Mission Ranch, like a popular movie star and director Clint Eastwood, has a long history. He, like many other guys who came to Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, fell in love with the ancient ranch. After revamping the film and television industries, as well as the town of Carmel, he set about renovating the tired Mission Ranch. That wasn’t simple or inexpensive, but he did it.
Clint Eastwood was just 21 years old when he first walked inside the Mission Ranch. The young man was seeking a location to relax and eat something cheap. He had been recruited to the adjacent Fort Ord at the time. Originally, the structures in Mission Ranch were a combination of the Fort Ord officers’ club and a dairy farm.
Before being enlisted, Eastwood worked as a lumberjack; after being released, he had few plans. Yet, as he entered the ranch, he immediately fell in love with it.
“The first time I saw the property, I thought it was fantastic,” he tells Architectural Digest. “Visually, it was something else, and I believed it was the location I’d like to call home. As a result, I embraced Carmel.”
The Mission Ranch is a wonderful piece of land situated on the lush wetlands where the Carmel River meets the ocean. The ranch, as you might expect, boasts amazing views of the sea, as well as picturesque vistas of the Monterey coastline and the spectacular arc of the beach. It’s no surprise that this area is regarded as one of the most beautiful in Northern California.
A lot of goats, horses, and sheep also live in the area. You can see them grazing on the green grassland under the eucalyptus and oak trees. Of course, herons and ducks traveling down the river are tough to overlook.
About 40 years later, the little boy who was charmed is one of the world’s most prominent and successful actors and filmmakers. His weathered chin and vicious, chiseled smile have landed him scores of key parts, including a singer in “Honkytonk Man” and a detective in “Dirty Harry.” “Unforgiven,” his revisionist western, garnered him an Academy Award nomination. This iconic actor is now the proud new owner of the elegantly renovated Mission Ranch.
When Clint Eastwood moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s, he was cast in the famous TV show “Rawhide.”He had already purchased his first home in Monterey at the time. He soon found himself permanently relocating to California’s harsh central coast.
Eastwood was an avid golfer. He was a regular at the Pebble Beach Golf Course near Carmel Bay. This is where he shot his debut film, which was replete with pictures of the rugged Monterey Peninsula.
“I eventually became a member of the community,” Eastwood explains. “Carmel provided me with a unique viewpoint on the film industry.” During the 1980s, Eastwood chose to refurbish a downtown building. Regrettably, the Carmel City Council refused him permission to proceed with the project. He learned that other low-income Carmel residents had experienced the same fate and had been denied the ability to repair their houses and businesses.
The guy rode impressively to defend the helpless and protect the defenseless, exactly like he would in a movie. The legal process began, and Eastwood prevailed. He campaigned for mayor of the town a year later.
“We couldn’t find anyone else who would do it… So, after a few glasses of wine, I agreed. “I chose to win because I am a really driven guy,” he told Architectural Digest.
Eastwood tried everything, including knocking on doors, chatting with people at coffee klatches, and hosting rallies. He was elected by a landslide in 1986, as one might assume.
Although Eastwood was doing well politically and personally, the Mission Ranch was struggling. The ranch was fast succumbing to termites after many years of neglect. Although its walls were separating, its screens were rusting and deteriorating. From his new house in Carmel, Eastwood watched the property deteriorate. He stood there, watching as the marshes encroached on the ancient club’s polo field and swimming pool. The restaurant and motel had become a seedy haven for illegal couples and itinerant merchants.
Eastwood decided to pay a visit to take a closer look. When he did, he discovered several damaged windows and peeling paint. Interestingly, several of the windows were blackened during the Second World War. Carmel’s inhabitants were anticipating the Japanese to invade and assault them over the marshes at the time.
Carmel-by-the-Sea was Alta California’s spiritual center in 1771. Father Junipero Serra built the San Carlos Borromeo del Ro Carmelo, which is now Mission Ranch’s magnificent neighbor, about this time. In case you’re curious, the Spanish first colonized the area in the 18th century, when they made Monterey the administrative center of Alta California. The region consisted of the area between San Diego and Baja California.
During the 1800s and early 1900s, Carmel was also a safe haven for a large number of Western writers and artists. Robinson built his Tor above the ocean, and everyone from Upton Sinclair to Sinclair Lewis lived and wrote in the tranquil Carmel setting.
One of the first families to settle on the Monterey peninsula built a farmhouse in the 1850s. There were six guest rooms. The home was rebuilt 45 years later and became a two-story dwelling.
When Robert Louis Stevenson arrived in Monterey in 1879, he was just 29 years old. His aim was to capture the heart of the attractive Fanny Osbourne, who was married to another man at the time. As he strolled aimlessly around the rocky shore and forested hills, the lovesick young writer became enamored by San Carlos Borromeo. As the Spanish were forced away, the mission was abandoned. “The church is roofless and decrepit… sea breezes and sea fog, and the alternation of rain and sunshine, every day enlarging the gaps,” wrote the destitute young man.
Stevenson walked past the mission and crossed the field and beach right at the mouth of the Carmel River before climbing the steep cliffs at Point Lobos.
Maybe as a result of the profound impact of love, Robert Louis Stevenson went back to England. His view from Mission Ranch and Point Lobos was the inspiration for the beautiful Treasure Island. Fanny Osbourne also married him.
A developer became interested in building condominiums on the ranch around 100 years later, in 1986. Eastwood paid $5 million for the entire 22 acres, including the run-down structures, shortly before purchasing it.
“I’d always liked the site, and they were simply going to flatten it. They said it was out of date. “I felt it should be kept as is,” he told Architectural Digest.
He was part of a small dynasty of men who left their stamp on the little cove in the Pacific, including Robert Louis Stevenson and Junipero Serra. The Mission Ranch was not a pleasant sight for anyone, unless they were overly nostalgic or stubborn. The whole electrical system was damaged, as was the plumbing system. Indeed, the pipes leaked so badly that around 40% of the gas was lost beneath the floor.
“When you open a venue like this, it’s like a bear climbing a hill to see the next hill and the next hill.” “It never ends,” Eastwood says.
“There is a significant distinction between conducting preservation and campaigning for preservation. “Putting your money where your mouth is different,” Eastwood rapidly realized. The man has already invested millions, and he claims that even if the ranch breaks even, he will still consider it a big success.
At the moment, the Mission Ranch’s shining structures include 31 premium guest rooms, a contemporary restaurant and bar, and some of California’s greatest vistas. Eastwood is continually building tennis courts and new fitness centers.
Eastwood chose to enlist the assistance of Alan Williams for the refurbishment. Alan works for the Carmel Development Company, which specializes in building rehabilitation. A mason who had previously rebuilt the Mission San Carlos Borromeo refurbished the chimneys. When the ranch needed furniture, he brought in some worn-out items from film sets.
Frances Fisher, who collaborated with Eastwood on the film “Unforgiven,” provided invaluable assistance with the quilts and floral arrangements.
“She is more concerned with minutiae, whereas I am concerned with the larger picture,” Eastwood observes.
Eastwood hired North Carolina-based furniture maker Edgar Broyhill to bring him more serious furnishings. Broyhill is a golf course friend who developed the Mission Ranch Collection. “Furniture is what gives a room its personality… “I wanted this furniture to have a strong sense to it while yet being incredibly comfy,” Eastwood said. According to Broyhill, the collection’s emphasis is on physical comfort, which is why he included several deep cushions and practicality. He made it clear that he was not attempting to make a fashion statement.
Eastwood is well-liked not just on the ranch but also in the surrounding area. He is, nonetheless, incredibly quiet and reclusive. He describes himself as not the “jolly host” type. Rather, he is a modest and affable man who readily offers credit to others while downplaying his own personal achievements. With his shamble and loose attire, the individual is practically unidentifiable. He enjoys flying, which is perhaps why he has his own helicopter.
Clint Eastwood, who is 90 years old, has been in over 30 films. It appears that the love affair he began with the little town has blossomed into a passionate union of worldly power and natural beauty.
“Carmel is fantastic… That just goes into your blood. After you’ve been away and returned here, it always seems like coming home.”
When Eastwood first saw the Mission Ranch, he knew it was his mission. It is now nearly finished. He should be pleased with himself.
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