On Monday, October 15, a beautiful and clear day, a merry group of Garden Club members assembled outside the entrance to the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens in San Clemente. President Nadine Allen had arranged a private, docent-led tour of the center and gardens.
We divided into two groups, with one going off to enjoy the eight varieties of gardens around the historic home, while the other toured the house and learned about its history.
The history is simple. In 1925, H.H. Cotton, a financial tycoon, purchased 5,000 acres of land from the Boca de la Playa Rancho and hired a developer, Ole Hanson, to plan a seaside city. Ole Hanson began selling residential lots in San Clemente, which he later named after nearby San Clemente Island.
Ole Hanson was a forward-thinking land developer who previously had built homes in Seattle and Los Angeles.
Ole built his Spanish Colonial Revival home in 1927 as his representation of the California dream. He required that homes on the lots he sold, which he marketed as vacation homes for citizens in Los Angeles and San Diego, be patterned after his dream home, Casa Romantica. (Sounds like the forerunner to an HOA to me.)
Ole moved into Casa Romantica with his wife and eight children. The design of the house was U-shaped, featuring a central courtyard. Along one side was the dormitory for the sons, and on the other side was one for the daughters. The back of the house, of course, faced the ocean with a large activity room, a huge fireplace, bedrooms for the parents, a dining room and an office for Ole. The walls around the activity room held many photographs of the early years of the city and surrounding areas, including photos of the early surfing culture that grew up there—priceless scenes of the past.
After years of many owners, an anonymous donor gave $1 million to the city to renovate Casa Romantica as a cultural arts institution, for which it is used today.
Our group enjoyed a relaxing stroll through the unique gardens surrounding Casa Romantica. They are maintained by volunteers who keep up the signature look with specimens that grow and change seasonally. Following our tours, we were seated on the terrace to enjoy a delicious lunch provided by the Sundried Tomato American Bistro.
Our next event is a special one, so members please pay attention! The November 19 meeting is the date for our
Annual Forget-Me-Not Project where we create holiday gift bags to share with local homebound seniors. Check your club directory for more details on this very important club project. For more information on the Garden Club, please leave your contact details in the office and we will get in touch with you.
—Karl Kuhn
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