William Bowers Bourn II
William Bowers Bourn II | |
|---|---|
 Bourn II (1917) during construction of Filoli | |
| Born | May 31, 1857 San Francisco, California, US |
| Died | July 5, 1936 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Energy utilities entrepreneur |
| Known for | Socialite, Entrepreneur |
| Spouse | Agnes Moody (1881–1936, death) |
| Children | 2 |
William Bowers Bourn II (31 May 1857 – 5 July 1936) was an American
Spring Valley Water Company, and he led a merger to what later became Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Bourn II was the builder of many estates in California, including Filoli, the country estate in San Mateo County, California
.
Biography
Bourn was born in
He returned to California in 1878 to help his mother manage the family business interests.Napa Valley. Bourn bought Wise out, but sold it entirely in 1894 in the midst of the phylloxera scourge.
Bourn reacquired control of the Empire Mine in 1896.[5]: 34–35, 37–38
In the 1890s he spearheaded the merger of electricity and gas companies in San Francisco, which would later become the
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir expansion which Bourn had opposed, become its water supplier. Bourn was regularly pilloried by the San Francisco Chronicle
as a thief and scoundrel for water rates, but Bourn replied that the company needed to earn a reasonable return on its investments and was also making provision for future population growth.
Personal life
Bourn was married in 1881 to Agnes Moody.country estate Filoli in Woodside, California in 1915.[5]: 42–43 Bourn suffered a stroke in 1922, which kept him in a wheelchair.[5]: 60
In 1929, his daughter Maud died from
Newmont Mining Corporation.[5]
: 61
William Bowers Bourn II died at Filoli and was buried in the Bourn Family Cemetery with his wife and daughter on the property.[2]
Estates and properties
- Asilo (or Villa Eden Del Mar),[6] 3270 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, California. It was built in 1924 by architect George Washington Smith in a Spanish Revival style for Bourn's daughter Maud.[7]
- Filoli, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside, California. This was the "country house" built in 1915 on his company land, by architect Willis Polk, it's open to the public for tours as it is one of best-known examples of an American country estate.[7]
- Muckross House, Muckross Peninsula, (now located in Killarney National Park), Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. It was built in 1843, by Scottish architect William Burn and purchased by Bourn in 1911 as a gift for his daughter and her husband.[8] In 1932 he made a gift of the Irish estate Muckross House, to the government of Ireland in memory of his late daughter, Maud. It was to become Ireland's largest national park, Killarney National Park.
- Empire "Cottage", (now located at Empire Mine State Historic Park), Grass Valley, California. It was commissioned in 1897, designed by architect Willis Polk.[9][7]
- Bourn Mansion, 2550 Webster Street, Pacific Heights, San Francisco. It was built using clinker brick in 1896 by architect Willis Polk.[7][10]
- Greystone Cellars, 2555 Main Street, St Helena, California. It was built in 1888, by architect Willis Polk.[8]
See also
- North Star Mine and Powerhouse – owned by Bourn II between 1884 and 1887.
- Sunol Water Temple – a structure commissioned by Bourn II, in Sunol, California.
- Pulgas Water Temple – a structure commissioned by San Francisco Water Department (under Bourn II), in Woodside, California.
References
- ^ ISBN 9781784421557.
- ^ ISBN 9780874178494.
- ^ Garrison, Joanne (7 August 2017). "William Bowers Bourn II, builder of Filoli". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
- ^ "Download" (PDF). calisphere.org. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ ISBN 9780931892073
- SFGATE.
- ^ a b c d Bevk, Alex (2013-01-29). "Mining Millionaires Collected Mega Mansions". Curbed SF. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
- ^ a b "CHASE Cellars – The Napa Wine Project". 5 October 2016. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
- ^ Weinstein, Dave (2009-01-03). "Architect had designs on San Francisco". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
- ^ "Historic homes in Pacific Heights, S.F." SFGate. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
External links
- Online guide to the William Bowers Bourn Family Papers, 1845–1985, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
- History of Filoli
- History of the Muckross House Research Library
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