Filoli Historic House and Garden

Built in 1915, Filoli Historic House and Garden is a large estate in Woodside, California. Through the years, it has been owned by two prominent Bay Area families, and is now under the care of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Notable for its usage as a backdrop in a long list of movies, television shows, and commercials, today, Filoli acts primarily as a tourist attraction. Guests can walk the gardens, take tours of the mansion, and enjoy lunch and shopping at the property's restaurant and store.

Though a plethora of historic information exists surrounding similar public sites, information surrounding Filoli is somewhat more cursory -- the house's backstory feels not as considered as it could be.  Through this site, I aim to situate Filoli within the scope of these similar spaces and to provide an understanding for why society often disregards houses' history for present enjoyment, specifically as it pertains to women's role in design being downplayed in the commodification of spaces.