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| photo: Williams Systems |
For anyone in Santa Barbara, who has driven past the volleyball courts at East Beach, around the curve of the Andree Clark Bird Refuge. You have unknowingly past Bellosguardo. "What is Bellosguardo?" You may ask. Well, I didn't know either until recently.
I have often taken this very drive, and wondered about the private estate that lies between East Beach, The Bird Refuge and the elegant Santa Barbara Cemetery. Only a glimpse of the palatial home can be seen from the road as you come around the bend. What has always intrigued me about this mysterious estate, aside from its location, are the classic cement wall and columns surrounding the property. It seems to be maintained, but understated and quiet for a location such as this.
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| photo: USC Library |
When I opened my mail last week, there was a newspaper article, sent to me by my aunt, telling the story of this estate with a "beautiful view". I certainly wasn't disappointed by the tale! Basically, the property was purchased by Copper King William Andrews Clark in 1923, who according to lore, was the second richest man in the world at the time, behind John D. Rockefeller. In 1932, the existing home was torn down by his much younger second wife, Anna, to build a 22,000 sq. ft. French Country Home where she would summer with her daughter, Huguette. When Huguette's sister died, the family donated the land and money to create the Andree Clark Bird Refuge, which we all still enjoy today. Huguette is the owner of the estate to this day, and the most intriguing part of the story is that she apparently hasn't visited the estate in more than 50 years! While it has been carefully maintained, it has sat empty for half a century! This is where my imagination begins to run wild. I imagine this lovely, classic estate, on arguably the most picturesque bluff on the California coast, sitting quietly alone, waiting for a chance to return to it's former life, hosting grand parties, dignified concerts and idyllic seaside visits for a little girl.
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| Photo: msnbc.com |
Huguette is now 104 years old, said to be living under hospital care in New York. Bellosguardo is rumored to be worth $100 million dollars. While billionaires like Ty Warner have attempted to buy the property, it continues to sit, empty, unused and waiting. Next time you find yourself on the curve next to the bird refuge, take a look up the hill at the "Bellosguardo".
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| photo: msnbc.com |
SR
Info from: the Denver Post, c/o The LA Times
