Sunday, July 26, 2026

Question: Hearst Castle, the lavish hilltop estate at San Simeon, was designed by a Californian who broke a barrier in her profession. Who was she?

Answer: Julia Morgan. In 1904 she became the first woman licensed as an architect in California, and over a career of about 800 buildings she designed William Randolph Hearst’s San Simeon estate (Hearst Castle), working on it for nearly 28 years.