The estate sits on the top of a 1700 foot tall hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the town of San Simeon. The main house is actually called Casa Grande. It is a 165 room building, styled after Spanish buildings which Hearst had seen during a trip to Europe which he took with his mother when he was 10 years old. Casa Grande in the centerpiece of a 127 acre spot at the top of the hill. It also features gardens, terraces, pools and walkways. The house itself is furnished with many Spanish and Italian antiques and works of art.
While living at Casa Grande William Hearst, loved to show off his estate and entertain his guests. He had a zoo, tennis courts and pools ( one outdoor and one indoor ) built for his guests. His guests did not actually stay in the main house, which they visited for meals, movies and plays. Rather his guest stayed in one of the three guest houses which were also clustered on the top of the hillside. The guest houses are smaller the the main house with each one having only about 18 rooms. Among the famous guests who stayed at the Hearst Estate in the 1920's and 1930's were: Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Mary Pickford, James Stewart, Bob Hope, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.
To really capture the size of this estate here are some interesting facts from the Hearst Castle Website:
1. The whole estate consists of 220,000 acres.
2. The main house - Casa Grande is over 60,000 square feet. With 38 bedrooms and 41 baths.
3. The Guest Houses:
a. Casa del Mar - 5,875 square feet.
b. Casa del Monte - 2,290 square feet
c. Casa del Sol - 2,600 square feet.
Check out the website for some great information if you get a chance. If you visit Hearst Castle in Google Earth, (35º 41' 06.76" N 121º 10' 05.99" W), make sure you turn on 3d buildings, there are some nice views. See you all soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment