia's mentor at Berkeley was a bit sexist and resistant to letting her design any buildings, the formidable Phoebe Hearst ensured that campus officials knew that her beneficence would only flow to Julia Morgan designed projects and they were loathe to turn down her donations.

Ms. Hearst would not live to see her prophetic prediction come true; her body wasn't yet cold in her grave before Julia was pulled from her Hearst financed Berkeley projects and semi-permanently installed in San Simeon, working on the most impossible project she would ever undertake- construction of Hearst's beloved Casa Grande- Hearst Castle.

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