From the legendary media genius who first dreamed of building a magnificent residence to crown his 250,000 acres of undeveloped ranch, and to the skilled and masterful architect who supervised nearly every aspect of construction for more than 28 years, discover the historic people who played pivotal roles in Hearst Castle history.
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst, the man who conceived Hearst Castle, was a media genius whose influence extended to publishing, politics, Hollywood, the art world and everyday American life. His power and vision allowed him to pursue one of the most ambitious architectural endeavors in American history, the result of which can be seen in magnificent grounds and structures of Hearst Castle. Mr. Hearst was born on April 29, 1863, in San Francisco, California, as the only child […]
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George Hearst
George Hearst was born and raised in Franklin County, Missouri in 1820. Growing up he received very little in the way of formal education but he did learn a lot about the so-called “lay of the land,” particularly with regard to mining. He observed copper mining, which was well established in Missouri. According to legend local Indians referred to him as the “boy that earth talks to.” Despite many hardships, his tenacity, talent, and ambition yielded […]
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Phoebe Apperson Hearst
Phoebe Apperson Hearst was born 1842 in Franklin County, Missouri. Before marrying her distant cousin, 41 year-old George Hearst at the age of 19, Miss Apperson worked as a teacher in area schools. Soon after their marriage, the couple moved to San Francisco where Phoebe gave birth to their only child, William Randolph (named for his grandfathers) in 1863. In 1873, Phoebe took young William on a grand tour of Europe where the two spent more than […]
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Millicent Hearst
In 1903 publisher and aspiring politician William Randolph Hearst married 22 year-old actress Millicent Willson, the daughter of George Willson and Hannah Murray Willson. Following in the footsteps of their father, a moderately successful vaudevillian, Millicent and her older sister Anita performed on the stage in 1897 as “bicycle girls” in Edward Rice’s The Girl from Paris at the Herald Square Theater on Broadway. The 16 year-old beauty caught the eye of the 34 year-old Hearst, […]
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Julia Morgan
Julia Morgan was born in San Francisco on January 20, 1872 and grew up in nearby Oakland. She was the second child of Charles Bill and Eliza Parmelee Morgan. Miss Morgan graduated with a degree in civil engineering from University of California at Berkeley. During her time at Berkeley, Morgan developed a keen interest in architecture, which is thought to have been fostered by her mother’s cousin, Pierre Le Brun, who designed the Metropolitan Life Insurance […]
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Marion Davies
Marion Davies was the stage name of Marion Cecilia Douras, born in Brooklyn, New York on January 3, 1897. She was the youngest of five children born to Bernard and Rose Douras. Watching her sister achieve success in show business turned Marion’s inclinations toward a career in drama early in her life. After leaving school she became a model for the famous painters of the day. She assumed the stage name of Marion Davies and quickly […]
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