Where Gumbo Was #356
Gumbo was visiting The Hearst Castle, in San Simeon, California, once home to the publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Congratulations to George G who recognized the site.
Hearst inherited the initial land in San Simeon (40,000 acres) and eleven million dollars from his parents after his mother died in 1919. They would camp there when William was growing up and it was his favorite place. His father, George, was a California Senator who made his initial fortune in mining.
Hearst built the Castle between 1919 and 1947 and was a true collaboration between himself and architect, Julia Morgan.
The castle has a total of 42 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms and 19 sitting rooms. It has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a movie theater and 127 acres of gardens. At the height of Hearst’s ownership, the estate totaled more than 250,000 acres and had the world’s largest private zoo.
Hearst Castle is probably best known for its social gatherings. Hearst invited stars, politicians and people he found interesting, to stay awhile. Everbody who stayed there could do their own thing in the daytime, but were to have dinner together. After dinner, employees and guests watched a movie together. Hearst an avid collector, filled the estate with art from around the world.
The Castle and Gardens were donated in 1958
and has been a State Park ever since. The State does a fantastic job with tours and has recently restored the famous Neptune Pool. The Hearst family still owns the 80,000 acres surrounding the property and have made a deal that prevents the property from being developed.
