Asilomar Conference Grounds Warnecke Historic District

Asilomar Conference Grounds occupies a seaside site among dunes and Monterey pines in Pacific Grove. The Young Women's Christian Association established it in 1913 as its national camp and conference center in the West, on land donated through the efforts of Phoebe Apperson Hearst. Architect Julia Morgan designed every historic building, working on the grounds from 1913 to 1928. The 11 surviving buildings, stone entrance gates and winding road plan use redwood shingles, split logs and rough granite in a rustic Craftsman manner meant to fit the landscape. The focal point is a circle surrounded by the Administration Building, Chapel and Crocker Dining Hall. Merrill Hall, built to seat 1,000, was once the largest auditorium on the Monterey peninsula. The YWCA sold the property to the State of California in 1956, and later conference buildings stand outside the historic core. The grounds are valued for their place in women's recreation and leadership programs and as Morgan's most celebrated Craftsman complex.