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Hearst Castle is on Highway 1 about 70 miles from Country Lake Estates.
Once
the home of
William Randolph Hearst, today the Castle is a California State Park.
California State Parks strives to keep the estate looking like a private
residence and has conducted tours of the Castle continuously since 1957.
In
1865, George Hearst, a wealthy miner, purchased 40,000-acres of ranchland
that included the Mexican Ranchos of Piedras Blancas, San Simeon and Santa
Rosa. In 1919, his only son, William Randolph Hearst, inherited the land
from his mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst. By then the ranch had grown to
encompass 250,000 acres.
Originally known as "Camp Hill," its wilderness offered a place for family
members and friends to "rough it" on camping trips. Despite elaborate
arrangements with separate sleeping and dining tents, Hearst envisioned
more comfortable accommodations. His simple instructions to famed San
Francisco architect Julia Morgan in 1919: "Miss Morgan, we are tired of
camping out in the open at the ranch in San Simeon and I would like to
build a little something"
Hearst and Morgan's collaboration was destined to become one of the
world's greatest showplaces. As they were
planning
and constructing his dream home, Hearst renamed the rocky perch from which
it rose "La Cuesta Encantada" - The Enchanted Hill. By 1947, Hearst and
Morgan had created an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens,
terraces, pools and walkways.
The
estate's magnificent main house, "Casa Grande," and three guest houses are
of Mediterranean Revival style, while the imposing towers of Casa Grande
were inspired by a Spanish cathedral. The blending of the architectural
style with the surrounding land, and Hearst's superb European and
Mediterranean art collection, was so seamless that world-renowned
architectural historian, Lord John Julius Norwich, was moved to say that
"Hearst Castle is a palace in every sense of the word."
Owners of Paso Robles real estate including those
living in Country Lake Estates are but a short drive from Hearst Castle.
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