his career, Bourn commissioned Willis Polk to build his estate, Filoli, in Woodside, California. Construction finished in 1917, but unfortunately Bourn suffered a stroke at his Empire Cottage in 1922. He would be confined to a wheelchair until his death. The Empire Mine was sold to Newmont Mining Company in 1929, and the City of San Francisco bought the Spring Valley Water Company in 1930. William Bowers Bourn II died at his Filoli estate on July 5, 1936.
after the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, and was seen at the time of its building as a symbol of hope amid ruin. Its English Renaissance gardens are considered among the finest recreated antique English gardens in North America. Filoli has served as the set for numerous Hollywood films and television shows, and has been featured on television programs like A&E's Guide to Historic Homes of America and America's Castles: Garden Estates. History The house was built in 1917 by William