Once a Hilltop Castle

Once a Hilltop Castle. Another Hearst Legacy. Phoebe Hearst's Moorish-style mansion once stood where the Castlewood Country Club now stands, northwest of this location. The mansion was named Hacienda del Pozo de Verona, for its great marble wellhead imported from Verona, Italy., Western Pacific Railroad built Verona Rail Station so the Hearst family could host large gatherings at the mansion. Verona Bridge was installed in 1890 to connect the rail station to Foothill Road and the Hacienda. , The original bridge was replaced in 1941 by the current span, moved here from the Pajaro River near Salinas., George Hearst , 1820-1891 , The Hearst dynasty patriarch, George rose from poverty to earn a fortune in mining. Native Americans in his home state of Missouri called him, "the boy the earth talked to," because of his instinct for finding ore. He purchased the estate at Castlewood as a place to escape the cold of San Francisco., Phoebe Apperson Hearst , 1842-1919 , In her day, Phoebe was, "the most powerful woman in California." She married mining magnate George Hearst and became one of America's great philanthropists, founder of many schools, and first female Regent of the University of California., William Randolph Hearst , 1863-1951 , Phoebe's son William began building the Hacienda on her Castlewood estate. When she discovered the project, Phoebe took over and hired the famous architect Julia Morgan to complete it. After Phoebe's death in 1919, William sold the mansion to the Castlewood Country Club. The Hacienda was destroyed by fire in 1969. A new clubhouse was built on the spot, preserving some of the original features.