Julia Morgan, The Place-Maker

By Roxanne Vigil and Paige Robar 

The spaces where we spend our time shape our lives. Our surroundings can make us feel safe, empowered, and uplifted.

YWCA has always been a place-based organization. For more than 165 years, Local YWCAs have tailored their facilities, programs, and services to meet the unique needs of women, girls, and families in their communities. This deep commitment to place is central to who we are.

This tradition can be traced back to one of our great place-makers: architect Julia Morgan.

We often hear about the men who built the structures that define our nation, William F. Lamb and the Empire State Building, Joseph Strauss and the Golden Gate Bridge, Frank Lloyd Wright and Fallingwater. But Morgan, despite her remarkable contributions, was left out of that narrative. Over the course of her career, Julia Morgan designed more than 800 buildings, including Hearst Castle, the San Simeon mansion of publishing titan William Randolph Hearst, cementing her legacy as one of America’s most prolific and influential architects.

Born in California, Morgan earned a degree in engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1894. With the support of renowned philanthropist and suffragist Phoebe Hearst, she became the first woman admitted to the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 1904, she went on to become the first licensed female architect in California.

When Morgan returned from Paris in 1902 to begin her career, she faced persistent discrimination. Women did not yet have the right to vote, and despite her talent and ambition, many men refused to work with her. Those who did often underpaid her or attempted to undermine her. Undeterred, Morgan drew on the strength of California’s women’s movement, leveraging her network to create spaces where young women could feel safe and thrive.

This vision found a natural partner in YWCA. During the early 20th century, Morgan was introduced to YWCA at one of many of Phoebe Hearst’s frequent gatherings, marking the beginning of a powerful and enduring partnership between one of the nation’s leading women’s organizations and the rising young architect. At a time when few institutions would entrust a woman with major commissions, YWCA not only hired Morgan but did so repeatedly, allowing her to build a body of work that might otherwise have been impossible.

Together, they brought a shared philosophy to life. Morgan’s designs centered on the history, culture, and people of each place, an approach that aligned closely with YWCA’s community-centered mission. She designed more than 19 YWCA buildings and facilities across Arizona, California, Hawai‘i, and Utah. Some remain in use today, each reflecting the community that inspired its design. These were not just buildings; they were infrastructure for a movement and a reclamation of female autonomy. Morgan’s designs made YWCA’s mission tangible in daily life, creating spaces where women could gather, learn, and lead, often where no such spaces had existed before.

Among her earliest and most remarkable YWCA projects was the Asilomar Conference Grounds, built between 1913 and 1928 in Pacific Grove, California. Designed as a place where young women could gather, learn, and grow in community, the site features Arts and Crafts style buildings that harmonize with the natural landscape. Its name, Asilomar, meaning “refuge by the sea,” captures the spirit of the space.

Her work with the YWCA continued in many forms and across communities nationwide. The Hollywood Studio Club, which opened in 1926 and is still proudly owned by the YWCA Greater Los Angeles, was developed in collaboration with the YWCA National Board as a safe haven for women arriving in Hollywood with nowhere else to call home. Over the years, Marilyn Monroe, Ayn Rand, Donna Reed, Kim Novak, Maureen O’Sullivan, Rita Moreno, Barbara Eden, and Sharon Tate would all call the building home. YWCA’s across the country still offer emergency and permanent supportive housing for women and families today.

Similarly, the Japanese YWCA in San Francisco, now recognized as the Issei Women’s Building, was funded by the local Japanese community and designed specifically for them. Completed in 1932 in an eclectic Japanese style, it became a vital gathering place for Nikkei women, offering a safe space within a segregationist landscape. The building hosted cultural and educational programs ranging from Japanese tea ceremonies, cooking, embroidery; employment and school counseling programs; and lectures on music history, current affairs, economics religion, history, law, literature, and drama.

Other buildings Morgan designed for YWCA include the YWCA Clubhouse in Salt Lake City, YWCA Oahu’s Honolulu headquarters, Laniakea (still in use today), and the Riverside YWCA in California, which now houses the Riverside Art Museum. YWCA was her most significant institutional client, a partnership that lasted until her death in 1957. Through her work, Morgan created the physical foundation that allowed YWCA to grow into the movement it is today, dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

Today, her legacy invites us to reflect on the power of place. If you find yourself in California, Arizona, Utah, or Hawaii, we encourage you to visit a YWCA building designed by Julia Morgan. Though a private person in life, her buildings continue to speak powerfully to her vision, creativity, and enduring commitment to community.