CALIFORNIA - ASILOMAR STATE BEACH AND CONFERENCE CENTER, PACIFIC GROVE
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.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.
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.
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.
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.
To preserve the rustic atmosphere of the resort, there are no telephones or televisions in any of the rooms. However, they recently installed Wi-Fi throughout the property.
Here is a map of ASILOMAR
Read MoreIn 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.
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.
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.
To preserve the rustic atmosphere of the resort, there are no telephones or televisions in any of the rooms. However, they recently installed Wi-Fi throughout the property.
Here is a map of ASILOMAR
ASILOMAR STATE BEACH, PACIFIC GROVE, CALIFORNIA, USA
A view of the roof structure of the Crocker Dining Hall Building.
Pacific groveAsilomarwooded siteconference centerMonterey Peninsulalodgingshistoric siteCaliforniastate beach
