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South Bay Accent - Apr/May 2017

Photographed in 1918, contractor Wilbert D. Henderson stands facing the camera. A dog, probably Bourn’s setter, stands to his left. Above: Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourn II at Filoli in 1930. April/May 2017 47 COURTESY OF FILOLI (2); OPPOSITE: KOPTERVISION Built for San Franciscan William Bowers Bourn 100 years ago, this testament to the grandeur and elegance of the Gilded Age still stands in proud splendor in the 654-acre estate. Nestled on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Fioli has been the seat of a powerful family and a perennial backdrop for television shows and movies. A rare example of an American country estate, Filoli was built in 1915 by the Bourn family NEWPORT OVERSEES AN IMPRESSIVE OPERATION THAT BOASTS 60 STAFF MEMBERS AND 1,200 VOLUNTEERS. whose fortune was made in gold mining. Sited at the south end of Crystal Springs Reservoir (then Crystal Springs Lake), the stately home is the crown jewel of land that was once the property of the Spring Valley Water Company, of which William Bourn II was president. Filoli’s model was the wild, romantic Muckross estate in County Kerry, Ireland, which Bourn purchased for his daughter and her new husband. The name of the estate is a portmanteau of the words from his personal motto, “fight for a just cause; love your fellow man; live a good life.” Running the place would have been a daunting challenge in any era, but the task of bringing this institution into the 21st century with its authenticity intact sits squarely on the shoulders of the vibrant, practical Kara Newport, who took over as executive director last September, halfway into Filoli’s three-year celebration of its centennial celebrations. Now the historic site and public garden is poised to enter its second century. Newport may be operating from the humble quarters for the chauffeur, where her comfortable office occupies the driver’s old living room, but she oversees an impressive operation that boasts 60 staff members and 1,200 volunteers who serve 10,000 members and 140,000 visitors a year. Filoli’s new director laughingly describes herself as a “rural” girl, who grew up on a small farm outside of Dayton, Ohio. After majoring in botany at Miami University, Newport pursued a graduate degree in public horticulture from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program, which paved her entree into the world of public gardens. “It was a really formative time,” she says. “My first job out of graduate school was at Winterthur, which is a historic estate and garden with a really strong collection of decorative art.” In many ways her experience at Winterthur, Delaware, prepared her to take the helm at Filoli, which not only encompasses the grounds and mansion, but also a fine collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century English and Irish antiques. Inspired by her work with Longwood’s vast horticultural displays, Newport went on to work at other public educational organizations and gardens, including the Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Zoo. Then, in 2006, she took over as executive director of the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Charlotte, NC, where she oversaw a near doubling of yearly visitors and membership for the historic estate and gardens until she left last summer to take the reins at Filoli. “Winterthur inspired me to always be at site-based organizations,” she says. “I really like having the experience right here at your hands. Filoli is very unique because it is more than just the house and gardens, it’s a true intact estate.”


South Bay Accent - Apr/May 2017
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