Media Kit

01.02.2023

Carmel-by-the-Sea: Historical Overview


 
Carmel-by-the-Sea: Historical Overview
 

Carmel-by-the-Sea "began" in 1603, when Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino anchored in the bay he named Monterey and, upon further investigation, came upon a beach at the mouth of a river, which he called Carmelo in honor of the three Carmelite friars traveling with him.

Nearly two centuries later, in 1771, Father Junipero Serra established Mission San Carlos de Borromeo on a hill overlooking the mouth of Carmelo. Today, known as the Carmel Mission, it was the jewel of Serra's nine missions in California, and his final resting place.

At the turn of the last century, little about the Carmel town rivaled the appeal of the magnificent seascape, until J. Frank Devendorf and Frank H. Powers, who established the Carmel Development Company, ordered the planting of 100 cypress trees in the barren potato patches along the coast. Devendorf and Powers invited Michael J. Murphy to come to Carmel to build homes, and Murphy built his first house in 1902 around the tent in which his family was living. Today, "The First Murphy House" is a Welcome Center and home to the Carmel Heritage Society in town.

Although artists and writers, academicians and vacationers had been quietly retreating to the Central Coast for years, one of the more dramatic influences on the populous of the Peninsula was the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. The event forced "refugees" including authors and poets George Sterling, Jack London, and Robinson Jeffers to find shelter in cabins and tents erected in Carmel-by-the-Sea, and the village became known as a bohemian haven.

When Carmel incorporated as a city in 1916, the population stood at nearly 450, and was home to luminaries such as authors Sinclair Lewis, Mary Austin, and Lincoln Steffens. Legend has it that Robert Louis Stevenson received his inspiration for Treasure Island while walking on the beach near Point Lobos in Carmel.

In 1924, Hugh Comstock designed a storybook-styled cottage to house his wife's handmade Otsy-Totsy doll collection. Neither an architect nor a carpenter, he fashioned a 400-square-foot cottage so quaint, endearing, and different from the usual board-and-batten summer homes that the demand for Comstock homes--known for rolled eaves, rounded doors, and asymmetrical stone chimneys, and costing "under $100''--made the young man a legend.

"Comstocks" became the signature style of the Carmel cottage. Today, 21 of the original cottages still stand. One of the best-known, The Tuck Box restaurant (on Dolores Street between Ocean and Seventh), exemplifies the unique design. In addition to Comstock, Carmel has attracted many other renowned architects -- including the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright, who built one of the village's most iconic homes on the corner of Scenic and Ocean View. The stone structure, called the Della Walker House, was designed in 1948 and completed in 1951. Other noted architects included Charles Sumner Greene, Henry Hill, Mickey Muennig, Hugh Gutterson and Al Saroyan.

Carmel-by-the-Sea continued at the forefront of creativity during the 1960s. Tourists could watch Donald Teague demonstrate the development of his illustration for Sergeant Houck, a story in Colliers. For those interested in photography, Edward Weston displayed his prints at the New Group Gallery's first photographic exhibition. Isaac Stern thrilled music lovers at the Carmel Music Society.

The international spotlight turned on Carmel in 1986, when Hollywood legend and local resident Clint Eastwood made a well-publicized run for mayor. Eastwood, who was introduced to the area in 1951 during a stint at nearby Fort Ord military base, was elected and served one two-year term. During his term, City Council meetings had to be moved from Carmel City Hall to a larger venue to accommodate the crowds.

When Carmel celebrated its Centennial with a downtown parade on Oct. 29, 2016, Eastwood served as Grand Marshal and rode atop a stagecoach, conjuring up images of when he played Rowdy Yates in the television series Rawhide.

Over the decades, Carmel's small-town charms and appreciation of art and culture have remained intact. Today, locals and visitors are given a taste of history, past and present, as well as a glimpse toward tomorrow, all beautifully draped in a village just one square mile -- both unexpectedly cosmopolitan yet still decidedly quaint.

Historical Fun Facts

  • Artist Chris Jorgensen built Playa Hotel in 1905 for his bride, Angela Ghirardelli (from the famed chocolate family in San Francisco). A member of Historic Hotels of America, the property--known today as La Playa Carmel and located at Camino Real at Eighth--boasts award-winning gardens that are a major draw for both hotel guests and locals alike.
  • In 1918, Carmel poet Robinson Jeffers began the year-long process of building his beloved Tor House from stone he gathered by hand on nearby Carmel Beach. The outside retaining wall contains rocks from the Temple of Peking, lava from Hawaii, and a piece of the Great Wall of China. Today, Tor House offers docent tours and hosts various community functions.
  • The historic Pine Inn was the city's first hotel, originally built in 1889. But it wasn't always called the Pine Inn and wasn't always at its current location. Known then as The Carmel Hotel, the property -- a favorite among visitors and locals alike -- originally was constructed up the hill on Ocean and rolled down to its present location.
  • So many prominent people have lived in Carmel over the years (see below) that there wasn't much reaction when actress/singer Doris Day, an ardent animal lover, purchased part ownership in the historic Cypress Inn on Lincoln and Seventh. Some eyebrows were raised when she began allowing pet owners to bring their furry friends into their hotel rooms for the night. But, as more innkeepers and restaurant owners followed her lead, Carmel soon earned the reputation of being one of the country's most dog-friendly towns.
  • To celebrate Carmel's historic legacy and to educate about our history and culture, the Carmel Heritage Society stages two unique and exciting annual events -- The Home and Garden Tour in June and the Inns of Distinction Tour in December.

Notable Carmel Residents Over the Years (alphabetical order, partial list):

  • Ansel Adams, photographer
  • Mary Austin, novelist/playwright
  • Beverly Cleary, author
  • Doris Day, actress/singer
  • Phyllis Diller, actress, comedian
  • Clint Eastwood, actor-director/former Carmel Mayor (1986-88)
  • Joan Fontaine, actress
  • Reggie Jackson, athlete
  • Robinson Jeffers, poet
  • Hank Ketcham, cartoonist
  • Sinclair Lewis, novelist
  • Jack London, author
  • John Madden, football coach/TV analyst
  • Upton Sinclair, author
  • George Sterling, poet
  • Robert Louis Stevenson, author
  • Edward Weston, photographer
  • Betty White, actress

For a thorough historical timeline of Carmel, visit www.carmelheritage.org

# # #

Media Note: We encourage you to include Visit Carmel's official destination website www.CarmelCalifornia.com in your coverage. In addition to extensive visitor information, the site includes the option to search real-time rates and availability at all of Carmel-by-the-Sea's lodging properties and book rooms direct with Carmel innkeepers.



Back to Media Kit