Nearest city Big Sur, California NRHP Reference # 90001464 | Architect Helmuth Deetjen Added to NRHP September 13, 1990 | |
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Architectural style American Craftsman, and Other. | ||
Deetjen's Big Sur Inn is one of the oldest hotels in Big Sur, a scenic area on the Monterey coast of California.
Contents
History
In the late 1920s Helmuth Deetjen fled Norway and eventually settled in Big Sur. He soon married Helen Haight, a member of the important California Haight family. Henry Huntly Haight was the 10th Governor of California, and many places in San Francisco were named for this family. The couple moved to Big Sur in the early 1930s; at first they lived in tents, but eventually they built a small house and a big barn.
The couple was quite hospitable and enjoyed sheltering and feeding travelers in the days before Highway 1 made travel easier along the Central Coast of California. Eventually, they settled on Helen's forty acre property in Castro Canyon, where they proceeded to build small cottages in the Norwegian style and a restaurant known for its excellent food. Over time, the Deetjen's came to be known in the area as "Grandpa" and "Grandma".
The hotel has been very popular ever since for its rustic charm and beautiful scenery. The building has many historic features, including glass Helmuth made himself in King City and brought over the mountains to Big Sur by mule. Helmuth died in 1972 and all of his holdings in the canyon were placed in a trust to ensure that they were not sold off piecemeal.
Present day
Today the property is owned by the Deetjen's Big Sur Inn Preservation Foundation, and operated on a non-profit basis.
In 1990 Big Sur Inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A photographic essay book on its history, called Big Sur Inn: The Deetjen Legacy (Gibbs Smith, ISBN 1423600126) was released in 2006.