Nepenthe’s Celebrates 75 Years in Big Sur

It can feel like the bow of a boat, depending on where you sit—on deck or inside at the edge of the world. Nepenthe, a restaurant that Bill and Lolly Fassett opened in 1949 and is on the coast of Big Sur with a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean, is a “Valhalla,” which is a place where people can eat, drink, and have fun almost all the time. Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth owned the property before they got married in 1943. While their driver, Mr. Joseph Cotton, was taking them from San Francisco to Los Angeles, they fell in love with the view. The property was given to “Rita Hayworth Welles,” as shown on the deed, four years later as part of their divorce settlement.

The Fassetts, who were looking for a place to live where they could provide for their five children, purchased the 12-acre parcel from the actress in 1947. In 1947, $14,000 was a significant sum for the majority of people.

The Trails Club, who rode over the Santa Lucias to the south coast, built a log cabin in the 1920s, which was the only building on the property at the time. The cabin was built by Sam Trotter, a Big Sur pioneer and builder known as “Paul Bunyon.” Frank and Walker Trotter, Trotter’s sons, built Nepenthe Restaurant and the Phoenix Shop in 1949.

Kirk Gafill describes the views from Nepenthe as “magical” and “really allows one to appreciate so much of the majesty and remarkable environmental qualities of the Big Sur Coast.” LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Group file) Kirk Gafill describes the views from Nepenthe as “a magical visual that really allows one to appreciate so much of the majesty and remarkable environmental qualities of the Big Sur Coast.” LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Group file) General Manager Kirk Gafill, a family owner and a member of the third generation of Fassetts to take the helm, took some time to talk about the history of this legendary location as the Fassett family prepared to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Nepenthe. This is how it all started.

Frank Hubbard Powers, an attorney from San Francisco who, along with real estate developer James Franklin Devendorf, established the Carmel Development Company in 1902, which they used to establish Carmel, was Jane Gallatin’s husband. Grace Madeleine Powers, the daughter of the Powers, had two daughters who were raised in Carmel: Madeleine (Lolly) and Elizabeth.

Source: https://www.montereyherald.com/2024/05/12/looking-back-on-nepenthes-75-years/