Mission Ranch

Mission Ranch is a historic hotel and restaurant in Carmel, Monterey County, California, United States. It is located in the unincorporated Mission Tract south of the incorporated city of Carmel-by-the-Sea, near the Carmel Mission, at 26270 Dolores Street. The property was bought in 1986 by Clint Eastwood, who restored the premises in the style of the original buildings. The hotel has 31 rooms located within ten buildings on the property.

History


The Mission Ranch once included 160 acre and was owned by Juan Romero, a native American. In 1852, Romero deeded the property to William Curtis, a Monterey storekeeper, for $300.

Curtis sold the property to Lafayette F., and Annie Loveland in 1856. William Martin of Scotland arrived in Monterey in 1856 by ship with his family. His son, John Martin, bought land around the Carmel River from Loveland in 1859.

Martin built the Martin Ranch on 216 acre that went as far as the Carmel River to the homes along Carmel Point. The ranch became known as the Mission Ranch because it was so close to the Carmel Mission. They farmed potatoes and barley and had a milk dairy.

W. J. Curtis built a creamery at the ranch in 1897. The owner retired from the dairy business in 1917 and put 65 cows up for auction.

Carmel Martin, the youngest of the Martin boys, sold the ranch on August 23, 1929, to millionaire tycoon Willis J. Walker of Pebble Beach, who was chairman of the Red River Lumber Company. At that time it was known as the "Valley Ranch Club." After the Walkers, it was owned by Margaret and Bert Dienelt, who had the ranch for many years. The restaurant featured a piano bar, with dancing in the barn.

In November 1937, the Mission Ranch began providing rooms for visitors.

Clint Eastwood bought the ranch in 1986, rescuing it from a condominium development. He restored the property in the style of the original buildings. Buildings on the property reflect the architectural period of the 1850s, that includes the restaurant and dance barn and the century old Martin farmhouse and bunkhouse.

In the 1959 movie A Summer Place, with characters Ken Jorgenson (Richard Egan) and Sylvia (Dorothy McGuire) have a beach house, which was filmed at the Clinton Walker House with scenes filmed at a cottage located at Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant.