In 1920 Jeffers began work on Hawk Tower as a gift for Una, using a block and tackle system as the ancient Egyptians had done.īy 1924 stone by stone and word by word he had completed the tower and found a publisher for his works. The builders left, but Jeffers carried on the work alone, bringing stones up from the beach, adding a seawall, garage, dining hall and a second wing for his growing boys.

Working side-by-side with the mason, Jeffers found he could not just write but also build, that “his fingers had the art to make stone love stone.” They called their home Tor House after the craggy knoll – or “tor” – upon which it stood and christened the cornerstone with wine, milk and honey. In 1918 Jeffers came into money and bought land on Carmel Point, planted the first of thousands of trees, and began work on the Surrey-style cottage that was to be their home. Jeffers called it “their inevitable place.” There were no homes there then, just a nine-holegolf course populated by cows, sheep and a flock of wild geese. On misty mornings Robinson and Una and their bulldog, Billie, would walk Carmel Point and picnic among the rocks.

Scenic Drive was just a dirt path then, bounded by scrub, rock and sand – and 45 different varieties ofwildflowers (Una counted and catalogued them!). Carmel was to be a refuge from wagging tongues and a haven from grief.

Tor house in carmel