Would like some history on a woman named Julia (don't know the last name) who designed the Fairmont Hotel around 1906.

-- Cassandra Meade (jimmydncass@aol.com), March 26, 2003

Answers

That would be Julia Morgan:

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmfairmont/jmfairmont.html

-- Rosa (rosadebon@yahoo.com), March 26, 2003.

And of course the 1906 earthquake destroyed the former Fairmont hotel or I think it was the James Fair Mansion. I remember that it had just been finished or near finished when the Earthquake struck and then all those incredible unbelievable mansions on Nob hill were burned to kingdom com. After the earthquake, all those hotels were put up there. But before the earthquake, there were some absolutely spectacular mansions up there. And I absolutely adored the huge Mary Hopkins Gothic Mansion that looked like something out of Frankenstein's movies. And the inside of it was like some fantastic museum. It was just fabulous. The only thing I can never understand is why in hell's name did Julia Morgan and all those other idiot architects think that the old European models were the best in the universe. Did they ever believe that maybe they could use their own creativity and take what's best and most practical and create their own style. I'll never understand the need to copy everything especially from such old and outdated styles.

-- Harry Murphy (harrymurphy*@bigmailbox.net), March 28, 2003.