◈ Homepage — https://ralstonwhiteretreat.org/about us history reservations fundraising contact us Garden of Allah A venue for group retreats or special events nestled in the slope of Mt. Tamalpais. Located on 43 acres in beautiful Mill Valley, California, the Ralston White Retreat was designed by one of San Francisco’s most prolific architects, Willis Polk. The retreat was completed in 1913 and was a wedding gift to Ruth Boericke, Ralston White’s bride. He named their home the “Garden of Allah” after a popular novel at the time. The 14,000 square foot home has three stories, nine relaxing porches and balconies with spectacular views and beautiful furnishings throughout. The heart-shaped lawn and beautiful grounds invite you to enjoy the elegance of your surroundings. There are several walking paths on the property as well as connecting trails that lead to the top of Mt. Tamalpais. Click to View our Picture Gallery To inquire about reservations click here. See Reservation Information   about us history reservations fundraising contact us home ◈ Interior Pages — 6 pages crawledHistory | Ralston White Retreat You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Toggle navigation About Us History Reservations Fundraising Contact Us History The Whites and the early years of “The Garden of Allah” – A California residence designed by architect Willis Polk In 1907, as Ralston Lovell White (1877-1943) was working as a surveyor for his father’s early Mill Valley real estate company, he discovered a beautiful knoll on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais. Captivated by the property’s sweeping views of the mountain and of San Francisco across the bay, he vowed he would one day build his home there. Two years later, he became engaged to Ruth Boericke (1888-1979), whom he had met at Mill Valley’s summer dance, known as the “Blithedale Hop.” They were married on April 6, 1910. Earlier that year, after the sudden death of his father Lovell White, Ralston became president of his father’s business, called the Tamalpais Land & Water Company; this promotion enabled him to acquire his “dream” property as a wedding present to his wife. Ralston commissioned the noted San Francisco architect, Willis Polk (1867-1924), to design a sixteen-bedroom mansion on the site. Polk’s prominent architectural firm, Polk & Co., had helped to rebuild San Francisco following the catastrophic 1906 earthquake; in 1911, Polk was also named supervising architect of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. From 1911 through 1915, the house was under construction. A sturdy steel beam structure was devised to make the building earthquake proof. Building materials were transported to the remote property via the Mount Tamalpais Railway. In front of the house, the Whites planned a heart-shaped lawn to proclaim their love for each other. In 1915, even though interior details were not yet completed, the Whites entertained visitors to San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition at their new home, which they called “The Garden of Allah.” The name was inspired by the title of Ralston’s favorite book written by Robert S. Hichens (first published in 1904). He said “when I first saw this magnificent site, I just took a deep breath and said to myself, this is my ‘Garden of Allah.’ ” After the house was completed by 1916-17, Ralston devoted his time to designing the garden; his Finnish gardener, Alfons Haapa, tended the property for forty-five years. There was an orchard, a creek-fed swimming pool, a tennis court, and a stable for their horses. The Whites home soon became the holiday “resort” for relatives, and a frequent site for various social gatherings including baseball games, barbecues, tea parties and society musicales. Ralston regaled his family and guests with his generous spirit, charismatic charm and entertaining stories. The Whites and the “Garden of Allah” 1929-1977 In July 1929, a year of disasters, a large wildfire burned around and in Mill Valley for three days; over 110 homes were destroyed, but the Garden of Allah was spared. Later that year, Ralston White, like many other Americans, lost a fortune in the great stock market crash. Without clients who could afford to buy Tamalpais Land & Water Company properties, and with the burden of still having to pay taxes on the company’s holdings, the Whites suffered financially. In 1932, in order to augment their meager income, Ralston and Ruth rented the Garden of Allah, fully furnished, for $250 per month. They then went off to Europe to live more economically. They spent most of their time in Munich, Germany and toured Europe, where they often bicycled from place to place. Just before World War II began, the Whites returned to Mill Valley and the Garden of Allah in 1939. Ralston resumed his real estate business and worked tirelessly to repay all the debts incurred during the Depression, in addition to doing the necessary upkeep with a reduced number of staff around the Garden of Allah. During the war, he also volunteered for the war rationing effort. Weakened by these various activities, Ralston died suddenly in September, 1943. Ruth White continued to reside at the Garden of Allah with various relatives. In 1951, she offered the Garden of Allah in trust to the California Academy of Sciences of San Francisco as a memorial to her husband. The Academy maintained the trust for six years. Two years after her 1955 marriage to Dr. Robert Bowie of Fort Morgan, Colorado, Ruth White Bowie donated The Garden of Allah to the Northern California Conference of Congregational Churches, later called the United Church of Christ, as a memorial to Ralston White. The Garden of Allah was renamed the Ralston L. White Memorial Retreat. As part of the agreement, Ruth retained a small apartment as her and Dr. Bowie’s residence at the back of the house for the duration of her lifetime. This apartment, on the first floor of the Retreat, is today known as the “Little Place.” Ruth Bowie White died in 1977 at the age of 89. Following her death and until 2005, the Ralston L. White Memorial Retreat continued as a site for group retreats and conferences, operated by the United Church of Christ. In 2005, the Ralston White Retreat house and property was transferred to the Ralston White Retreat Foundation, which continues its use as a retreat center, in addition to overseeing its management and restoration as one of Marin County’s great historical houses. EARLY MILL VALLEY RESIDENTS Ralston’s Parents – Lovell and Laura Lyon White Lovell (1827-1910) and Laura Lyon White (1839-1916) married in Des Moines, Iowa in 1859. A year later, they voyaged to the Sierra foothills of California, where they established a store in a hydraulic mining camp. In 1864, after experiencing the tragic loss of two young children, the Whites moved to San Francisco where Lovell pursued a banking career with William C. Ralston, founder of the Bank of California who was known as the “Silver King” from his early mining success in Virginia City. After the birth of a son in 1877, the Whites named him “Ralston” for their friend and business mentor. In 1889, Lovell White, with Joseph Eastland as president, established the Tamalpais Land & Water Company to develop Mill Valley by subdividing lots of the former 13,000 acre ranch of Samuel Throckmorton. Two years later, the Whites, who resided in San Francisco, completed their Mill Valley “country house,” called “The Arches” at 95 Magee Avenue [which survives today as a private residence of another family], thereby enabling Ralston to enjoy various outdoor activities in the scenic valley and mountain setting. In 1895, when Lovell became the president of the Tamalpais Land & Water Company, the Whites became more involved in the Mill Valley community. In 1902, Mrs. White founded the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club (still located at the intersection of Blithedale and Throckmorton Avenues), dedicated to preserving natural scenery and beautifying the public spaces of Mill Valley; Laura White’s portrait is displayed inside. Mrs. White, who later supported women’s suffrage, was also an early environmentalist who campaigned to persuade Washington, D.C. legislators to save the Calaveras Big Trees, a redwoods state park near Yosemite National Park. The names of several Mill Valley streets preserve the White family legacy: Lovell Avenue; Lyon Place; and Ralston Avenue, in addition to the Ralston L. White Memorial Grove, a cluster of redwood trees enhancing Mill Valley’s town center (at the intersection of Miller and Sunnyside Avenues). Ruth’s Parents – Dr. William and Kate Boericke Ruth’s father was Dr. William Boericke (1849-1929), an Austrian who emigrated to the United States. In the 1860s, he established the homoeopathic pharmacy, Boericke & Tafel in Philadelphia. In 1870, he moved to San Francisco to open a Boericke & Tafel branch, and later co-founded Hahnemann College (later incorporated into the University of California medical school). Dr. Boericke would later publish Ho Contact Us | Ralston White Retreat You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Toggle navigation About Us History Reservations Fundraising Contact Us Contact Us Ralston White Retreat 2 El Capitan Ave. Mill Valley, CA 94941 Retreat Office & Reservation: 415.388.0858 Retreat Fax: 415.451.7628 [email protected] *In order to respect the privacy of our groups, all site visits are by appointment only, Please contact retreat offices. Contact Us Directions About Us History Reservations Fundraising Contact Us Home About Us | Ralston White Retreat You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Toggle navigation About Us History Reservations Fundraising Contact Us About Us The picturesque mountain property that is today known as the Ralston White Retreat in Mill Valley, California, was originally presented as a wedding gift from Ralston White to his bride, Ruth Boericke, in 1910. Designed by the celebrated San Francisco architect Willis Polk, the grand house was erected between 1911 and 1915, when Polk was also the supervising architect of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Construction began in 1912, and because at the time Ralston White was reading R.S. Hichens’ famed romance novel of the era, the property was named the Garden of Allah. Construction materials had to be transported by the Mount Tamalpais railroad to then-remote wilderness site, which afforded panoramic views of the mountain and the San Francisco Bay Area. White developed the grounds to include a heart-shaped lawn, orchards, trails through the woods, meadows, and a natural creek-fed swimming pool. After Ralston White’s death, his widow wished the Garden of Allah to be dedicated to charitable endeavors as a memorial to her husband. To that end, Ruth White deeded the property in 1951 in trust initially to the California Academy of Sciences, which later transferred the Retreat in 1957 to the United Church of Christ, as trustee. For nearly a half-century since, the Church maintained the property, and the Retreat served its mission by hosting retreats, conferences and other events for educational, charitable and spiritual groups. Over the decades, many – including teachers, academic faculty, church groups, local leaders and research physicians from around the world – have enjoyed visits to this distinctive Marin County property and its spectacular natural setting. It is a peaceful place that helps to reinvigorate individuals and strengthen the bonds of humanity by providing a retreat where people share and exchange ideas, find spiritual solace and reaffirm a sense of community. In order to better provide for the long-term future of the Retreat, the United Church of Christ after an extensive search process selected the newly-formed Ralston White Retreat Foundation as a successor trustee for the property in 2005. About Us Foundation Board of Directors Photo Gallery About Us History Reservations Fundraising Contact Us Home Reservations | Ralston White Retreat You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Toggle navigation About Us History Reservations Fundraising Contact Us Welcome to the Ralston White Retreat Whether looking for meeting space for the day for 15-50 guests, a week-long residential retreat, the perfect wedding or event location for up to 125 guests, or something in between, the Ralston White Retreat is an ideal venue. With comfortable overnight accommodations for up to 48 guests, the Ralston White Retreat welcomes group retreats, weddings, family reunions and other gatherings. Guests of the Ralston White Retreat enjoy exclusive use of the 14,000 square foot mansion and 43 acres of private redwood forest. There are several hiking trails on the property leading to our pond and to expansive views of San Francisco and the Bay, Mt Tamalpais and surrounding ridges. Connecting trails lead to the top of the mountain. Other recreational activities include croquet on the lawn, ping-pong, volleyball, basketball, and horseshoes. Our wonderful location above the town of Mill Valley – a 20 minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, and 30 minutes to Stinson Beach and Muir Woods – is the perfect location for those hoping to explore the beauty of Northern California. Reservations Weddings and Special Events Day Use Meeting Space Overnight Accommodations Photo Gallery Rates Floor Plans Directions & Public Transit Trail Map Contact Us About Us History Reservations Fundraising Contact Us Home Fundraising | Ralston White Retreat You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Toggle navigation About Us History Reservations Fundraising Contact Us Fundraising The Ralston White Retreat Foundation relies on the generous support of our donors. Please help us to continue the Foundation’s mission to restore the mansion and surrounding grounds to their past glory, and to make the Retreat an important venue for musical, arts, literary, educational, and family events and activities. We welcome you as our partner in bringing to life this historic treasure, nurturing an appreciation for the history of Mill Valley and the beauty of Mt. Tamalpais while enriching the cultural and family life of our community. Thank you for your past and future support. If you would like to learn more about the Foundation and Retreat, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] so that we may arrange a mutually convenient time to discuss the Foundation and options for contributing the Ralston White Retreat Foundation. If you are interested in making a donation to the Foundation, we accept credit cards or checks as follows: Credit cards: We accept credits cards over the phone 1-415-388-0858. We currently accept Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Please mail checks to: Ralston White Retreat Foundation 2 El Capitan Avenue Mill Valley, CA 94941 Many thanks for your time and consideration. Fundraising About Us History Reservations Fundraising Contact Us Home Photo Gallery | Ralston White Retreat You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. 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