Sometime early in the 20th century, a diminutive woman smartly dressed in a modest dark suit stepped onto a construction site. She was soft-spoken, but when she spoke, “grown men tremble[d].” She was a master builder, an architect in the same class as Richard Morris Hunt and Stanford White. Indeed, she was the contemporary of these legendary designers—and her work stands firmly alongside theirs.
Early Influences
Julia Morgan’s story begins with her birth in San Francisco on Jan. 20, 1872. She was the second of Charles and Eliza Morgan’s five children. She was the oldest girl and dearly loved her three brothers. Charles Morgan was an East Coast man—a distant cousin of J.P. Morgan—and maintained close ties with family in New York. The family settled in Oakland, California, across the bay from San Francisco and the terminus of the transcontinental railroad. As a young girl, Morgan traveled with her family across the country frequently. Oakland was a neighborhood of fine Victorian homes, as was Brooklyn Heights, where she often summered with her grandparents.
She was an athletic child, who loved to climb trees and play on her brothers’ gymnastic equipment. Her mother, brought up in strict Victorian mores, tried to discourage her tomboy escapades. She would punish the girl by making her practice an extra hour on the violin. Although Morgan hated the punishment, she loved the music and became an accomplished violinist. In fact, as she completed high school, Morgan contemplated three trajectories for her life. She considered making a career for herself in music, medicine, or architecture. However, she had no desire to become the model Victorian wife, forever sentenced to running her husband’s home and missing the opportunity to develop her gifts professionally.
Choosing the Path Less Traveled
Morgan decided that she would pursue architecture. The University of California, Berkeley had no architecture program, but she enrolled in the engineering school, becoming the only woman in her class to earn a degree in civil engineering. Morgan then set her sights on further education at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The school, which emphasized classicism and visualization of architecture, was where Richard Morris Hunt had trained. It had recently added more engineering emphasis, and women were beginning to be admitted. Morgan was one of the first to actually complete the program and become accredited. Upon her return to San Francisco in 1902, she became a licensed architect in California.
Initially working for John Galen Howard, Morgan designed several important campus buildings, one of which was the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley. Though Howard was the architect of record, it is pretty certain that the classically trained Morgan produced the actual design. The amphitheater was a gift from the Hearst family to the college, and perhaps it was through this project that she met W.R. Hearst for the first time. There is no record of this meeting, however.
In 1903, Morgan received her first major commission from Mills College’s co-founder Susan Mills. It was for “El Campanil,” a Spanish Mission-style bell tower that featured a set of 10 bells originally cast for the 1893 Columbian International Exposition in Chicago. They were the gift of industrialist David Hewes, and Morgan set them off in a series of arched openings so that they would be prominently displayed.
The towers and other buildings Morgan designed for the campus were built of reinforced concrete cast in a traditional form. The use of this material was considered new and innovative at the time. Ultimately, it would be one of Morgan’s greatest contributions to building construction.
In 1904, Morgan established her own practice, and the Mills College bell tower was completed. Just two years later, all the buildings of San Francisco would be severely shaken. Chaos ensued as a 7.9 magnitude quake devastated the city in 1906. At Mills College, devastation was severe, but the two-year-old bell tower stood soundly without a crack. Morgan’s engineering had proved brilliant.
San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel had just been completed at the time of the quake. It was completely gutted by the fires that followed the earthquake—nothing more than a blackened shell. The owners selected Stanford White, of the New York firm of McKim, Mead and White, to oversee the rebuilding. But White was murdered at Madison Square Garden before he could begin the work. Morgan was chosen to take over. No one was even sure that the shell could be saved—the foundation of the building had shifted seven feet! Morgan worked in a shack on the site, calculating the engineering for the project. A year later, the hotel was completely rebuilt and opened again. She had quietly and confidently led the herculean effort.
In addition to hundreds of private homes, Morgan completed a number of commissions for the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association). As more women came to the big cities seeking employment, the YWCA provided safe housing for them in beautiful surroundings. At Camp Fremont, Morgan designed the Hostess House, a place where soldiers could meet their families when serving in World War I. Since these projects were initiated by the YWCA, she often worked pro bono or at reduced rates. She also did a number of commercial projects, including the offices of the Hearst newspapers.
A ‘Small’ Project That Should Only Take Six Months
Morgan’s schedule was full with projects for the YWCA. She worked from this mindset: “Don’t ever turn down a job because it’s beneath you, [or] because you think you want to do something larger.” When William Randolph Hearst approached her to design a “small bungalow” on a hill at his San Simeon ranch, she listened. The ranch had belonged to the Hearst family for years, and for W.R. Hearst, the hilltop was a family retreat and camping spot. Hearst, however, remarked to Morgan that he was getting too old to sleep in tents. He initially proposed a small house—a project that would not take more than six months. With her family responsibilities and an ever growing number of projects, she could have easily turned it down. Instead, she began what she labeled simply as “Project 503.” What developed from that initial meeting turned into a 28-year collaboration.
The “simple bungalow” became a group of cottages. The group of cottages became a Mediterranean village in 16th-century Spanish Renaissance style. The hill became La Cuesta Encantada (The Enchanted Hill). The central feature of the project became La Casa Grande on its central plaza. The façade of Casa Grande was derived from Cathedral Santa Maria la Mayor in Ronda, Spain. Morgan worked pieces of historical artwork acquired by Hearst into the architecture. Most notable are a pair of 16th-century convent doors. In order to fit them into the façade, Morgan had master ironworker Gustaf Edward Trinkkeller create a matching archway piece over the historic doors.
Trinkkeller was but one of many craftspeople Morgan hired and supervised during the decades of construction. Not everyone she brought out to the site lasted. The remote location was too distant. Morgan’s expectations were exacting, and her dedication to historical accuracy was legendary. She would come out to the jobsite, spend a whole day supervising, and then return to her busy life in San Francisco. Some tile mechanics were chagrined when she returned from San Francisco only to say that their work was “too perfect.” The tile setters were forced to break out areas of their work and re-lay them so as to create the impression of ancient tile that had settled.
As the project grew in scope, features such as the Neptune Pool were built. It was a grand project, which could be compared to Hunt’s Biltmore Estate, but it was not one colossal house. It was always a series of houses. Building continued until W.R. Hearst literally ran out of money. It remains unfinished to this day, but Hearst Castle and its surroundings have enthralled thousands of visitors for decades.
Although able to succeed in grand projects for the wealthy, Morgan was most devoted to projects such as the YWCA commissions. The Asilomar Conference Grounds, developed for the YWCA in Pacific Grove, California, contain some of her most beautiful designs. The Craftsman-style buildings, with their exposed beams and use of natural materials, honor the site. Eleven of the 16 buildings she designed there still survive and still welcome guests. Typical of her work for the YWCA, they provide a beautiful and inspiring setting for visitors—something Morgan always tried to do for all who would enter her buildings.
