New Hearst Castle display reveals ‘unsung heroes’ who brought lavish estate to life
Most people who have taken Hearst Castle tours will readily recognize the names of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst and his friend Julia Morgan, the architect who helped design his lavish San Simeon estate.
But how many visitors to the historical monument know who Thaddeus Joy was? Or Norman Rotanzi, Jules Suppo, Camille Solon or Warren McClure?
They’re among two dozen diverse Hearst Castle workers being recognized as Hearst Castle’s “Unsung Heroes” in an elaborate display being finalized at the Visitor Center.
They’re also featured as part of a separate, ever-expanding roster of “Unsung Heroes” videos on YouTube.
The honorees, many of whom hail from other countries and varied ethnic backgrounds, were among the couple of hundred workers who provided the backbone of the Castle’s conversion from Hearst’s vision into Morgan’s reality.
Rotanzi was the Castle’s grounds superintendent for many years. his wife, Ann Miller, rose from being a housekeeper for Hearst to being curator for the Castle as a state park.
Suppo worked as a master wood carver. Solon was an artisan, painter and interior decorator. And McClure was a draftsman.
Joy, meanwhile, contributed to the Castle in many ways. One of Morgan’s most valued architects and foremen, he also designed the swan display in the Neptune Pool’s side alcove.
Those talented individuals are being recognized and honored for their contributions to the Castle’s design and construction, making Hearst’s La Cuesta Encantada worthy of being designated as a state historical monument and world-class museum.
Dan Falat, superintendent of the state park district that includes the Castle, said that the display showcases a “different aspect of the monument, not only who designed it, including William Randolph Hearst, but the people who made it happen. It looks at the construction and the people behind it.”
“Yes, it includes Julia Morgan, her designs, ability and sheer talent that brought together her vision and Mr. Hearst’s vision,” Falat said, “but also all the engineering, the manual work, craftsmanship and technology of the day, the people who took Morgan’s drawings and made them come to life.
“It took a whole group of people, from different backgrounds and with differing skills, to take it from paper to reality,” Falat said.
San Simeon home to William Randolph Hearst estate
Hearst, a wealthy media magnate and passionate art collector, had a vision of creating a hilltop vacation home with a 360-degree view that included San Simeon Bay and the Santa Lucia range.
Morgan was the brilliant and tenacious architectural genius who turned Hearst’s dream into reality.
Hearst and Morgan worked together for 28 years on the never-completed complex — including operations as complex as relocating antique ceilings, moving a fully grown oak tree so construction wouldn’t damage it and redesigning and reconstructing the outdoor Neptune Pool multiple times.
Hearst Castle became a state park in 1958. It has been closed to the public since mid-March 2020, adhering to state guidelines about coronavirus pandemic precautions.
There’s no word yet on when the Castle might reopen, according to Falat.
At this point, the public isn’t able to see the Visitor Center display up close and personal, with its three 11-foot-by-10-foot “window rooms” and four 6-foot-wide printed aluminum interpretive panels. (Another panel focuses on present-day state park careers.)
However, online videos that go into more individual detail about more of the unsung contributors to the Castle’s creation are available to view now. Just go to YouTube and search for “San Luis Obispo Coast District Unsung Heroes.”
According to Cara O’Brien, district interpretive program manager, once the Visitor Center display is complete, the teams might even do a video of that exhibit to give future visitors a hint of what will await them when the Castle reopens.
Unsung Heroes display could inspire Central Valley students
O’Brian said her hope is that once the Castle reopens and visitors can experience the “Unsung Heroes” display in person, “it will help to diversify what will stay in their minds after their tours are over.”
Those visitors could include groups of students from underserved populations in the Central Valley, brought to San Simeon by The Foundation at Hearst Castle through one of that nonprofit organization’s educational initiatives.
O’Brien said she hopes the visiting students will make the connection between “highly skilled people just like them who had the ability to make great, beautiful things.”
“We hope they’ll connect to the site and see what they can become, inspiring them to find their own skills and passions,” she said. We just want them to tap into their spark.”
That’s especially true in the videos, which includes profiles of such diverse experts as chef Dalmacio Carpio, ironworker artist Ed Trinkkeller, stonecarver Lorenzo Cardini, Roman Pool tilesetter Joseph Giarritta, projectionist Jung Yeong Louis, master gardener Alfredo Gomes and Francisco Estrada, ranch manager and one of Hearst’s riding buddies.
Hearst Castle guides research history
Most Castle guides knew from their lengthy and ongoing training the names of each of the “Unsung Heroes” honorees. But those who interpret of the monument’s history for the public recently learned a whole lot more about them while researching their backgrounds and accomplishments.
Falat said the concept for the Visitor Center display predated the COVID-19 pandemic. Staffers came up with the idea as they planned about how to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Castle’s start of construction.
Then coronavirus hit the Central Coast full force.
The celebration was postponed indefinitely as the Castle closed. And trained guide and other staffers got switched to other projects that kept them employed while accomplishing things that had been on the back burner due to a lack of time in which to do them.
That included more in-depth research.
During another set of meetings, guide Shari Fortino had a brainstorm about doing a video series for the Smithsonian Learning Lab. Each video would focus on one of the unsung heroes who contributed to the Castle’s genesis, design, construction and completion.
Thus were born two related but separate interpretive presentations highlighting people in the background of Hearst Castle’s creation, people whose work remains front and center up to a century later.
