Santa Barbara Independent, Inside Bellosguardo

Page 1

cover story

Inside Bellosguardo

Exclusive Look Inside Huguette Clark’s East Beach Estate

photos by Paul Wellman

Upon being offered the first chance of any publication in the world to explore the inside of the late heiress Huguette Clark’s mysterious Bellosguardo estate for the first time in at least a half-century, we jumped at the opportunity, despite a few curious strings attached (like not immediately releasing it on independent.com). One illuminating three-hour tour led by Mayor Helene Schneider later, we present this package of Paul Wellman’s photography, Barney Brantingham’s walking tour, and Charles Donelan’s insightful analysis of what challenges the Bellosguardo Foundation’s newly announced board of trustees will face in making this estate a landmark fit for Santa Barbara.

y HANDCRAFTED, THEN CRATED: Bellosguardo’s intricately carved paneled rooms (pictured above) were removed from the William Andrews Clark mansion on Fifth Avenue and 77th Street and shipped to Santa Barbara after that house was demolished in 1925.

What Will Become of Bellosguardo?

M

ANALYSIS

by Charles Donelan

ayor Helene Schneider greeted us at the front gate, which is only a few steps from the humble path leading to the volleyball courts on East Beach, and just like that we were inside, privileged early visitors to Santa Barbara’s mosttalked-about long-term vacancy: Huguette Clark’s Bellosguardo. The house, a formidable U-shaped structure, sits atop the bluff facing west; the view from its pebbled stone mosaic parking area offers an incredible panorama of the city. Our sneak preview was timed with the announcement of the Bellosguardo Foundation’s board of trustees, the 19 people chosen by the mayor at the request of the New York State Attorney General’s office, which is closing the estate of Clark, who died at age 104 in 2011. Headed by television producer Dick Wolf, the group will supervise the transfer of the property — along with the proceeds from an estate auction and a substantial collection of art, furniture, and valuable dolls — to a charitable foundation formed

at a bequest of Huguette Clark, who wished via her will “to foster and promote the arts.” Given the unusual bequest, and the colorful history of both Huguette and her father, former Montana senator and “Copper King” William Andrews Clark, this project will require bold thinking on the part of Wolf and his team. While several appealing components are already in place, including the spectacular, one-of-a-kind location, the high degree of public curiosity, and some important works of art, key questions about the future of Bellosguardo will have to be answered if adequate funds are to be raised to support the operation. Touring the property in the company of Mayor Schneider, it was easy to feel her excitement about the potential of Bellosguardo. Looking more closely at both the property and its history, it was a little harder to see exactly how this project will coalesce into something that’s both historically plausible and productive of coherent public benefit. october 23, 2014

CONT’D

THE INDEPENDENt

29


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.