Press Kit
Media Contact: Catherine Boire
Tele: (707) 255-5997
Email: CBoirePR@aol.com
ASILOMAR:
RICH IN HISTORY AND IN BEAUTY
The pioneering women of the YWCA knew a good thing when they saw it in the early 1900s. A place with the ever-present beauty of tall pines, ocean breezes and gentle creatures roaming about. A place of solitude. A place of inspiration. This place, at the edge of the Monterey Peninsula, became known as Asilomar.
In 1913, the YWCA held a contest to name their special campsite. A Stanford University student, Helen Salisbury, presented the befitting name, Asilomar, in Spanish meaning, “refuge by the sea.” Opening day festivities were held July 26, 1913. The original buildings, 11 of which are now a National Historical Landmark, were designed by noted San Francisco architect Julia Morgan, who is famed for designing the Hearst Castle. Dedicated to the YWCA, Morgan helped the organization erect similar meeting and dormitory facilities in other cities.
In 1917, Ellen Browning Scripps visited Asilomar and graciously purchased an additional 7 acres for the facility... thus, the Scripps Lodge on grounds bears her name. As the years went on, Asilomar was more than a facility for the YWCA. In 1920, housing on the grounds grew to accommodate 500 guests and the complex opened year-round to welcome religious groups, college conferences and women’s training courses.
As times grew tight with the Great Depression in 1933, the YWCA wanted to discontinue their funding to conference facilities and hotels throughout the United States, and recommended closing Asilomar. The property was put up for sale -- but went unsold -- and YWCA leaders in California formed a committee to upkeep the empty facility. From 1936 to 1940, Asilomar was leased to David and Paulsen Visel as a motel, and then in 1943, the YWCA opened the once again empty rooms to World War II military families. As the war ended, Asilomar was placed back on the market. Without a new owner, the YWCA operated the grounds as a full-service conference facility, until July 1, 1956, when Asilomar become part of California State Parks along with an additional 35 acres of beach lands.
Two years later in 1958, George Heldt was named Asilomar’s first park ranger, and kept a watchful eye on the delicate balance between preservation and public access. Today, the park rangers continue to take the lead in guiding and educating visitors, and protecting Asilomar’s fragile habitats and wildlife.
From 1959 through 1982, architects John Carl Warnecke, Clark Davis and the architectural firm Smith Barker and Hanssen designed the contemporary buildings throughout the grounds, inspired by Julia Morgan’s original work. In 1987, Morgan’s buildings became recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
In the 1980s and ‘90s, caring for the environment, while providing for visitors became increasingly important. An on-going project to restore the dunes began in 1985, while in 1991, a coast trail was established along the beach. From 1993 through 1995, nearly three acres were added to the state beach property at Rocky Shores.
Currently, Asilomar Conference Grounds has 314 unique guest rooms, the Crocker Dining Complex, and welcomes groups up to 1,000 throughout their 38 conference and intimate meeting spaces. Recreation abounds with swimming, ping-pong, volleyball, and world-class golf, water activity and nearby sight-seeing.
Today, Asilomar preserves the very traits that made it such a remarkable retreat so many decades ago. Charming historic architecture, natural scenic beauty, and the inspiration of the sea.
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