Asilomar Conference Grounds
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Asilomar Conference Grounds
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Merrill Hall, Asilomar
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 Location in the Monterey Peninsula
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| Location: | Asilomar Blvd., Pacific Grove, California |
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| Coordinates: | 36°37′11″N 121°55′53″W / 36.61972°N 121.93139°WCoordinates: 36°37′11″N 121°55′53″W / 36.61972°N 121.93139°W |
| Area: | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built: | 1913 |
| Architect: | Julia Morgan, |
| Architectural style: | Arts and Crafts Movement and American craftsman Bungalows |
| Governing body: | State |
| NRHP Reference#: | 87000823[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | February 27, 1987[1] |
| Designated NHL: | February 27, 1987[2] |
Asilomar Conference Grounds is a conference center built for the YWCA in 1913 at Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove, California. Julia Morgan designed and built 16 of the buildings on the property, of which 11 are still standing.[3] It became part of Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds in 1955. Asilomar is a derivation of the Spanish phrase asilo al mar, meaning asylum or refuge by the sea.[4]
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History [edit]
In 1911, the hotel that the Western YWCA leadership had been using for yearly retreats burned down. Phoebe Apperson Hearst hosted the 1912 conference at one of her estates. She persuaded the Pacific Improvement Company to lease 30 acres (120,000 m2) to the YWCA in 1912.
Several other prominent California women including Ellen Browning Scripps, Mrs. Warren Olney and Mary Sroufe Merrill were involved in the creation of the retreat.[5]
The winning entry in the naming contest was by Helen Salisbury, a Stanford student. Her entry created a portmanteau from two Spanish words: Asilo and Mar.
The retreat was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987 for its role in the development of the YWCA and the resort nature of nearby Monterey, California.[6][7][8]
Today [edit]
In 1955, the grounds became part of the larger California state park known as Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds. The property is currently used as a conference center open to the public. Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts ran the park from 1997-2007 and spent the decade performing extensive restoration and seismic retrofitting of the historic buildings on the property.[9] Aramark Parks & Destinations won a new 20-year operating contract in January 2009 and began operations there in September of that year.
To preserve the rustic atmosphere of the resort, there are no telephones or televisions in any of the rooms. However, Wi-Fi has recently been installed throughout the property.
Notable conferences [edit]
- 1975 Asilomar conference on recombinant DNA
- 2010 Asilomar international conference on climate intervention technologies
- 1969-2012 West Coast Number Theory (odd years)
In popular culture [edit]
Wayne Dyer's movie, The Shift" (2009) was shot at Asilomar State Beach and at the Asilomar Conference Grounds. [10][11]
References [edit]
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
- ^ "Asilomar Conference Grounds". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
- ^ Julia Morgans influence
- ^ Robinson, Judith (1991). The Hearsts: an American dynasty. University of Delaware Press. p. 370. ISBN 0-87413-383-1.
- ^ Asilomar history
- ^ "Asilomar Conference Grounds". National Historic Landmarks Quioklinks. National Park Service. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
- ^ Charleton, James P. (September 27, 1984). "Asilomar Conference Grounds" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Inventory Nomination Form. National Park Service. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ "Asilomar Conference Grounds" (pdf). Photographs. National Park Service. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ Asilomar Conference Grounds: Asilomar Today
- ^ Ambition To Meaning
- ^ The Movie
External links [edit]
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- Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in California
- YMCA
- National Historic Landmarks in California
- History of Monterey County, California
- Buildings and structures in Monterey County, California
- Visitor attractions in Monterey County, California
- Infrastructure completed in 1913
- Arts and Crafts architecture in California
- American Craftsman architecture in California
- Pacific Grove, California
