Carmel-by-the-Sea Jane Powers Walkway Loop Plus Carmel Beach Walking Tour - Part 2
Here are some video highlights of the walk.
You are now on the California Coastal Trail, Pebble Beach Section.
Oldest Homes in Carmel
Murphy/Powers Home
Murphy Barn/Powers Studio
As I wrote about in Part 1 of this walking tour, Frank H. Powers signed the deed to the ranch house and log barn on the west side of N. San Antonio, March 16, 1904, taking possession from Ann Murphy.
But let's rewind a half a century. Ann Murphy was born in Ireland, her husband John Monroe Murphy was born in the United States. They married in Boston on September 18, 1853. After begetting four children they headed west. Four more children were born in northern and central California and their last two children born in Monterey. Eight children survived to become some of the first citizens of Carmel.
John and Ann, along with their eight children made a homestead squatting on 92 acres of what would become Carmel. John's uncle Matthew Murphy, a sea captain by trade, built the house and barn on the northern dunes of what is now Carmel Beach.
In 1875, after a survey had been completed, John Murphy was allowed to formalize their family claim by paying the U.S. Government $1.25 per acre. On May 20, 1875, John Murphy received patent deeds for his land signed by President Ulysses S. Grant.
Now fast forward to 1904, Ann Murphy, a widow, sold her property on Carmel beach to Frank Powers.
The picture above is of the Murphy Barn after Frank and Jane took possession. Frank is to the left and Jane to the far right. Jane remodeled the barn into Carmel's first art studio. In 1905 Jane became a founding member and Vice-President of the Arts and Crafts Club of Carmel which was the precursor of the Carmel Art Association.
After the 1906 earthquake Jane convinced many of her artists friends to move to Carmel. Jane strongly influenced the promotion of Carmel as a colony for artists throughout her tenure as a resident. Both Frank and Jane were major influences on the development of Carmel. By 1910, eleven years after Frank obtained his first piece of land in Carmel as payment for a legal bill, there were 375 homes built in Carmel, many built by citizens whose life work was connected with the arts in some form.
In 1909, Wilhelm Heinrich Funk was commissioned to paint a portrait of Jane Powers. Something happened between Jane and Wilhelm that may have been more than a friendship. Whatever it was, it was enough to make Frank Powers rewrite his will in 1914 leaving his wife a fixed monthly income and a homestead in either their San Francisco or Carmel home.
Now, if you stand outside the gate of the first driveway south of the Jane Powers Walkway on N. San Antonio, you are standing just south of what is left of the Murphy Barn/Jane Powers Art Studio. The structure is behind the gate shown in the picture above.
Continuing south on N. San Antonio when you come to the next driveway you will see c'est la view.
Continue on the boardwalk that meanders through a protected Habitat for Tidestrom's Lupine and the Black Legless Lizard.
and reverse your direction
and pathway
to the intersection of San Antonio and Fourth Avenue.
Resist the urge to follow the arrows to Ocean Avenue
and continue east on Fourth
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Photos of 10 Carmel Way from Carmel Realty Company listing.
Photo of Richardson Cabin from the G. William Gahagan Scrapbook at the Harrison Memorial Library History.
We left off in Part 1 at the exit of the Jane Powers Walkway onto N. San Antonio.
Take caution when crossing this street. It is heavily traveled as it is the entrance to Pebble Beach from Carmel.
Carmel Gate to Pebble Beach
(1/4 mile add on)
(1/4 mile add on)
If time permits you may add this 1/4 mile addition to your walk. Cross N. San Antonio and take a right. This pedestrian walkway was developed in 2010 to connect the Del Monte Forest trail system to Carmel Beach as part of the California Coastal Trail.
Walk past some pretty pricey homes and check out their view of Pescadero Point.
Enter into Pebble Beach via the Carmel Gate. Walkers do not have to pay to enter. If you are interested in getting a map of Pebble Beach for another time, just ask for one at the gate.
You are now on the California Coastal Trail, Pebble Beach Section.
A little further on your right is the entrance for walkers ONLY AFTER GOLF HOURS, and only on golf cart paths to the 10th and 11th hole at Pebble Beach. Rules are clearly (sort of, sorry) posted.
The best time to take this in, is during the summer after golf has ended for the day.
At the bend, cross the street to the entrance to the Redondo Real Trail. This is part of the Del Monte Forest Hiking and Equestrian Trails. But this will have to wait for another adventure.
Reverse your steps back past the Carmel Gate to Pebble Beach and back to the exit of the Jane Powers Walkway on N. San Antonio and we pick up our regularly scheduled walk below.
Oldest Homes in Carmel
Murphy/Powers Home
Murphy Barn/Powers Studio
As I wrote about in Part 1 of this walking tour, Frank H. Powers signed the deed to the ranch house and log barn on the west side of N. San Antonio, March 16, 1904, taking possession from Ann Murphy.
But let's rewind a half a century. Ann Murphy was born in Ireland, her husband John Monroe Murphy was born in the United States. They married in Boston on September 18, 1853. After begetting four children they headed west. Four more children were born in northern and central California and their last two children born in Monterey. Eight children survived to become some of the first citizens of Carmel.
In 1875, after a survey had been completed, John Murphy was allowed to formalize their family claim by paying the U.S. Government $1.25 per acre. On May 20, 1875, John Murphy received patent deeds for his land signed by President Ulysses S. Grant.
Now fast forward to 1904, Ann Murphy, a widow, sold her property on Carmel beach to Frank Powers.
The picture above is of the Murphy Barn after Frank and Jane took possession. Frank is to the left and Jane to the far right. Jane remodeled the barn into Carmel's first art studio. In 1905 Jane became a founding member and Vice-President of the Arts and Crafts Club of Carmel which was the precursor of the Carmel Art Association.
After the 1906 earthquake Jane convinced many of her artists friends to move to Carmel. Jane strongly influenced the promotion of Carmel as a colony for artists throughout her tenure as a resident. Both Frank and Jane were major influences on the development of Carmel. By 1910, eleven years after Frank obtained his first piece of land in Carmel as payment for a legal bill, there were 375 homes built in Carmel, many built by citizens whose life work was connected with the arts in some form.
In 1909, Wilhelm Heinrich Funk was commissioned to paint a portrait of Jane Powers. Something happened between Jane and Wilhelm that may have been more than a friendship. Whatever it was, it was enough to make Frank Powers rewrite his will in 1914 leaving his wife a fixed monthly income and a homestead in either their San Francisco or Carmel home.
Now, if you stand outside the gate of the first driveway south of the Jane Powers Walkway on N. San Antonio, you are standing just south of what is left of the Murphy Barn/Jane Powers Art Studio. The structure is behind the gate shown in the picture above.
If you squint just right while looking through the bushes above the fence, and the wind is blowing in the westerly direction you can get a filtered view of Jane's art studio. Though it has been renovated over the years, the resemblance to the original is there.
Continuing south on N. San Antonio when you come to the next driveway you will see c'est la view.
C'est la view may remind you of the architectural style Albert Henry Hill used on his trilogy of homes on Lopez. It should, Hill built this in 1971 for the current owners who also own the property to the south, the Murphy/Powers House.
From the walkway on N. San Antonio the large grove of massive Eucalyptus, planted by John and Ann Murphy over 100 years ago, block any view of this historic house. But don't worry, I will take you to a spot you may get a glimpse.
At the next driveway look for the California Coastal Trail and Carmel Beach sign.
Turn right following the direction toward the beach. This path parallels driveways to Carmel's Sand and Sea subdivision.
Keep watch for an opening in the thick branches of Eucalyptus trees to your right. The picture below shows a new structure just finished in 2015. This was built parallel, and in a similar design, just south, of the Murphy/Powers House which Frank and Jane lived in and referred to as The Dunes.
The Dunes, originally built by Matthew Murphy around 1846, was remodeled by the Powers family in 1904 adding a wood floor to what had formerly been dirt. The Dunes, shown below c. 1911, was the home of Frank and Jane Powers and their family.
That is Frank on the porch holding his granddaughter Lolly the grandmother of artist Erin Gafill. Erin will be speaking about her great-great-grandmother Jane Powers on March 17th at the Sunset Center. Back to the time line.
Frank Powers died in 1920 at the age of 56. The Dunes property was sold to the Mackenzie family who also made some alterations to the property. In the photo below you can just view the white siding of what is left of the original Murphy/Powers House.
In 1920, according to Jane Powers granddaughter Lolly Fassett, Jane took all her paintings from her studio down to Camel Beach and burned them in a bonfire. Jane then left for Europe where she resumed painting in studios she set up in Paris, Rome and Capri.
In 1942 Jane was living in Rome during the German occupation. Her fixed monthly income guaranteed her by her husband's will was cut off. In 1944 during the liberation, Jane's grandson Seth Ulman, a 24 year old US Army medic met his grandmother for the first time. Jane Gallitan Powers died shortly thereafter in December 1944.
Artist Erin Gafill, the great-great-grandaughter of Jane Powers wrote a touching piece on her great-great-grandmother called The Life & Legacy of a California Artist - Jane Gallatin Powers (1868-1944). It is worth the read.
North Carmel Beach
Continue toward the beach. When you see the sign that says Coastal Access enter the pathway.
The path exits onto a boardwalk that crosses the North Del Mar Dunes. This boardwalk and the stairs at the end to the beach were developed in 2010 as part of the walkway that would connect Carmel Beach to Del Monte Forest in Pebble Beach.
Continue on the boardwalk that meanders through a protected Habitat for Tidestrom's Lupine and the Black Legless Lizard.
It is winter and not a good time to find any nice specimens of the Tidestrom's Lupine and I have never actually seen the Black Legless Lizard (which sounds like a snake). But I did look up Mr. B. L. Lizard on Wikipedia, so keep an eye out for one of these. Snake right?
At the end of the boardwalk there is a set of 64 steps to the beach.
Carmel Beach Walk
(1/4 mile add on)
(1/4 mile add on)
If time permits and the tide is out, this is a quick 1/8th mile out and 1/8th mile back. A lovely walk along the north end of Carmel Beach. At the end of the stairs turn right (north) toward the Pebble Beach Golf Course - Hole 10 and 9 are directly in front of you. Walk as far as possible toward the golf course as the tide permits then turn around and come back to the stairs.
At this end of the beach it is imperative that you pay attention to the tide. The picture below was taken earlier this week. The tide not completely in, but higher than the one from the previous picture.
Tides change the shape of the beach almost hourly.
If you don't feel that the tide is a safe enough distance from the bluff don't chance it.
The tide always wins and getting trapped on the north end happens during high tide. When in doubt, stay on the steps higher than the tide can reach like this gentleman in the picture below. His dog was off leash and tried to beat the wave and was trapped. Happy ending, but heed the warning.
The north end of Carmel Beach is a haven for seabirds. The very common California Gull,
not as common Heermann's Gull and the Marbled Godwit. This is my first still picture of a Godwit.
I tried to make Mr. Godwit my new best friend, but he was more interested in fishing.
As you return to the stairs you can not miss the mansion that peaks over the sea wall - that brought in the highest recorded sale in Carmel-by-the-Sea to date.
Carmel Realty Company, representing the sellers, sold this property in December 2015 to an east coast bohemian venture capitalist for $27,000,000. On the market for $37,500,000 the new owners received a cool 28% off - such a deal.
According to the Wall Street Journal, and the Pine Cone, the buyer is Andrew M. Paul the managing partner of Sopris Capital and a member of the Board of Trustees of Cancer Research Institute.
Climb back up the 64 steps
and reverse your direction
via the boardwalk
to the intersection of San Antonio and Fourth Avenue.
Resist the urge to follow the arrows to Ocean Avenue
and continue east on Fourth
on to the pedestrian pathway of the Fourth Avenue Riparian Habitat.
In late 2001, more than 30 eucalyptus trees were removed from this four block stretch of Fourth Avenue due to the danger they presented to the residents who lived under their canopy.
In 2008 the city awarded Green Valley Landscaping a $280,661 contract to restore the area with the Fourth Avenue Riparian Habitat Restoration Project. (The plaque shown below can be seen at the southwest corner of Casanova and Fourth.)
The plan for the restoration included restoring the natural habitat of the 800 foot drainage channel, planting trees and shrubs, creating a pedestrian path and embedding an underground storage tank to provide reclaimed water for irrigation.
Between 2008 - 2010 the restoration was completed except for the underground storage tank which proved to be too costly.
Just before Casanova Avenue you will come to Lopez Avenue, make a left on Lopez. Two houses from the corner on the east side of the street is a cottage called Casanova Cottage which was built in 1914. In 1917 Robinson and Una Jeffers and their twin boys moved into this Craftsman bungalow and lived there until their home Tor House was completed.
Back on Fourth Avenue continue one more block east to Monte Verde and turn right. On the east side of Monte Verde (3rd house from the stop sign) covered by overgrown shrubs is Richardson Cabin.
This log cabin was built during 1902 - 1903 for George H. Richardson, an attorney from Alameda, California. In 1914 newlyweds Robinson and Una Jeffers moved in and lived here until they moved to the bungalow on Lopez in 1917.
The undated picture below of the log cabin was taken from the G. William Gahagan Scrapbook at the Harrison Memorial Library History Branch. My guess is that this picture is at least 20 years old.
The bushes and brush have completely overgrown this property. Currently if looking at this property directly from the street all you see are bushes. You would never know that a over 100 year old cabin resides behind them.
The best view now, shown below, is as you approach the house from the north on Monte Verde. That is it to the left of the tree and above the rock and metal wall.
From here make a left at the next street with is Fifth Avenue. Two blocks west and you arrive back at the Fifth Avenue Deli where we began.
If you are ready for another snack or maybe a cocktail I suggest a quick right on to San Carlos and the Hog's Breath Inn Pub.
Thanks for visiting. Happy Adventures!
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Historical information on the Murphy/Powers property made possible by History of the Murphy-Powers-Comstock Barn/Studio West of San Antonio Avenue Carmel, California - Prepared by Kirstie Wilde in support of an application for inclusion of this structure on Carmel's Historic Preservation List - dated April 12, 1993 - Carmel-by-the-Sea Department of Community Planning and Building files.
Photography by L. A. Momboisse unless otherwise noted below:
Photograph of John and Ann Murphy (Gloria Lester Collection) History of the Murphy-Powers-Comstock Barn/Studio West of San Antonio Avenue Carmel, California - Prepared by Kirstie Wilde in support of an application for inclusion of this structure on Carmel's Historic Preservation List - dated April 12, 1993 - Carmel-by-the-Sea Department of Community Planning and Building files
Photograph of Murphy Barn/Powers Art Studio c. 1905 with Frank and Jane Powers with their children. Photo taken by Edgar Cohen. Photo courtesy of the Fassett Family Archives.
Photograph of Murphy/Powers House c. 1911 with Frank Powers holding his daughter Lolly who is Erin Lee Gafill's grandmother. Erin made these two pictures possible. Photo courtesy of the Fassett Family Archives.
Photo of Anniella pulchra from Wikipedia.
Photos of 10 Carmel Way from Carmel Realty Company listing.
Photo of Richardson Cabin from the G. William Gahagan Scrapbook at the Harrison Memorial Library History.
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