To maintain and preserve Tor House, Hawk Tower and their collections; to promote the literary and philosophical legacy of Robinson Jeffers; and to serve as a cultural resource for the community.
Now that Tor House has been designated a National Historic Landmark, both because of the poet Robinson Jeffers as a figure important in American history and Tor House and Hawk Tower as unique architectural works with historical significance, we are even more committed to expanding and developing our programs, both at Tor House and in the community. Our Big Idea is to continue to add to our docent corps so we can offer more tours for the public and school groups; to collaborate with other local non-profits, especially those serving the diverse communities of Monterey County; to continue to develop educational programs highlighting Jeffers' influence on ecology, poetry and social justice; to make our extensive archival collection available to the public in digital form; to present public talks on Jeffers and his currency in today's world; and to continue our Fellow program that welcomes and inspires artists and writers.
A major part of Tor House Foundation's mission is to be a cultural resource to the community. We do that in a number of ways: public tours, poetry readings, talks to community organizations, musical events, and our annual Garden Party and Fall Festival. While we attract visitors from all over the United States, Europe and Asia, a significant number of Monterey County residents attend our events, bringing visiting friends and relatives. For many of the out-of-area visitors, Tor House is a specific destination, so we play a significant role in supporting the area’s tourist-based economy. We have provided educational opportunities for local schools and colleges as well as for members of Youth Music Monterey and the Youth Arts Collective. Finally, we are important to the area’s cultural heritage: our designation as a National Historic Landmark brings added attention to the rich literary and cultural history of Monterey County.
My husband's family owns Murphy Lumber and recently Tor House did a tour (Saturday afternoon, March 15th) for the Gladney family because it was MJ Murphy of Murphy Lumber that built that first stone house together with Robinson Jeffers. I can't describe how special that tour was. It was glorious! I felt so connected to the Earth and its history as those two masterful storytellers shared their knowledge about every aspect of the Jeffers lives, the Tor House, and the land it was built on and they brought it all to life. Thank You!
- Jacquie Gladney, Los Gatos, California
