AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE SINCE NEWPORT TOOK OVER? “NOT STOPPING,” SHE SAYS WITH A SMILE, “NOT HAVING A BREATHER!” A Rare Country Estate After the death of the Bourns in 1936, Filoli was purchased by William Roth and his wife Lurline Matson Roth, who continued to live there until 1975, when Mrs. Roth donated the 54,000 square-foot Georgian Revival-style mansion and 125 acres to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The remainder of the land was given to the Filoli Center, which operates the property with an educational focus. The Center offers a glimpse into the intricacies of estate life and heritage horticulture. Filoli, Newport observes, already features orchard tours during which visitors learn how food production works on an estate, connecting an age-old tradition with local farm-to-table movements. Like traditional estates—think Downton Abbey—Filoli’s self-sustaining lands yield plants and foods that could support the people who lived there, from quince and apple trees that are turned into delicious jarred preserves to the fresh flowers that adorn the halls. 48 South Bay Accent “That kind of message, I think, is a story that hasn’t been told very much here,” says Newport. “And I think it will really resonate with people today. Even though they lived grand lives here, the people were still doing their own thing and were very independent; they could grow their own food and provide their own resources. It’s a California entrepreneur ideal: you can build your dream however you want to build your dream.” Centennial Celebrations Filoli’s three-year-long centennial celebrations have been thematic: the first year focused on the lands, while 2016 events concentrated on the house itself. In 2017, the gardens will become the center of attention. Filoli’s grounds encompass 16 acres of English style gardens—including a walled, rose and woodland garden, as well as a bowling green and pavilion—plus a 6.8-acre “Gentlemen’s Orchard” bursting with heirloom apples, pears, persimmons, grapes, apricots, nectarines and plums, as well as more exotic and rare fruits like pawpaws and Mexican manzanitas. The nearby cutting garden continues to supply fresh flowers for the house. And in the kitchen garden, the Bourns originally planted espaliered fruit trees, berries and vegetables Just beyond the walled garden, the tennis court beside the woodland glade area is the site of jazz concerts throughout the summer. Special events planned for this year, Newport says, will not only fill out a picture of Filoli itself, but also educate and immerse visitors in the history of the people who built the estate. In the spring and summer, the calendar features expert lectures about the gardens, which will place them in not only horticultural but historic perspective. As part of the highly anticipated Centennial Ballroom Cultural Series, visitors can enjoy chamber music, opera concerts and a retro cinema experience that pairs early 20th century silent films with live music. Of special note are the unique historical tour programs that will take history and architecture buffs to another Gilded Age manse designed by Willis Polk, the Carolands Chateau, as well as to Chase Cellars in Napa, whose vineyard was once owned by the Bourn family, and the Empire gold mine in Grass Valley where the Bourn fortune was made. Interest from Filoli’s membership is already reaching a spring fever pitch. A tour to the Muckross The Clock Tower Shop at Filoli, located in the Carriage House under the beautiful clock tower, is filled with Filoli–inspired merchandise, clothing, gifts and furniture.
South Bay Accent - Apr/May 2017
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