Julia Morgan Event Honors California's First Woman Architect

SANTA MONICA, CA — A virtual Julia Morgan event Sunday will honor California's first licensed woman architect during Women’s History Month.

It's hosted by the Annenberg Community Beach House and Santa Monica Conservancy, led by Morgan scholar Karen McNeill, Ph.D. at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Join McNeill for her talk, titled "Julia Morgan and the Men Who Built Hearst Castle." A Q&A will follow.

McNeill is a leading expert on Morgan, focusing on women and gender in the architectural profession as well as how Progressive Era women used the built environment to expand their roles in society as consumers, reformers, educators, and professionals.

Morgan is known for her collaboration with William Randolph Hearst to create Hearst Castle in San Simeon. She left a legacy of more than 700 projects in her nearly five decades of practice. Morgan was posthumously awarded the AIA’s highest honor, a Gold Medal. Her pioneering work continues to gain public recognition today.

Morgan is also known for her work in Santa Monica. She designed the Annenberg Community Beach House guest house and pool, which are part of the site's historic core.

The Annenberg Community Beach House at Santa Monica State Beach is operated by the City of Santa Monica. The Beach House is made possible by a generous gift from the Annenberg Foundation, at the direction of Wallis Annenberg, and in partnership with the City of Santa Monica and California State Parks. Additional funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.

Register for the free virtual event at juliamorganlegacy2021.eventbrite.com.