She was a pioneer in her field. An acclaimed engineer. The first woman licensed to practice architecture in California. She had a wealthy benefactor, and a dream project: La Cuesta Encantada – also known as Hearst Castle. But closer to home, Julia Morgan also left her mark on the San Joaquin Valley. Her story, today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots.
Julia Morgan was born in San Francisco in the 1870s. After studying engineering at Cal, she became the first woman to be accepted into the Eccole de Beaux Arts in Paris, considered the world’s premier architecture school. Her designs blended elements from the Craftsman tradition with classical influences from Europe. But her buildings weren’t just beautiful, they were incredibly strong. Morgan was a pioneer in reinforced concrete architecture, and her reputation grew following the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
She began her association with the Hearst family, designing buildings for Phoebe Hearst. In 1919, her son, William Randolph Hearst selected Morgan to design Hearst Castle, a project that would continue for the next 28 years. But the Phoebe Hearst connection also led Morgan to design numerous projects for the YWCA across California, including several in Fresno.
Her Fresno YWCA Residence Hall at M and San Joaquin Streets was designed in the style of an elegant Italian villa. A separate recreation center was built at Tuolumne and M Streets. It was later used by Pacific Bible College, but was remodeled beyond recognition in 1965.
Morgan died in 1957, but in 2014, she received the prestigious AIA Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects.
