History
Past. Present. Perfect.
California Dreaming
One hundred years ago luminaries from across America were hosted at Rancho San Carlos, and its grand Hacienda lodged guests for festive equestrian, culinary and cultural events. And so it is today, with members and guests enjoying the Hacienda for overnight stays and dinners shared with friends. Outside, the grand meadows are still grazed and long vistas that have captivated generations remain just as they were. Home to a storied past, it remains the treasured, understated heart of The Preserve.
Then & Now
A working ranch.
The Preserve has a rich history dating back to the indigenous people of the Rumsen Ohlone Tribe, whose legacy and spirit remain within the 31-square miles of land, today. The trails provide a walking history lesson where you will find mussel and abalone shells exposed in the soil and nearby grinding rocks where acorns were ground into mash. In the 1800’s the land was parceled out as “Ranchos” under California’s Mexican land grant system where thousands of head of cattle and several hundred horses roamed the land.
During the Roaring Twenties
George Gordon Moore, rumored to be F. Scott Fitzgerald’s inspiration for the iconic Jay Gatsby, fashioned the ranch into a paradise for the era’s elite. Beginning in 1939, business tycoon Arthur Oppenheimer returned it to a working ranch, prior to the Santa Lucia Conservancy and Preserve Community being established in the 1990s.
For centuries, these lands have nurtured us, first the Native Americans, then the Mexican and Spanish settlers — all respectful and mindful of their role in preserving this sacred place. The past remains a vivid and inspiring part of the present.
Today, The Santa Lucia Preserve is a community dedicated to appreciating and respecting the natural beauty of The Preserve and its geographical, historical and cultural setting. The community includes member families, the Santa Lucia Conservancy and the staff who support operations and infrastructure. Working in partnership, the members of the community aim to gently settle, use, share, sustain and enjoy the land by protecting, maintaining and, whenever possible, enhancing its natural resources and wildlife.
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Photo Credits: Garnick Moore Photographers, Joann Dost, Allen Kennedy.
