Room Descriptions 2014

As of February 11, 2014, Subject to change

Please help us protect and preserve our Home and Collections by not touching the objects and
historic finishes throughout. We hope you enjoy your visit.

Portico & Foyer

Filoli's Portico exhibits a classical transition from the courtyard to a semi-enclosed space with
alcoves and a decorated ceiling. The two center monolithic columns are true weight bearing
columns of light beige Tavernelle marble in the Tuscan order style - simple and rustic. The
selection of the "order" of the columns was the owner's statement that Filoli was truly a country
home. The other four half-columns, the elaborate cornice at the intersection of the walls and
roof, and the water table used at the main floor line of the House are all made of glazed terra
cotta provided by Gladding, McBean and Company. There are also two pocket or siege doors
that can be closed to cover the main doors. The two birdbaths on either side of the Portico,
copied from those found in Pompeii, Italy, came from the Bourn’s San Francisco home. Filoli’s
greenhouse horticultural staff provide a rotating display of seasonal color.
Inside, the uncluttered, oval, high-domed entrance Foyer has a beige Tavernelle marble floor
edged with Belgian black marble. The walls and ceiling are scored to resemble masonry, making
a transition from the Portico. Two large cachepots on tall black iron stands have greeted visitors
since the time of the Bourns. Each holds a rotating display of plants from the Filoli greenhouses.
The cachepots flank the large double doors that lead to the Transverse Hall and Reception room.
These doors are oak on the Foyer facing side and mahogany on the Hall side. To the right is the
Ladies' Waiting Room or Cloak room and to the left is the Men's Waiting or Cloak room.

Cloak Rooms / Waiting Rooms

Visitors to Filoli would be ushered into the appropriate waiting room or cloak room to freshen
themselves and leave their coats before being shown in to meet their host and hostess. Each
cloak room has a powder room and deep coat closet attached. These original restrooms are still
available for use today.
In the Ladies’ cloak room, the north door leads to a room used for storage and flower arranging.
Still used for this purpose, today it is known as the Flower Arranging Room. Here Filoli
volunteers prepare dozens of exquisite flower arrangements for the House and Visitors’ Center
using freshly harvested flowers from the garden. This space is not open to the public.
Although the Bourns hosted a number of parties and events at Filoli during their nearly 20 year
residence; it was during the Roth era that Filoli became a premier location for many society
events. One of the first was the debut party for the Roth’s twin daughters, Lurline and Berenice.
San Francisco newspapers at the time would write that the girls were “launched like luxury
liners” into San Francisco society; it was the event of the 1939 season. Other memorable
occasions included Berenice’s wedding and reception in September 1941, and Lurline’s wedding
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reception in November 1943. By the 1960s, Mrs. Roth was proudly hosting debut parties for her
granddaughters. With the assistance of famous West Coast designer Tony Duquette, Mrs. Roth
became known for transforming Filoli into a new fantasy for each event.

Transverse Hall South

The Transverse Hallway connects all of the major rooms on the first floor of the House except
for the Ballroom and Staff Wing. On the original blueprints, the Reception room is considered
one with the Transverse Hall; they are simply labeled "The Hall." The Transverse Hallway is
174 feet (including the dining room portion), running the length of the House on a north-south
axis. Its length is visually reduced by alternating flat and vaulted ceiling treatments and by the
placement of several prominent archways. The exterior door at the south end of the Hallway,
technically within the Dining Room, was one of the few formal entrances to the garden from
inside the House. This door is now only available during special events. The north-south axis
design continues all the way through the garden nearly 1/3 of a mile to the south. Note the
carved pineapple motif (a symbol of hospitality) is included in the pediment over the entry to the
Dining Room.

Ship Room (aka. Breakfast Room)

This room was designated as the “Breakfast Room” on the original blueprints. It was
undoubtedly used as a vantage point by the head butler in order to observe the front door and
arriving guests. Access to the entry foyer is through a semi-hidden door (called a “jib door”)
leading into the Men’s Waiting or Cloak Room. The Breakfast room, now known as the Ship
Room, offers an opportunity to share the maritime background of the Roth family.
Lurline Matson Roth’s father, William Matson, was born in Sweden and came to New York in
1863 as a cabin boy at the age of 14. Working his way up in the maritime world, he arrived in
San Francisco after a trip around the Cape Horn in 1867. In 1882, he bought his first ship, the
“Emma Claudina,” named for the daughter of Claus Spreckles who loaned him part of the
finances for the ship. William Matson, then a Master Mariner, built his first ship in 1887, the
400-ton brigantine he named “Lurline,” and sailed it as a supply ship between San Francisco and
Hilo, Hawaii. In 1888, Lillie Low, traveling to Hilo to teach in the missionary school, sailed on
the “Lurline” and met the ship’s captain. After teaching a year in Hawaii Lillie married Captain
Matson in Hawaii in May of 1889. In September 1890, Lurline Berenice, named for her father’s
ship, was born in San Francisco. He took the name “Lurline” from the sea nymph Lorelei, a
mythical siren who lured sailors to their deaths. His daughter, Lurline Matson Roth, in turn
named one of her twin daughters Lurline.
Captain Matson founded the Matson Navigation Company in 1882. Although he would never
again captain a ship after the birth of his daughter Lurline in 1890, the family often traveled on
Matson ships back and forth to Hawaii. In October 1916, Captain Matson died at age 67. After
his death, his son-in-law, William Roth, was named General Manager and Vice President of the
Matson Navigation Company. During the 1920s, the company expanded significantly, acquiring
subsidiary companies, building super freighters, and building the 16-story Matson Building in
San Francisco. The first of the Matson’s hotels was built in 1927—The Royal Hawaiian. In

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1927, William Roth was named President. Under his leadership in the 1930s, the company built
its fleet of luxury cruise ships and expanded into the hotel business in Hawaii. Four luxury
passenger ships, the Malolo (later christened the Matsonia), Mariposa, Monterey, and the Lurline
were all added to the fleet. New hotels including the Surfrider, Moana, and the Princess Kailani,
were built by the Matson Company. These hotels were sold to the Sheraton Corporation in 1955.

Kitchen
The Kitchen was used for the preparation of all food for the family, guests, and staff. At times,
as many as three meals were prepared each sitting: an early one for the children, one for the
family (and guests), and one for the staff. Family and guests were served from the Butler’s
Pantry into the Dining Room or Breakfast Room; while staff meals were served from a small
pantry located in the staff wing beyond the Service Porch.
Here in the Kitchen, the 17 foot high coved ceiling helps keep the room cool even with
continuous cooking throughout the day. The large electric stove, originally destined for one of
the Matson cruise ships, was installed during World War II when the original oil-fired stove
could not be repaired. Between 1959 and 1961 the Roths modernized the Kitchen and Butler’s
Pantry installing the blue linoleum floors, turquoise metal cabinets, dishwashers and electric
ovens. The look of the Kitchen was partially restored by Hollywood during the filming of
Michael Douglas’ The Game in the early 1990s.
There are two small rooms off the main Kitchen: one was originally a walk-in cold storage ice
room, the other a pastry room. Although Filoli has always had electricity, originally, it did not
have electrical refrigeration. Tony, the Woodside Iceman, delivered ice daily in the 1920s. Over
the years various staff called the Pastry Kitchen home and all were known for their delicious
breads, cookies and treats. Beyond the Kitchen and Back Porch entrance is the remainder of the
Staff Wing which contains: 10 bedrooms, 3 baths, and a combined Living and Dining Room split
over two floors. This portion of the House is not available for tours as it currently houses the
Membership Department and other administrative offices.
The enlarged census sheets show the staff living on property at the time of both the 1930 (Bourn
era) and 1940 (Roth era) censuses. In both instances there were additional staff that lived offsite,
or worked seasonally or as needed for special events and parties. In the later Roth years, more
and more staff lived off-site, commuting in daily for work.
Kee’s Domain
For more than 40 years the Roths’ Kitchens were skillfully managed by Chef Kee Low. A native
Californian, Kee began working for the family around 1916 and dominated the Kitchens until his
retirement in 1961. Anecdotes tell of Mrs. Roth describing the taste and appearance of dishes
after visiting restaurants and banquets and Kee being able to recreate them exactly for her table
here at Filoli. More than 50 years later, the Roths’ twin daughters still fondly remember Kee’s
cookies and treats. Over the years, both his sons, Chew Low and Lung Ho, worked as assistant
cooks and cooks alongside many of their nephews before continuing on with their studies.
The Roths had a wonderful relationship with their staff going as far as paying for Chew Low’s
studies at University of Berkeley and continuing to pay Kee his salary, as well as renting him an

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apartment in San Francisco’s Chinatown, after his retirement. Kee and Mrs. Roth remained
lifelong friends.

Butler’s Pantry
From the staff’s viewpoint, the Butler’s Pantry was the operational heart of the House. This
room was used to plate and serve food, wash china and stemware; as well as be the storage place
for the various tableware pieces.
The callboard still bears the names of the Roth family. A family member would press a button,
which would ring a bell and light up the board, indicating the room location, and someone would
be sent immediately to that room. As you tour the House you might spot the small buttons next
to the fireplaces on the first floor. The same held true on the bedroom level. However,
additional buttons were also located near each of the seven bathtubs upstairs.
The cupboards and safe contain a variety of plates, glasses, pewter and silver from Filoli’s
permanent collection. Most are donations to Filoli Center by a variety of donors including Mrs.
Roth. An 1896 Tiffany & Co. silver service for 18, crafted for Mr. and Mrs. Bourn is now kept
elsewhere but used to reside in the lower open portion of the silver safe. The 581 piece service
was housed in a custom made walnut and mahogany chest that could be rolled out to the dining
room when needed. The service was purchased along with the furnishings when the Roths
bought Filoli in 1937. Mrs. Roth generously donated the service back to Filoli at the time of her
death along with many original furnishings. A selection of the Bourn Tiffany silver service is
normally on display in the Holding Room next to the Ballroom.
Today, the walk-in silver safe contains some of Filoli Center’s silver collection. Early
inventories from the Bourn era include a dazzling list of silver serving pieces. In fact, the
catalog of the Bourn auction in 1937 listed “6 dozen sterling silver dinner plates and 2 dozen
soup bowls to match.”
The Roths installed the blue linoleum floor, the turquoise metal cabinets, and dishwasher
between 1959-61 in order to modernize the Kitchen and Butler’s Pantry and make them more
efficient. The rooms have been maintained much as they were to reflect the different eras during
which the House was occupied.
The dumbwaiter in the corner was used to send food and laundry to the second floor. The
Dumbwaiter room on the second floor was next to the master bedroom suite and an extra-large
walk-in linen closet. The plate warmer on the eastern wall is an original appliance dating to the
Bourn era. The center work table has practical storage for linens in drawers that go all the way
through the table and are accessible from either side.

Dining Room
The Dining Room was used for both family dinners and for formal dinner parties. The dining
table can intimately seat as few as two guests at its smallest round or be extended to seat up to 14
guests at its full 12 foot length. Additional tables and chairs would be brought in for larger
parties. Historic photographs of the room show dinners with as many as 22 guests seated in this
room. Larger parties were normally held in the ballroom or front courtyard. On more than one
occasion during the Roth era, the entire western side of the house was cleared of furniture so that
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dozens of round dinner tables could be distributed throughout the dining room, drawing room
and library.
The room is paneled in dark-stained oak with carved moldings and a faux painted cast plaster
cornice. Eight Dutch Baroque styled brass sconces on the walls match the central chandelier.
The quarter sawn oak wood floor has a wide edging band of parquet in a basket weave pattern.
The large fireplace has alpha grade French Escalette marble. This high-grade marble is no
longer available but was used in the building of Versailles, Malmaison, and The Petit Trianon.
Carved by Italian craftsmen, the belicion-mold design mantel has carved belicion return corners.
This design required a much larger block of marble but has the advantage of having no mitered
separations. The 1917 curtains are Italian silk in a floral pattern; originally they were a darker
purple but have faded to their present silvery mauve.
Nearly all of the furniture in the dining room is original to the House and pictures of the room
over the last hundred years are nearly indistinguishable. Unfortunately, the twelve original
needlepoint dining chairs were sold at auction in 1975 and have not returned to Filoli. The large
three-paneled gilt screen dates to the Bourn era and hides two swinging doors to the Butler’s
Pantry. The screen was sold in the 1975 Roth Auction, but, as it turned out, the winner was only
interested in the original French tapestry panels. Bill Roth, son of Mrs. Roth, purchased the
screen frame and gave it to Filoli Center. The original panels have been replaced by three
needlepoint designs depicting scenes from the gardens of Filoli done by the Tuesday Stitchers of
the Assistance League of San Mateo County. The incredible artwork reflects more than five
years of work by the Stitchers. Many of their names are stitched on a panel hung on the back of
the frame. The china cupboard on the western wall once belonged to Mrs. Roth’s mother, Lillie
Matson. The painting above the fireplace is titled Still Life with Dead Game by the Dutch artist,
Jan Weenix, painted in 1703. Still life paintings from this period are steeped in symbolism and
were meant to show the bounty of the owner’s table and estate. Weenix painted a number of
similar paintings; one of which is in the Queen’s art collection at Buckingham Palace and
another at Harvard. Many of his best works still reside in private residences.
The wool Isphahan style palace carpet was originally hand-woven in Agra, India, for Queen
Victoria’s home, Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight. It was purchased in England by the
Bourns and kept in the Library for nearly 95 years. The rug was recently relocated to this room
to protect it from foot traffic. During a recent room restoration Osborne House had a copy of the
carpet rewoven which is currently on display at Osborne House.

Drawing Room (aka. Music Room / French Room)

The term “Drawing Room” is derived from the phrase “to withdraw,” which is traditionally what
ladies would do after dinner, allowing the men to remain in the dining room to enjoy their cigars
and brandy. This room has had several names through the years, reflecting its various uses.
Mrs. Bourn, an accomplished pianist, used it as a Music Room. Later it became known as the
French Room because of the many 19th century French mezzotints that once hung on the walls.
Today it is known simply as the Drawing Room.
A concealed door, called a “jib” door, in the south east corner of the wall permitted staff access
to the room to serve the ladies tea after dinner while the men were still in the dining room. The
floor is quarter-sawn oak, Louis XV parquet pattern, and the walls are covered in textured

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padded linen. The linen wallcoverings were replaced in 2000 utilizing the original white seam
bindings. The delicately carved Carrara marble fireplace mantel is low in proportion to the room
and gives a feeling of intimacy. The light, airy twin crystal chandeliers are Louis XIV design
with bronze bobeches (collars to catch dripping wax); equally delicate matching sconces hang on
either side of the fireplace and between the windows. The original 1917 draperies are Italian silk
and woven with an exuberant pattern of colorful flowers that was once a much richer teal green.
The Adam style mirror that hangs over the fireplace, chandeliers, sconces, and drapes are
original to the House.
Filoli is fortunate to have many of the House’s original furnishings in its collection; as well as
many pieces of furniture that are very similar to what was originally purchased for Filoli by the
Bourns and Roths. Originally a hallmark of this room was its salon style display of dozens of
French mezzotints. Unfortunately, we do not have many of the original furniture pieces and
artwork shown in this room. Instead, we show this room as close to the original as possible
utilizing our own furniture and art collections. Several of the original decorative items are also
normally on display.

Reception Room
The Reception Room was used for receiving guests and for large scale entertaining. The concept
of the Reception Room is borrowed from the concept of the “Great Hall” in the English country
house. Located directly in front of the main entrance, it is open and spacious, reminiscent of the
great halls of earlier times. The aedicules (or door surrounds) in the western corners are the
dominant features of the room. The French doors opposite the main door were one of the main
entrances to the garden from the House. The beautiful parquet floor of the Reception Room is
laid in a Louis XIV Versailles mosaic style. The wallcovering is similar to grass cloth with a
silkscreen Italian Renaissance pattern and is the original 1917 wallcovering. The draperies are a
treadle loom woven chenille featuring gold thread and are also original to the House and date to
1917. The fireplace has an 18th century Italian mantel of classic design of white Carrara marble
with quarter-inch inlay of fossiliferous orange-red Verona marble in a classic Greek key design.
The doors that lead to the Library and the Drawing Room are magnificent architectural pieces
with Corinthian columns on either side, mounted by pillow-block-style entablatures and swan-
neck pediments with carved scrolls. The walls and ceiling are joined by a cast plaster carved
frieze and cornice of carved modillions.
On the wall above the fireplace is a rare tapestry-woven table carpet that belonged to both the
Bourns and the Roths. Once very common in upper class European homes, very few table
carpets have survived and tapestry experts can find no immediate parallel to this piece. The
tapestry has elements common to northern German and Dutch tapestries made between the 1550s
to the 1620s. Unfortunately, we may never know exactly when or where this tapestry was made
as the central coat of arms was replaced. The motif seen here is more in line with the design of a
seventeenth century gentleman than the noble that originally commissioned the piece.
Exhaustive searches have as of yet been unable to identify the present coat of arms. However,
recent research has shown the tapestry was once a part of the great tapestry collection at Knole,
in Kent, England. The Sackville Family, the Earls of Dorset, amassed an incredible collection of
more than 300 tapestries. Records seem to indicate this tapestry entered the Knole collection
around the late seventeen hundreds. There it remained until Lady Sackville sold it along with 28

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others to financier J.P. Morgan in 1911. The collection was brought to the United States and was
on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as late as May 1915. Most of the pieces were
purchased by French and Company after Morgan’s death as a part of the “Great Morgan Claw
Back.” Filoli’s own inventory records note that Mr. and Mrs. Bourn purchased a number of
other pieces from French and Company around this same time. Pictures in 1918 show the
tapestry already in place. It is not surprising that the Bourns would carry the theme of gardens
into Filoli’s main residence. There are fifty-six different flowers depicted on the tapestry but no
two are shown in exactly the same fashion. The flowers also represent an entire year’s worth of
blooms; all of which were grown and cultivated in Western Europe at the time the tapestry was
woven. Many of them grow in Filoli’s own garden today.

Main Library
The Library design is based on the Library at Denham Place outside of London, England. The
plan and arrangement of wall panels, bookcases, and the borders carved in a floral pattern were
copied from this English house built in 1690. The reproduction of the room was produced by
Lenygon and Morant and purchased by Mr. Bourn. The panels were produced on the East Coast
and shipped to Filoli. The wall paneling and floor of the library are black American walnut. The
floor is truly one of the gems within the House and is laid in an alternating chevron pattern to
create a changing effect of light and dark stripes depending on the position of the viewer.
Additional shelving and storage areas are provided behind hidden panel doors. The double doors
leading to the Transverse Hall have intricately carved paneling, and the moldings around the
door frames are a charming pattern of roses, tulips, and daisies intertwined with leaves. The
fireplace mantel is a light Tavernelle marble in a belicion-mold design with carved belicion
return corners. The chandeliers and sconces are 19th century in the Italian Renaissance style.
The blue-green silk brocade drapes date from the Roth era around 1950. The books and
periodicals on display have been donated to Filoli from various sources. Many of the classics
and World War I era books are from the Bourn Family. The room underwent extensive
restorations in 2013 in response to a water related event.
The Bourns Build Filoli
After the great earthquake in 1906, wealthy San Franciscan families moved to the Peninsula and
built large expensive homes. From 1908, until the Bourns moved to Filoli in 1917, they rented
“Sky Farm” on the Crocker property, adjacent to Crystal Springs Lake in San Mateo. During
this time, Bourn often took his family to Europe and while on an Atlantic crossing in 1906, his
daughter Maud met Arthur Rose Vincent of Summerhill, Cloonlara in County Clare, Ireland.
Maud and Arthur Rose Vincent were married March 30, 1910, at St. Matthews Episcopal Church
in San Mateo, followed by the wedding reception at Sky Farm. The couple spent two weeks of
their honeymoon in California (part of it at the Bourns Empire Cottage in Grass Valley, CA), and
then embarked on a three-month tour of Europe and Egypt. As an assistant judge for the British
Foreign Office, Arthur was to be stationed in Zanzibar; however, with the encouragement of
Maud and the Bourns, he resigned his post during this time. In November 1910, Bourn
purchased Muckross House and its surrounding 11,000 acres on the Lakes of Killarney in
County Kerry, Ireland for their daughter and new son-in-law. Bourn immediately began plans
for developing the gardens at Muckross and continued to be involved in the property's

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maintenance and upkeep. The Bourns were frequent visitors to Muckross and became enamored
with the beautiful Irish country setting.
Because of its similarity to the lake country setting of Muckross, the Bourns wanted to have an
estate built along Crystal Springs Lake, on land owned by the Spring Valley Water Company.
Even though Bourn was the president of the company, a law forbade private ownership of the
public domain property that supplied water to the city of San Francisco. So the Bourns
commissioned their attorney to find land available for purchase as close as possible to the lake.
In 1915, Bourn purchased 1,800 acres at the southern end of Crystal Springs Lake from E. A.
Husing of San Mateo. The property fronted a line which is today Cañada Road and extended
west to the top of the mountain ridge along Skyline Boulevard. The Bourn family retained 715
acres of this land from the easternmost creek to the top of the mountain for their estate, and sold
the remaining acreage to the Spring Valley Water Company. Nearly one-hundred years later
Filoli is still nearly 654 acres. Filoli House is nearly 2 miles from the edge of the lake - as close
as Bourn could build.
Bourn asked Willis Polk, a longtime friend, to be the architect of their country estate. They had
already worked together on a number of other homes. The construction of the House began in
1915 and the Bourns moved in the fall of 1917 before the House was officially completed. In
correspondence between Polk and Bourn, Bourn always referred to Filoli as “a home for Mrs.
Bourn.”

Study (aka. Family Room)

Mr. Bourn designed and used the Study as his home office. It is the most intimate room in the
downstairs area and was a favorite room of the Roth Family. The dark oak paneled walls set off
the delicately carved statuary and white Carrara marble fireplace surround done in the Adams
style. The floor is oak, patterned with a gouging plane and stained in a popular style from the
early 1900s. This technique was done once the floorboards had been first laid into place. The
original chandelier and matching sconces are carved and gilded wood. Concealed in the
paneling to the right of the fireplace is a door to a safe installed by the Bourns that was later
converted to an upstairs wine cellar by the Roth family (the pre-prohibition basement wine cellar
can accommodate 2,847 bottles by comparison). On the left side of the fireplace concealed in
the paneling is a closet where Mr. Bourn originally kept his business records. In 1946, the Roths
converted the closet into a convenient wet bar with a sink and small refrigerator. The new wet
bar was even featured in a magazine article as a sign of the changing times in California living
and entertaining. The Irish red deer trophy over the door was shot at the Bourn’s Irish estate,
Muckross, by their son-in-law Arthur Vincent, in October, 1910. Over the fireplace is a portrait
of Mrs. Roth painted in 1981 by Lloyd Sexton, a well-known Hawaiian painter and friend of
Mrs. Roth.
The Roths Purchase Filoli
In 1913 when Lurline Matson met William (Bill) Roth, a young stockbroker in Honolulu,
Captain Matson was very much against the match and delayed the engagement, sending Lurline
and her mother, Lillie, abroad. But Lurline persisted, and she and Bill were married in 1914.
Bill sold his brokerage business and went to work as a secretary for Matson Navigation

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Company in San Francisco. He worked to advance and was named secretary-treasurer in 1916.
In October 1916, Captain William Matson died at age 67. After his death, Bill Roth was named
general manager and vice president of Matson Navigation Company. At the time, Bill and
Lurline resided in San Francisco. Their son, William Matson Roth, was born in September 1916.
Identical twins, Lurline and Berenice, named for their mother's first and middle names, were
born in 1921. In 1924, Lillie Low Matson purchased Why Worry Farm in Woodside for her
daughter's family as a summer home and lived with them until her death. Why Worry Farm was
a comfortable place for the family and had ample acreage and stabling for Mrs. Roth's horses.
During the 1920s, the Matson Navigation Company, under Edward Tenney as President and Bill
Roth as Vice President, expanded significantly, acquiring subsidiary companies, building super-
freighters and building the 16-story Matson Building in San Francisco. The first of the Matson's
hotels was built in 1927 – The Royal Hawaiian. After Tenney's death in 1927, Bill Roth was
named President. In the 1930s, under Bill’s leadership, the company built its fleet of luxury
cruise ships and further expanded into the hotel business in Hawaii. Four luxury passenger ships
– the Malolo (later rechristened the Matsonia), Mariposa, Monterey and Lurline – were added to
the fleet. New hotels – the Surfrider, Moana and the Princess Kailani – were also built by the
Matson Company. These hotels were sold to the Sheraton Corporation in 1955.
In 1937, the Roths purchased Filoli and its furnishings from the Bourn estate, selling excess
furnishings at auction in San Francisco. Keeping Why Worry Farm for the stabling and tending
of the horses, the family moved in to Filoli. Filoli was very much a family home for the Roths
and their three teenage children. At age 19, young Bill, although already at college, had the suite
of rooms off the main staircase landing. At the age of 16, the twins shared the center west
bedroom on the second floor and had an adjoining sitting room.
Bill Roth loved walking through the garden each morning before work, talking with Louis
Mariconi, the head gardener, and getting the “first bloom” for his lapel. He loved to cook and
especially to barbecue for the family up by the tennis courts. Bill had a minor stroke in 1943. In
1945, he was named Chairman of the Board of Matson Navigation Company. In 1946, the
swimming pool was added for his exercise and rehabilitation, and quickly became a favorite
summer gathering spot. Bill continued to have small strokes. He retired from the company in
1962 and died in 1963 at age 83.
Mrs. Roth made the Filoli Garden known worldwide and hosted many distinguished visitors,
including botanical and horticultural societies, garden clubs and other organizations. In 1973,
Mrs. Roth was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal of the Garden Clubs of America for her
achievements as a collector.

Stairwell and Transverse Hall North

The Grand Staircase is the most important architectural element at the north end of the
Transverse Hall. Its impact is stronger because it is unseen from the main entrance and must be
discovered. The forty risers leading up to the second floor are of black Belgian marble with a
balustrade of filigree-style wrought iron, topped by a dark brown wooden rail.
On the left side of the stair landing, on the mezzanine floor, is a suite of rooms – bedroom, sitting
room and bath, labeled on the original plans as the “First Best Guest Bedroom.” The door in the

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center of the landing, between the Corinthian columns, leads to a small sheltered patio which
overlooks the front courtyard. The door on the right leads to a small storage room.
An American flag hangs on the mezzanine landing above. It has forty-eight stars and the
inscription on the flag pole reads “Presented to William Bowers Bourn, Esq. by his fellow
citizens, the Friends of France, the American League of California, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th
Units from Stanford University and University of California on service in France, on recognition
of his generous devotion as a citizen of His Country and the World. Filoli, May 31, 1917 –
A.D.” This is the Companion Flag to the First American Flag that flew in France during World
War I.
Long before American troops were overseas, Mr. Bourn was already supporting the war effort.
He and Bruce Porter (landscape designer of the Filoli gardens) founded the Friends of France
with other prominent San Franciscans as well as the American League of California.
The American Ambulance Field Service was born when young Americans in Paris used their
automobiles as makeshift ambulances when France was invaded in September 1914. The
organization was quickly formalized and in the next three years recruited twenty-five hundred
American collegiate volunteers to serve in the war. Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth and
Cornell would be among the dozens of colleges that sent young men to the battlefields. Mr.
Bourn quickly mobilized financing through the Friends of France, and the First Stanford Unit of
the American Ambulance Field Service, consisting of twenty-one young men, was formed. The
ambulance units were attached to the French Army. They landed in France in February 1917.
No sooner had they departed overseas than the University of California students heard of their
rival’s endeavor and two UC brigades were quickly organized along with a second unit from
Stanford. The United States declared war on Germany on April 2, 1917.
Presenting a Companion Flag was originally the idea of the Stanford Unit who had intended to
present it to Mr. Bourn on his birthday, May 31st, 1917. When the UC – Berkeley students got
wind of the gift, they wrote their appreciation as well which is why the flag pole plaque credits
both units. Mr. Bourn worked for the Allied cause until the end of the war when he and Mrs.
Bourn went to Paris to see the peace treaty signed at Versailles in 1919.
The second floor of the house originally had 8 additional bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a sitting room,
linen closet, elevator closet and a dumb waiter room. The original Master Bedroom Suite
contained a pair of attached bedrooms, both with elaborate dressing rooms and bathrooms.
Today the original bedrooms have all been repurposed as the Sterling Library, the Friends of
Filoli Library, workrooms, classrooms, offices and storage spaces. The Libraries are available
by appointment for our members. The original 1921 Otis elevator is not currently in service.
Visitors are not allowed upstairs due to current fire regulations.

Trophy Room
Mr. Bourn originally intended for this room to be a gentlemen’s lounge; his choice reflected by
the “masculine” touch of the bow-tie inlay in the oak floor. Leather club chairs and a card table
normally kept company with a billiard table in the center of the room. Mr. Roth was also fond of
the billiard table. Over time, Mrs. Roth converted the room into a Trophy Room for her ever-
growing collection of horse show trophies and awards.
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In the early days, equestrian activities were a vital part of life on the Peninsula. A young Lurline
Matson gained her interest in horses from her father, Captain William Matson, who himself
loved to race trotting horses. In 1924, her mother purchased for her and her young family a
10,000 square foot mansion with enough property to build her own stables here in Woodside.
The Matson-Roth Farm originally had no name and that seemed to bother people. Mrs. Lillie
Matson (Mrs. Roth’s mother) said, “Why worry about it?” Hence, the name. The Matson-Roth
property would come to be known as the Why Worry Farm and Mrs. Lurline Matson Roth would
become nationally recognized for her Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds and Hackney ponies.
When the family moved to Filoli in 1937, Mrs. Roth brought dozens of her brood mares along
with the family. The mares were often seen grazing in the field immediately north of the house.
Mrs. Roth retained the stables at Why Worry Farm even after the mansion and surrounding 4.6
acres were sold in 1937.
The small bronze horse statuette on the mantle is of Mrs. Roth’s prized show horse, Chief of
Longview. In 1925, Chief of Longview was heralded as the most outstanding five-gait-saddle
horse of his age. The three-year-old stallion was a gift for Mrs. Roth from her mother. The two
women had fallen in love with him earlier in the spring and had traveled to Kansas City for his
debut in the American Royal Horse Show that year. Over the course of his short career he would
win multiple stallion championships, and even the world’s grand championship, not once but
twice. He retired undefeated.
At his farewell performance it was said that he was “only ten years old and physically fit for
many more contests, [but that] he is being retired to the stud, having won all the laurels possible.
His early retirement is just what might be expected from his owner, Mrs. Roth, whose genuine
sportsmanship and real honest love of her horses has been a striking example to the horse show
world.” Chief of Longview retired to the Roth’s Why Worry Farm here in Woodside.
Family pictures and memorabilia from the Why Worry Farm are displayed in the hallway linking
the Trophy Room to the Holding Room.

Florilegia at Filoli
Filoli is fortunate to have not one but three major florilegium collections on the premises. A
florilegium is a botanical record of a specific garden, scientific voyage or geographic area. A
copy of one of the most famous florilegia ever produced, the Banks’ Florilegium, a record of
Captain Cook’s Voyage (1768-1771), is in Filoli Center’s Collection and pieces are normally on
display here in the Trophy Room and outside of the Sterling Library.
Botanical illustration dates back to “herbals”, apothecary’s guides, recorded as far back as 6th
century A.D. Before photography was created in the 1850s, botanical art was the only method
available for the scientific documentation of plants. In recent years, this art form has undergone
a resurgence to enter what many call the “Golden Age” of botanical art. Filoli Center is part of
this resurgence with our Botanical Art Certificate Program and the undertaking of our own Filoli
Florilegium. Beginning, intermediate and advanced classes are regularly taught by talented
teachers here at Filoli.
The Filoli Florilegium began in 2000 and is a growing collection of original botanical art
depicting historical plants from the garden and gentlemen’s orchard here at Filoli. The purpose

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of the Florilegium is to document the plant materials of Filoli within a historic perspective using
traditional methods of botanic illustration. While the artwork is created by contemporary artists,
the style is classic in presentation. The Florilegium adds to the archives of historic information
about Filoli. At present, more than 27 original watercolors make up the Filoli Florilegium.
Original works from the Filoli Florilegium are normally on display in the Trophy Room and
upstairs in the Roth Room Classroom.
Highgrove is the country estate in Gloucestershire of His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of
Wales and a showcase for his interest in organic gardening. The Highgrove Florilegium is a
two-volume work completed in 2008 to record many of the plants in the estate’s garden. This is
England’s first Royal Florilegium and each copy is signed personally by Prince Charles. Over a
five-year period, the best international botanical artists created this collection of one hundred and
twenty-four works. This collection, housed in two beautifully bound volumes, and limited to
175 copies, depicts the wide variety of trees, flowers and vegetables from all over the world that
are grown on the Highgrove estate. Among the artists are three members of Filoli’s own
Florilegium Guild: Jenny Phillips, Jessica Tcherpnine, and Liz Saunders. The Highgrove
Florilegium books are normally on display in the Trophy Room in a large custom-made cabinet
near the Transverse Hall door. Two framed prints from the collection featuring Filoli artists are
also on display above the florilegium cabinet.

The Banks Florilegium

In the seventeenth and eighteenth century florilegia, or records of the plants in a specific area,
were commissioned by royalty and explorers. Sir Joseph Banks was the first to make a truly
scientific exploration on the Endeavour’s voyage to Tahiti with Captain Cook in 1768-1771.
Banks and Cook brought scientist Dr. Daniel Solander, artist Sydney Parkinson, and a crew of 90
who brought back the largest and most stunning collection of hitherto unknown plant material.
Banks understood the importance of their finds and had Parkinson’s water colors of the plant
material engraved on copper plates between 1771 and 1784 at considerable cost so their
importance could be shared. The Florilegium was not printed in Banks’ lifetime and he
bequeathed the plates to the British Museum. It was not until the 1980s that the first edition of
engravings from the surviving copper-plates was published in thirty-five parts by Alecto
Historical Editions, in association with the British Museum (Natural History). Each of the 738
engravings was printed in color à la poupée, with up to ten colors being worked directly into the
single plate before each print was pulled, with additional details added in watercolor. Color
accuracy was checked against Parkinson's notes and through consultation with the Museum's
botanist, Chris Humphries. Each plate took from one week to two months to proof. Filoli is
fortunate to have one complete set of the Banks Florilegium in its permanent collection. A
rotating exhibition of these 738 engravings is displayed here and in the Sterling Library.
New florilegium projects are underway worldwide. Filoli Center, the Brooklyn Botanical
Garden, Kew Gardens and the Sheffield Botanical Gardens in Sheffield, England all have
florilegia underway. Filoli’s growing florilegium collection presently has more than 25 original
watercolors; a selection of which are normally on rotating display in the Trophy Room. The
newest completed florilegium, the Highgrove Florilegium, also in Filoli’s permanent collection,
is also generally on display in the Trophy Room.

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Filoli is fortunate to be affiliated with The Florilegium Society of Sheffield Botanical Gardens.

Holding Room
The so-called Holding Room was originally noted as a Ladies Sitting Room, or Retreat, adjacent
to the Ballroom. During the Roth era it was used to “hold” food and drink for service to guests
attending parties held in the Ballroom. The room currently provides visitor access to the north
end of the gardens as well as wheelchair access to the House by means of a door and ramp
installed by Filoli Center.
Wall displays show a changing selection of photographs sharing some of the grand events from
both the Bourn and Roth eras. Rotating exhibits from Filoli’s Special Collections are also
displayed.

The Bourn Family Silver, Gift of the Estate of Mrs. William P. Roth
The Bourn family silver is a rare Tiffany & Co. Family Collection in the ‘Old French’ pattern.
The special order service contains 581 pieces and could serve 18 guests. Each place setting
consists of 28 separate items to be used at different times of the day. Each and every piece is
decorated with an applied raised initial “B”. The material is 925/1000 sterling silver. The entire
collection is housed in a specially made walnut and mahogany case lined with red velvet. The
wheeled case originally fit into the lower section of the silver safe in the Butler’s Pantry, but is
now stored elsewhere.
You may notice the applied “B” appears to be upside down. The Anglophile that he was, Mr.
Bourn chose to follow the English tradition which shows initials in this fashion. The American
tradition would have the initial readable to the diner.
A selection of not often seen serving pieces and a dinner table service is currently on display.
Additional silver pieces from Filoli’s Permanent Collection are also normally on display.

Ballroom
The Ballroom is the largest room in the House, measuring 70’ x 32’ with a ceiling height of
approximately 22 ½ feet. Both the Bourns and Roths used the room for large-scale entertaining.
For very large parties the Roths had the front courtyard tented, turning it into an additional
dining or dancing area; wooden bridges connected the tent to the Ballroom windows, and guests
entered the house through the doorway at the north end of the Transverse Hall. The mirrored
doors at the far end of the room conceal storage areas.
The Ballroom was originally painted to match the Transverse Hall but was redecorated as you
see it between 1924 and 1926. Mr. Bourn suffered a series of strokes in the early 1920s which
left him without the use of his legs and eventually his voice. Mrs. Bourn, with the help of her
daughter Maud Bourn Vincent, and artist Ernest Peixotto planned the completion of the
Ballroom. The scenes of Muckross were chosen to bring this beloved location closer when
extensive travel was no longer possible for Mr. Bourn.

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The 11,000 acre Muckross Estate, located on the Lakes of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland,
was a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Bourn to their daughter, Maud, on the occasion of her marriage in
1910 to British diplomat Arthur Rose Vincent. After Maud Vincent’s death in 1929, the
property was given to the Irish government and became known as the Bourn-Vincent Memorial
Park. Today the park is open to the public and welcomes over 100,000 visitors a year.
Ernest Peixotto (pronounced “Pa-Show-Toe”), a San Francisco-born artist, then living in New
York and Paris, was hired to go to Muckross and depict the estate for the walls of the Ballroom
at Filoli. The canvas paintings were executed in New York, brought to San Francisco by train
and installed on the walls under the supervision of Peixotto himself.
The painting over the fireplace is of the ruins of Muckross Abbey, the 14th century Franciscan
Abbey that gave the estate its name. Note that the artist included a self-portrait in the lower right
hand corner.
The large painting on the south wall depicts the 110 room Muckross House built in the 1840’s.
The man standing in the boat is Arthur Rose Vincent. The smaller painting on the same wall
shows the Bourn grandchildren, Elizabeth Rose (known as Rosie) and William (known as Billie),
playing in the Sunken Garden at Muckross.
The large painting on the north wall depicts the country surrounding the Lakes of Killarney. It is
known as “the Ladies’ View” because it so impressed the Ladies in Waiting to Queen Victoria
on the occasion of her visit to Muckross. The eyes of the shepherd, sitting on the bank, have
been cleverly painted so that they seem to always be looking at you no matter where you stand in
the room. The smaller painting on the north wall is a view of the Brickeen Bridge; a single
arched span which divides the Muckross Peninsula from Brickeen Island as well as Muckross
Lake and Lake Leane.
The panels over the doors on either side of the fireplace are of the two major waterfalls which
pour into the Killarney Lakes. The one of the left side is of Torc Waterfall and the one on the
right is O’Sullivan’s Cascade. The deer below the falls are large Irish red deer.
Walls: The walls are a lovely water-green with gold decoration adding a feeling of richness and
warmth to the stateliness of the room. Mrs. Bourn referred to the color of the walls as “water-
green” in her letters to Peixotto. Mrs. Bourn despite the intent of Peixotto had a “tiny bit of
gold” added to the room. Notice there is no gold decoration in the maquette model.
Drapery: Heavy cut velvet with gold trim, c. 1924. Maud Bourn Vincent selected the cut velvet
draperies, woven with silver metallic threads and edged with heavy metallic and silk fringe.
Each measures 16 feet high and 6 feet wide. It is incredibly rare to find historic drapes of this
age still hanging in their original location. Two rounds of conservation have already taken place
and a third is planned in the coming years.
Floor: Oak, quartersawn oak parquet in a Versailles pattern.
Fireplace: The large French Baroque-style fireplace surround is carved out of French
Sarrancolin marble decorated with ormolu decorations of the head of Hercules and Nemean
lions’ heads. The design is modeled after the mantel in the Hercules Salon at Versailles which is
also carved from Sarrancolin marble. The surround was made to order by Bagues & Co., Paris,
exactly to Peixotto’s specifications and took seven months to complete. The two 18th century
urns on the mantel piece are of matching marble and were also selected by Maud and Peixotto in
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Paris. The French cast iron fireback was added by the Roths to protect the firebricks and reflect
additional heat into the room.
Chandeliers & Sconces: French crystal, Louis XIV, by Bagues & Co., Paris, c. 1924. Maud
Bourn Vincent and Ernest Peixotto selected these from Bagues & Co., Paris. The magnificent
crystal chandeliers are copies of those that hung in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles for the
signing of the Peace Treaty in 1919; an event which both of the Bourns personally attended. Six
elaborate crystal wall sconces with amethyst colored crystal drops complete the illumination of
the Ballroom.
Maquette of the Ballroom: This scale model was made from blueprints sent to Peixotto, while he
was planning out the paintings and decorations of the room. Peixotto’s nephew inherited the
piece and had no idea what room the piece represented until he saw the Ballroom in the movie
“Heaven Can Wait”. Gift of General Ernest D. Peixotto.

Julie Bly DeVere

Collection Manager
collectionmanager@filoli.org
650.364.8300 ext 205

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