The Cultural Value of La Cuesta Encantada and the Economic Impact of Hearst Castle

8/8/2019 The Cultural Value of La Cuesta Encantada and the Economic Impact of Hearst Castle

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The Cultural Value of La Cuesta Encantada and theEconomic Impact of Hearst Castle

Nicholas Franco, Superintendent

California State Parks, San Luis Obispo Coast District

One may hear many different reactions upon hearing the name, Hearst Castle. Somehave an image of a gaudy, overstuffed house. Many wonder exactly where San Simeonis. Others have only vaguely heard of it. Some imagine Charles Foster Kanes Xanadufrom the movie Citizen Kane. Others know that it was the home of one of the first truegiants in establishing a media empire, William Randolph Hearst. Whatever peoplethink, it is a place defined almost more by peoples pre-conceived perception of it ratherthan their understanding of its history and their own personal experience. It is moredefined by the sensational media that Hearst created than by the reality of the place.

Camp Hill to La Cuesta EncantadaHearst himself did not refer to the site as Hearst Castle. To him, it was the Ranch,San Simeon or La Cuesta Encantada, the Enchanted Hill. It was enchanted to Hearstfrom his days as a boy traveling to his fathers ranch. His fathers story is an Americanstory and the classic Western story. George Hearst found Western treasure silver.His fortune made in mining, he was able to expand his wealth through good businesspractices. When William was two, in 1865, his father purchased 30,000 acres on theCalifornia Coast. Over several years the acreage grew to more than 250,000 acres.

Young William loved his time on the ranch where he could sleep in tents, ride horsesand enjoy the spectacular coastline in this remote section of California, halfway between

Los Angeles and San Francisco. One of his favorite spots to camp was a hill,appropriately called Camp Hill, where there were expansive views of hundreds of milesof land, sky and water.

William also loved the travels abroad with his mother, Phoebe. Phoebe exposed heronly child to the many treasures and wonders of European design and art. Here hedeveloped his taste for masterly crafted pieces. It was not simply paintings or


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sculptures that attracted W. R. Hearst, it was any object that showed the craftsmanshipof the artist whether it was tapestries, architectural features, carved ceilings or furniture.

W. R. Hearst collected from the arts throughout his life. He launched a media empirethat started in 1887 with the San Francisco Examiner and soon included newspapers in

New York and Chicago. Ultimately, these grew to more than 36 publications throughoutthe country. As his influence and his wealth grew, he continued his passion forcollecting. His love of architecture also grew during this time as he began to see themany ways in which ornament could be used in building.

While W. R. Hearst was building his business, young architect Julia Morgan was fullyachieving her own genius. In 1894, she graduated from the University of California andmoved to Paris to attend the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, becoming the first woman tograduate from the finest architectural program in the world in 1901. Returning to SanFrancisco, she received significant work commissions from Phoebe Hearst and throughthe rebuilding efforts after the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Her career continued to grow as she developed a unique western style of architectureusing reinforced concrete with Beaux Arts design principles and well as influences fromAmerican and European design concepts.

In 1919, a significant event happened to both Julia Morgan and W. R. Hearst: PhoebeApperson Hearst died during the influenza epidemic. Julia Morgans career was wellestablished, but the supporter of her early career was gone. For W. R. Hearst, hismothers passing not only meant the loss of his remaining parent, but the inheritance ofthe entire Hearst fortune and properties, including the ranch he loved so much.

At the age of 56, he writes to Julia Morgan about his love of the ranch and his wonderfulmemories of being there camping, but now he would like to build something up on thehill at San Simeon. I get tired of going up there and camping in tents. Im getting a littleold for that.

Over the next 28 years, Miss Morgan and Mr. Hearst work together through tens ofthousands of detailed designs and more than 1,000 letters to create an architecturalmasterpiece that is filled with an equally impressive masterpiece of a collection.

Hearst employed and Morgan supervised hundreds of artists and constructions workers.All the while, Hearst personally selected thousands of art objects to display throughoutthe estate. This wide-ranging collection included Renaissance furniture, textiles,architectural elements, antique ceilings, ancient pottery, and silver pieces. Hearst andMorgan worked together to decide the placement of each piece within the structure.Morgan would then design the work of artisans who would create appropriate places forthe display. This blend of antique and modern craftsmanship defines the wonder of LaCuesta Encantada. As Julia Morgan noted about the site: The country needsarchitectural museums, not just places where you hang paintings and sculpture.


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Public Perception of La Cuesta EncantadaRunning a media empire, Hearst new the power of the press and used it often. Thesocial history of the ranch included the powerful and famous of the day includingWinston Churchill, Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin and Calvin Coolidge. Along with thispower to run the media and public perceptions comes those who wish to compete with

that power and have their own.

In 1940, Orson Welles released his controversial movie, Citizen Kane. The movie is awonderful piece of filmmaking. It is also an attack on the perception of who WilliamRandolph Hearst was. While not factual and certainly inflammatory, the image ofCharles Foster Kane in the movie is what many of the day were led to believe was thetrue history of William Randolph Hearst. In it, Kane is portrayed as a megalomaniacwho builds a folly of a castle on a hill in Florida where he lives in seclusion with hismistress. He dies in his empty castle, alone.

The irony of the film is that it is how many people still today perceive William Randolph

Hearst and his Ranch. The man who is credited with the invention of yellow journalism,investigative reporting and news sensationalism was himself defined by that samemedia through a film that redefined who he was. The public still calls the place HearstCastle.

Donation to California State ParksWilliam Randolph Hearst dies in 1951. He is not alone and he is not at the Ranch asKane is at Xanadu in Citizen Kane. In fact, Hearst had last visited San Simeon in 1947.After his death, the Hearst Corporation donated the hilltop and land adjacent to HighwayOne to provide for public tours of the site as a monument to Mr. Hearst and his mother,Phoebe. On June 2, 1958, the first public tours were given at Hearst Castle.

Since that time, approximately 700,000 people visit Hearst Castle annually. Themission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration, and educationof the people of California by helping to preserve the states extraordinary biologicaldiversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creatingopportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

Preservation of the site for future generations is critical to achieving this mission. As apublicly funded site, there are many challenges to meeting the obligations of caring forthe historic structures, the more than 22,000 artifacts and the many acres of the culturallandscape. The staff focused on restoration efforts has developed an enormous skill setwith which to address preservation and restoration of cast stone features, marble andmosaic works, application of gold leafing and other similar techniques. The curatorialstaff is well trained in care of the sites collections including the tapestries, furnishings,sculptures, paintings, ceilings and many other types of collection. The guide staff is wellversed in the techniques of delivering interpretive messages to the visitors in anengaging and relevant way that dispels myths, provides information and inspires in thevisitor an appreciation for the significance of the site.


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Over the years, many decisions have been made that balance the need for visitoraccess with the duty to be responsible stewards of the site. Simply having that manyfeet walking on Persian rugs and that many hands near works of art is a challenge. Wemeet that challenge by constant monitoring of the tour routes and the impacts that areoccurring.

One example is the floor of the Roman Pool. It is one of the most spectacular sights onthe hilltop. As such, it is important that visitors have a chance to see this space.However, the only way to view the area is by walking on a giant mosaic of glass tilesand gold leafing. The decision was made that a clearly defined path of travel will allowvisitors to see the room and that area will be allowed to suffer the impacts of the manypeople walking on the tiles. As such, a program is in place to constantly repair the areausing the techniques of the craftsmen who created it during Hearsts time. This keepsthe sites appearance in tact for the visitors while protecting the original tiles in the otherareas of the room.

A different strategy is used in the dining room, the Refectory. Antique banners from thePalio delle Contrade races in Siena, Italy hung in the room adding color to theRefectory. However, the silk flags became so fragile that their hanging in the room wasa threat to their long term preservation. There was no way that the flags could bedisplayed as originally intended and be preserved. The flags were reproduced so thatreproductions can hang in place to give the visitor the view of the room while the originalflags were placed in storage under conditions to insure their long term preservation.


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This underscores a clear distinction of what exactly Hearst Castle is. If it were simply ahistoric home, we may not care about the artifacts and allow them to deteriorate. Or,we may determine that the artifacts should all be removed and replaced with replicas. Ifit were a museum, we would ignore its decorative aspect as a furnished building andmove artifacts to better display them to the pubic and ignore the way they weredisplayed during Hearsts time.

However, the site is both a historic home and a museum with a world-class collection.As such, the placement of artifacts within rooms are part of the harmonious designenvisioned by Hearst and Morgan. The intrinsic value of each item is only enhanced byseeing its placement within the space created by Morgan. We make every effort tokeep everything authentic to Hearst and Morgans design. However, as the twoexamples above highlight, decisions may be made in the best interest of artifacts or inthe best interest of the visitor depending upon the specific issue at hand.

The Economic Engine of Heritage TourismOne of the ongoing debates and struggles throughout historic preservation, parks andother related fields is finding that right balance between preservation and use. Thearguments are frequently that only through use of preserved sites will there be theunderstanding and value to save them. At the same time, the overuse of sites andirreplaceable artifacts can destroy them for future generations.

At Hearst Castle, there is an incredible amount of pressure to use the site. Thesepressures come in many forms. Hearst Castle is part of California State Parks. As withmost public park agencies, California State Parks is dependent upon General Fundrevenues to operate. There is always increasing pressure to bring more revenue to theagency to relieve some of the General Fund obligations. At sites like Hearst Castle, avery large amount of revenue could be generated by charging a high entrance fee and


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additional fees for value-added features. Maximizing per-visitor revenue would alsolikely lead to a slight decrease in visitation.

We have a recent example to evaluate the theory. In 2000, California had a significantsurplus of revenue and, with a healthy General Fund, increased support to California

State Parks and reduced the fees to sites by nearly half. The goal of this action was tomake parks more affordable to a larger economic cross-section of the people ofCalifornia. The number of tours given did, in fact, increase slightly by 7%. The revenuedid decrease by about 5%.

However, as the economy tends to change rapidly, California found itself in a deficit by2003. To address this, California State Parks was directed to raise its fees back to itsprevious levels. Visitation declined by 11%. However, revenue increased by over 12%.

There are frequently calls for government to run more like business. It clearly costsmore to operate the site when there are more visitors. A decrease in attendance

reduces the operating costs. If you can decrease your operating costs while stillincreasing revenues, that would be a business success. One could argue that the feecould continue to be adjusted higher until revenue was maximized and the threshold ofdiminishing returns by declining attendance affecting revenue is reached.

This would have another positive affect on the collections. Less people travelingthrough the site means that there would be less impact to the collections and wouldresult in better preservation of the many artifacts and the structure.

While reducing visitation has a positive impact on preservation of the site and collection,and if revenues are up, that may be good for the site, there is the overall economicimpact for heritage tourism in the area.

San Luis Obispo County relies on tourism for a substantial portion of the local economy.The County sees over $900 million spent annually that is directly related to tourism.The average visitor spends $87 per day on hotels, restaurants, and retail items in thelocal area. Using this formula, a reduction of 10% in visitation has an impact of morethan $6 million to the local economy annually. Another way of looking at the impact ofHearst Castle to the local economy is, using the same figure, that the site is responsiblefor generating more that $60 million annually to the local economy.

The critical element here is looking at the revenue needs of the site without losing site ofthe overall economic health of the local economy. The analysis of this dynamic may beone of the most dangerous activities that a cultural sites does. Sites like Hearst Castleneed to be aware of revenues, costs and economic impacts, but that is not the measureof success.

ConclusionThe fundamental measure of success for any organization is how well it is achieving itsmission. For Hearst Castle, the question we must ask is not revenue based or even


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how well we are preserving the structure. It is: are we operating in a way that bestprovides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California? Revenueis one measurement. So, too, is attendance. The condition of the site and its collectionare critical to achieving the mission. There are many measurements, but focusing onmeasurements makes it easier to lose sight of the mission, and, as a result, the

purpose, authenticity, and value of the site may be lost.

The flexibility and adaptability of the organization is the key to adjusting to the variousimpacts from visitation and the pressures that come from external forces. However, ifthe satisfaction of the mission is held as the constant measurement, the right decisionswill be made. The pressures and the impacts from them can be positive if one thinkscreatively to address the many issues and ideas that are brought forward, but thedecision on what direction to take a program or operation is always measured by howyou will best achieve your mission.

For Hearst Castle, we will provide for the visitors health, inspiration and education.

That is our mission. We will do this by protecting the artifacts, the buildings and thelandscape and by delivering relevant and inspiring tours. Marketing efforts andactivities that do not compromise our mission are welcome and encouraged. Thoseefforts that would compromise our mission are not permitted.

Ultimately, we want the visitor leaving with the same sentiment that Hearst wrote to hismother about San Simeon: I love this ranch. It is wonderful. I love the sea and I lovethe mountains, and the hollows in the hills, and the shady places in the creeks, and thefine old oaks, and even the hot, brushy hillsidesfull of quailand the canyonsfull ofdeer. . . I would rather spend a month at the ranch than anyplace in the world.

BibliographyAidala, Thomas R. Hearst Castle, San Simeon.

New York: Hudson Hills Press, 1981.Almanac of Architecture and Design, 2007.Boutelle, Sara Holmes. Julia Morgan, Architect. Revised and enlarged edition.

New York: Abbeville, 1995.California State Parks. Data from files at San Luis Obispo Coast District Office.California Travel and Tourism Commission. California Fast Facts 2006.Carringer, Robert L. The Making of Citizen Kane.

Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.Dean Runyan Associates, California Travel Impacts by County, 1992-2004.Kastner, Victoria. Hearst Castle: Biography of a Country House.

New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2000.Nasaw, David. The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000.Robinson, Judith. The Hearsts: An American Dynasty.

New York: Avon, 1991.

The Cultural Value of La Cuesta Encantada and the Economic Impact of Hearst Castle

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