The Hearst Castle facade is patterned after a Spanish cathedral.
Nearest city:
San Simeon California USA
Area:
More than 90000 sq. ft.
Built/Founded:
1919
Architect:
William Randolph Hearst; Julia Morgan
Architectural style:
Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals Other
Added to NRHP:
June 22 1972
NRHP Reference:
72000253
1
Governing body:
State
Not to be confused with Hurst Castle Henry VIIIs Device Fort near Portsmouth in England.
Hearst Castle is the palatial estate built by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. It is located near San Simeon California on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Donated by the Hearst Corporation to the state of California in 1957 it is now a State Historical Monument and a National Historic Landmark open for public tours. Hearst formally named the estate "La Cuesta Encantada" but he usually just called it "the ranch". The castle and grounds are also sometimes referred to as "San Simeon" without distinguishing between the Hearst property and the unincorporated town of the same name.