Migration of the Monastery Stones - San Francisco, California - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

"The weathered stones in the limestone wall that frames
this garden were once part of the Cistercian Monastery
of Santa Maria de Ovila in Spain.

1188 The monastery was founded, and for over six centuries
it dominated its surrounding near the Tagus River 90 miles
northeast of Madrid.

1835 The monastery was one of about 900 that were closed
by the Spanish government. It was then sold to private owners
and fell into disrepair.

1930 With approval of the Spanish National Art Commission,
monastery buildings were bought and disassembled for
William Randolph Hearst, the prominent publisher. The stones
were marked to aid reconstruction and were shipped to
California. Hearst planned to have the stones reassembled
as part of a retreat in Shasta County, about 250 miles north
of San Francisco. However, the stones were left in a San
Francisco warehouse due to Heart's financial setbacks
during the Depression.

1941 The city of San Francisco purchased the monastery
stones for the cost of storage, with the plan of reassembling
them as part of the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.
The necessary funds could not be raised, and the crates of
stones were stored near the museum. Unfortunately, fire and
weather erased most of the identifying marks, limiting future
plans for reconstruction. Since the 1960s, Strybing Arboretum
has used the stones for walls in many locations such as the
Succulent, Fragrance, and California gardens.

2000 The wall of the LIbrary Terrace Garden was created
from arch stones and decorative column pieces among more
regularly shaped blocks. Several stones are placed to show
historic markings that were incised by the medieval stone-
masons. Geometric incisions were cut as carving guides for
fluted column pieces. The salvaged stones contribute a
special sense of history to this part of Strybing."

(transcription my own, any mistakes also my own)

Group that erected the marker: city of San Francisco URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park San Francisco, CA USA 94122

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