The Julia Morgan 2012 Festival is a statewide celebration from October 1 through November 15, 2012. It is the pilot project of Landmark California, a collaboration of many preservation organizations that promote historic preservation of places of diverse histories and cultures statewide. More information at www.landmarkscalifornia.org.
Julia Morgan, Architect (1872-1957) Julia Morgan was born in San Francisco on January 20th, 1872, and grew up in a prominent family from the east coast, spending her early years in Oakland. She was one of the first women to graduate with a degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1894, there being no courses in architecture offered at the University or in California. As a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Ms. Morgan helped establish the first woman’s university culture with an intellectual focus. Following graduation from Berkeley, Morgan was mentored by architect Bernard Maybeck who encouraged her to pursue an architectural degree at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She arrived there in the Summer of 1896 only to find that women were barred from the entrance examinations. She waited two years until the rules were altered and failed the examinations three times, at least once for legitimate errors and once, she was told, because she was a woman. In 1902, at the age of thirty, she was the first woman to receive a certificat d’architecture, the second highest degree, as all students had to leave the Ecole upon turning thirty.
While in Paris Ms. Morgan designed a ballroom addition at Fontainebleau among other things, and noted in her memoirs that she had won “a fair share of medals and mentions,” news that did not go unnoticed back in the states. In late 1902 she returned to San Francisco, and soon began working with the University of California, Berkeley campus architect John Galen Howard. She was the primary designer of the Greek Theater, and collaborated on the Hearst Mining Building, and preliminary designs for Sather Gate. But she realized that her work would go unrecognized and her opportunities would be limited if she did not strike out on her own. In 1904 she opened her own firm in San Francisco becoming one of the first women architects to be licensed in California. In 1903 Ms. Morgan received her first commission through her connection with Mills Trustee Phoebe Apperson Hearst, to design a new bell tower for Mills College. Over the next 20 years she would design another five buildings at Mills including the Margaret Carnegie Library, Alumnae Hall, the Ming Quong School for Chinese Girls, the Gymnasium (now demolished) and Kapiolani Cottage. These projects are the focus of the current exhibit. Other notable projects include Hearst Castle in San Simeon, the rebuilding of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, and many YWCA buildings across the state as well as Hawaii and Utah. Ms. Morgan designed nearly 800 projects in her career, almost 100 buildings for women’s organizations in California and beyond including more than 30 buildings for the YWCA, one of the nation’s largest and most influential women’s organizations. Her work is characterized by the use of the California vernacular with Arts and Crafts attributes and an “attention to human scale, integrity with the landscape, clarity of detail, and use of indigenous materials.” She shunned publicity and was rarely published saying that “she preferred the buildings speak for themselves.” In 1921 Morgan became one of the first women in the US to be admitted to the American Institute of Architects and on December 15, 2008, she was inducted into the California Hall of Fame. After a prolific career she closed her office in 1951 and died on Feb 2, 1957 at the age of 85. She is buried near the Chapel of the Chimes, which she designed, at Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery. Her personal and professional papers are stored at the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and the University of California, Berkeley Environmental Design Archives.
Mills College was founded in 1852 as a young ladies’ seminary in Benicia and moved to Oakland in 1871. Julia Morgan designed six buildings on the campus, including El Campanil, believed to be the first free-standing campanile on a college campus. Morgan’s reputation grew when the tower was unscathed by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Project Name: “El Campanil” Year: 1904 Client: Mills College Address: 5000 MacArthur Boulevard City: Oakland, CA 94613
Designed in 1902 with a gift from William Randolph Hearst, it was the first university project to be completed under the supervision of John Galen Howard. The first ceremony in the theatre in 1903 included the presentation of an honorary doctorate of Law to President Theodore Roosevelt. It remains a magnet for social and dramatic events for the university and the community.
Project Name: Greek Theater Year: 1903 Client: University of California, Berkeley Address: 2001 Gayley Road City: Berkeley, CA 94720
Designed in 1905, the house is located on a portion of the former North Star mine. It sits on a spectacular 14 acre site of Northern California landscape 1 mile from historic downtown Grass Valley. The house was the residence of North Star Mine Superintendent Arthur De Wint Foote and his wife, author and illustrator of pioneering women of the west, Mary Hallock Foote. The North Star Historic conservancy was formed in 2007 as a non-profit organization to oversee the rehabilitation and operations of the North Star House property. Project Name: North Star House Year: 1905 Client: Mary Hallock and Arthur De Wint Foote Address: 12075 Old Auburn Road City: Grass Valley, CA 94965
Named for Andrew Carnegie’s daughter and dedicated in 1906 it is one of the six buildings on the Mills campus designed by Julia Morgan. It is a Mediterranean revival centerpiece to the campus. The most notable feature is the Bender room which originally housed 7,600 volumes. The upper story of the library features five equally sized large arched windows. Annexes were built in 1929, 1940 and 1954.
Project Name: Margaret Carnegie Library Year: 1906 Client: Mills College Address: 5000 MacArthur Boulevard City: Oakland, CA 94605
In 1906, the interior of this luxurious hotel was severely damaged by fire. The owner, Herbert Law was determined to reopen the hotel within one year. Julia Morgan was selected because of her experience with reinforced concrete. She herself was without an office as a result of the earthquake. The hotel successfully opened a year later. Over its 105 history it has been home to many ‘firsts’ including the drafting of the United Nations charter. It has served as San Francisco residence of U.S. Presidents, world leaders and entertainment stars. Project Name: Fairmont Hotel Year: 1907 Client: Herbert Law Address: 950 Mason Street City: San Francisco, CA
Found in the Merchants Exchange building, this is an exclusive architectural gem located in the heart of San Francisco. Designed by Julia Morgan and Willis Polk, the ballroom with adjoining Daniel Burnham Bar and Lounge, can easily accommodate any special event. The ballroom, bar and lounge occupy the 15th floor with floor-to-ceiling arched windows and majestic views. It is truly a landmark locale. Project Name: Julia Morgan Ballroom Year: 1907 Client: Unknown Address: 465 California Street, Merchant’s Exchange Building City: San Francisco, CA 94104
Built in the American Craftsman style with an exterior wood singled finish, the church building was de-sanctified and sold when the congregation moved to a new building in 1974. Originally the church was organized in 1907 to serve the influx of people moving from San Francisco to Berkeley after the 1906 earthquake. Many of the original congregants came from San Francisco. Morgan and her assistant Walter Steilberg chose a design with broad gables and a stained shingle exterior.
Project Name: St. John’s Presbyterian Church (Julia Morgan Center for the Arts) Year: 1910 Client: St. John’s Presbyterian Church Address: 2640 College Avenue City: Oakland, CA 94704
Founded in 1877, the YWCA of Oakland is the oldest community service organization in the San Francisco East Bay. Lovely fan lights and balustrades have terra cotta decoration of fruit and flowers rather than classical pilasters or colonettes. Located in a the landmark building designed by Julia Morgan, the Oakland YWCA has the distinction of being the first in the community to provide numerous critical services for young women migrating from rural to urban areas. Today it still offers dance, fitness and other classes to the community. Project Name: Oakland YWCA Year: 1915 Client: YWCA USA Address: 1515 Webster Street City: Oakland, CA
The history of Asilomar date back to its origin as a YWCA Leadership camp built in 1913. Thirteen of Julia Morgan’s original structures remain today at the Asilomar retreat on the Monterey Peninsula and constitute her largest collection of arts and Crafts style architecture in one location. It was 13 years later, that John Carl Warnecke created seven more complexes that make today’s conference grounds. In 1987 the Julia Morgan buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is now a state park. Project Name: YWCA Asilomar Year: 1913-1928 Client: Phoebe Apperson Hearst Address: 800 Asilomar Boulevard City: Pacific Grove, CA 93950
Formerly the Southern California home of the Hearst newspapers, this structure is most notable for its design by Julia Morgan. It was constructed in the Spanish Mission style and was opened for business in 1914. The Herald Examiner ceased operations in November, 1989. The interior was used in the 1995 film The Usual Suspects.
Project Name: Herald Examiner Year: 1915 Client: William Randolph Hearst Address: 1111 S. Broadway and 11th Street City: Los Angeles, CA 90015
The founding was set in motion in 1911 when Ella Wood witnessed the cutting down of large trees on the property. The beginning of the club was affected by the outbreak of the First World War. The building’s configuration has been modified over the years. Today the purpose of the club is to preserve the beauty of Sausalito and to give a place for the women of Sausalito to gather. To this day it is a popular place to celebrate weddings, concerts and community events.
Project Name: Sausalito Women’s Club Year: 1918 Client: Sausalito Women’s Club Address:120 Central Avenue City: Sausalito, CA 94965
The sisterhood was founded in 1894 as a neighborhood center for Jewish women. The demand for housing for single women lead them to build the residence club that could house 60 – 70 young working women and students. It was designed by Julia Morgan and Dorothy Wormser at Page and Steiner Streets. The building was sold in 1969 to the Zen Center.
Project Name: Emanu-el Sisterhood Residence (Zen Center) Year: 1921 Client: Emanu-el Sisterhood of San Francisco Address: 300 Page Street City: San Francisco, CA 94102
In 1919 William Randolph Hearst inherited a large ranch where family members and friends went on camping trips. That year he hired Julia Morgan to build ‘a little something’ so they would have a place to stay. Hearst and Morgan’s collaboration became today’s castle estate with 165 rooms, 127 acres of gardens, terraces pools and walkways. The magnificent buildings are in Mediterranean Revival style and house Hearst’s superb European art collection. It is now a State Park.
Project Name: Hearst Castle Year: 1922-1948 Client: William Randolph Hearst Address: 750 Hearst Castle Road City: San Simeon, CA 93452
The Heritage building is a life care retirement community in San Francisco’s Marina District. Housed in a beautiful Julia Morgan designed building, the Ladies Protection and Relief Society (founded in 1853) commissioned this retirement home for elderly women. The structure is made of reinforced concrete and faced with brick. Terra cotta trim decorates the building.
Project Name: The Heritage Retirement Community Year: 1924 Client: The Ladies Protection and Relief Society Address: 3400 Laguna Street City: San Francisco, CA 94123
Donaldina Cameron rescued and educated more than 3,000 Chinese slave girls and women and founded the Ming Quong Home for orphan Chinese girls. This building is now part of the Mills College campus. Built in 1924, this property was purchased by Mills College in 1936 and renamed Alderwood Hall. It now houses the Julia Morgan School for Girls.
Project Name: Ming Quong Chinese School for Girls (Julia Morgan School for Girls) Year: 1924 Client: Mills College Address: 5000 MacArthur Boulevard City: Oakland, CA 94613
Today’s gymnasium was built to replace the original women’s gym that had been destroyed by fire. Designed by Julia Morgan and Bernard Maybeck, it was completed in 1927. The elegant building has examples of traditional classical motifs with terraces, columns, large urns, and inner courtyards.
Project Name: Phoebe Apperson Hearst Memorial Gymnasium for Women Year: 1927 Client: William Randolph Hearst Address: Bancroft Way near Bowditch City: Berkeley, CA 94720
Julia Morgan designed this YWCA building in 1921. Mary Gamble was the chairman of the YWCA building committee which commissioned a structure that would fit in with the civic plans of the city of Pasadena and would emphasize the city’s care for minimumwage women who needed shelter. The central section is three stories while the sections on each side have two stories. The front windows are similar to those at the Emanu-el Sisterhood Residence that Julia Morgan designed in San Francisco at about the same time. Project Name: YWCA Pasadena Year: 1921 Client: YWCA USA Address: 1200 North Fair Oaks Avenue City: Pasadena, California 91103
The native Daughters of the Golden West is a social and cultural organization of native-born California women who are dedicated to the preservation of California History and the social and cultural development of their state. In 1927, the board decided to hire Julia Morgan to design their permanent home. It was formerly dedicated in 1929 and the total cost of the building was just over $91,000. The residence program was discontinued in 1986 and today has a House Museum with a Public Reference Library and guest rooms for NDGW members and guests. Project Name: Native Daughters of the Golden West Year: 1927 Client: Native Daughters of the Golden West Address: 543 Baker Street City: San Francisco, California 94117
In 1902 a group of undertakers founded the California Columbarium in Oakland. In 1926 Julia Morgan was commissioned to continue renovations and in 1928 the Chapel was dedicated with Julia Morgan as advisor. The complex plan of the interior is comprised of gardens, cloisters, and several chapels of various sizes.
Project Name: Chapel of the Chimes Year: 1928 Client: Lawrence Moore Address: 4499 Piedmont Avenue City: Oakland, CA 94611
Located in the heart of Hollywood, the club opened in 1926. It was built at a cost of $250,000. It was run as a chaperoned dormitory and went on to serve as home to nearly 10,000 young women until the club closed in 1975. Residents included Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Donna Reed, and Ayn Rand. It was used as a YWCA-run job corps dormitory until 2012.
Project Name: YWCA Hollywood Studio Club Year: 1926 Client: YWCA USA Address: 1215 Lodi Place City: Hollywood, CA
Formally known as the Berkeley Women’s City Club, it was organized as a residence club for women, and to contribute social, civic and cultural progress. It is built in a Romanesque and Moorish style with inner courtyards, an indoor pool and large public rooms. In addition to being a club, it now serves as a historic hotel, conference center and a meeting place for the community.
Project Name: Berkeley Women’s City Club (Berkeley City Club) Year: 1929 Client: Berkeley Women’s City Club Address: 2315 Durant Avenue City: Berkeley, CA 94704
The Riverside YWCA was organized in 1906. In 1922 Julia Morgan was hired to build the club house on the corner of 7th and Lime Streets (now Million Inn Avenue). The first floor housed an indoor swimming pool, and entrance lobby that faced an atrium garden. In 1967 YWCA sold the historic building to the Riverside Art Museum, and today it houses the Museum’s collection.
Project Name: YWCA Riverside (Riverside Art Museum) Year: 1929 Client: YWCA USA Address: 3425 Mission Street Inn Avenue City: Riverside, CA 92501
This building was built in 1932 by Julia Morgan and offered temporary housing and cultural and social activities to young women and girls. Morgan considered the building to be an homage to Japanese architecture and donated her services and building design. The building contains an authentic Noh theater stage and ranma by noted Japanese American artist Chiura Obata. The Noh stage, ranma, and many distinctively Japanese architectural details still remain in tact.
Project Name: Japantown YWCA (Nihonmachi Little Friends) Year: 1932 Client: YWCA USA Address: 1830 Sutter Street City: San Francisco, CA
This YWCA building was built to provide a recreational center for young women from the Chinese community as well as a refuge for other working women in the city who needed a clean and safe place to stay. This building was built in 1930, down the hill from the Residence building, another YWCA project, which was also built by Morgan in 1929. Morgan’s design for this facility reflects her understanding of traditional Chinese architecture.
Project Name: Chinese YWCA Year: 1930 Client: YWCA USA Address: 1930 Clay Street City: San Francisco, CA
Landmark Heritage Foundation The Landmark Heritage Foundation, a separate non-profit corporation established in 1965, is dedicated to the historic preservation of the Berkeley City Club building and to promoting the legacy of Julia Morgan, the landmark’s extraordinary architect and builder.
In 1983 the Berkeley City Club granted a deed of scenic, open space, architectural façade and preservation easement to the foundation “to insure that no construction, alteration, remodeling, or other work on the property would affect either the exterior or interior structures and appearance of the property”. The Landmark Heritage Foundation is governed by a board of twelve directors elected annually. The Foundation publishes a newsletter, News From the Castle. The six board meetings a year and the monthly Julia Morgan preservation committee meetings are open to anyone interested in attending. At this time, the Foundation invites contributions to the endowment or the unrestricted fund that supports the most urgent historic preservation needs. Gifts to the Landmark Heritage Foundation are tax deductible (Tax ID #94-6128869). The offices are in the Berkeley City Club at 2315 Durant Avenue #306, Berkeley, CA 94704. (Tel: 510 883 9710). More information is available on the web site: www.landmarkheritagefoundation.org, by email: landmarkheritage@att.net, or by phone.
This booklet was made using scans of photographs from the following books: Julia Morgan, Architect of Beauty by Mark Anthony Wilson Photography by Monica Lee and Joel Puliatti Julia Morgan Architect by Sarah Holmes Boutelle Photography by Richard Barnes Julia Morgan Architect of Dreams by Ginger Wadsworth Some images were taken from the internet and at the courtesy of the following organizations: Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley Special Collections, Robert E. Kennedy Library California Polytechnic University-San Luis Obispo This booklet is for informational purposes only and is not for sale. Its intention is to increase awareness of the work of Julia Morgan. We would like to acknowledge all those who provided information and time for this little booklet of information.