Tor House and Hawk Tower facts for kids
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Robinson Jeffers House
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Tor House and Hawk Tower, viewed from Pacific Ocean side
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 Location in Monterey Peninsula
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 26304 Ocean View Avenue, Carmel, California |
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| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1919 |
| Built by | Robinson Jeffers |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000444 (NRHP listing) 100011386 (NHL designation) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 10, 1975 |
| Designated NHL | December 13, 2024 |
Tor House and Hawk Tower is a special historic home in Carmel, California. It was the home of the famous poet Robinson Jeffers and his family from 1919 until 1999. This is where Jeffers wrote all of his most important poems.
Building Tor House started in 1919 and finished in 1924. Jeffers helped build it as a stonemason's helper. He learned many skills while working on Tor House. Then, he used these skills to build Hawk Tower, starting in 1920 and finishing it in 1924.
In 1978, the Tor House Foundation was created. This group now takes care of Tor House and Hawk Tower as a museum. In 2024, the property was named a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical place.
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History of Tor House
In 1914, Robinson Jeffers and his wife, Una, had planned to move to England. But they changed their minds because of the start of World War I in Europe. A friend suggested they move to the small coastal town of Carmel, California.
When Jeffers moved to Carmel, he had only published one book of poems. But his successful career as a poet really began after he moved there. He wrote all of his major poetry works while living at Tor House.
In December 1914, Jeffers's father passed away. Jeffers received money each year, which allowed him to focus on writing poetry full-time. In 1916, Una gave birth to twin boys. They needed a bigger house, so the family moved to the Trethaway cottage, a wooden house nearby.
In the spring of 1919, the couple bought land at Carmel Point. This was their favorite spot to sit and watch the ocean during their daily walks. They started planning their new family home. Una wrote in 1941 that they built Tor House on a hill. The rocks sticking out of the ground reminded them of "tors" (rocky hills) they had seen in England. The family lived in this stone house until 1999.
Building Tor House
How the House Was Built
In May 1919, Jeffers hired Mike Murphy, a builder from Carmel, to construct a stone cottage. The design for the house was inspired by an old barn Una had seen in England. Murphy's stonemason started work right away. Jeffers joined as a helper, and the house was finished by mid-August.
Workers used strong ropes and horses to pull large granite rocks from the beach below. These rocks were used to build the outside of Tor House. The new home had a living room, a small guest bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, and sleeping areas in the loft. The house had running water, but it didn't have electricity until 1949. Jeffers also planted 2000 trees on the property.
After the cottage was done, Jeffers started building a separate garage and a low stone wall for a courtyard. He finished these in 1920. Then, he began working on a stone tower. After a break, he started building a dining room with a fireplace for cooking, which was finished in 1930. In 1937, Jeffers began building an extra section for his sons, who were in their 20s. He couldn't finish this last project because he became ill. His son, Donnan, completed the building in 1958 and moved his family into it.
Hawk Tower
After building the stone garage and wall, Jeffers started working on a tower in 1920. It took him four years to complete, finishing in late 1924. Una loved the old, ruined round towers of Ireland, and they inspired Hawk Tower. Una asked Jeffers to include a room for her and a "dungeon" for their boys. She also wanted a high place to look out over the ocean.
Jeffers named the tower Hawk Tower. He said it was named after a hawk that often appeared while he was building it, but stopped appearing after it was finished. He seemed to use the hawk as his symbol. He placed Una's symbol, a unicorn, above her second-floor door. He put a hawk above the door to his third-floor lookout.
Jeffers built the tower using large rocks he pulled from the beach. Some of these rocks weighed 400 pounds! He mixed the mortar and placed the stones himself. The finished tower was 40 feet tall. It had a "dungeon," a main room on the ground floor used for writing, and an open area on the third and fourth floors. A spiral staircase leads to a high observation point. From there, you can see amazing views of Carmel Bay, Point Lobos, and Pebble Beach. Besides rocks from the beach, Jeffers also used stones that he and Una had collected during their travels. Friends also donated stones for the tower.
It was while building Hawk Tower, between 1920 and 1924, that Jeffers is believed to have found his unique style as a poet. He put together and printed a small number of copies of his book Tamar and Other Poems during the last year of building the tower. He couldn't find a big publisher for the book until some editors discovered him.
Tor House Foundation
When the Jeffers family first arrived, Carmel was a tiny village with only one unpaved street. Over time, it grew into an important place for art and culture. The Tor House Foundation was started in 1978. Its job is to take care of Tor House and Hawk Tower as a museum. The foundation works to keep the buildings looking as they did and to protect their historical importance. The historic site was officially named a National Historic Landmark in 2024.
