Black Point

Black Point earned its name from the dense clusters of dark, wind-swept California bay laurel trees that once covered this rocky bluff. While Spanish and Mexican officials long identified this promontory as a strategic military position, the United States Army was slow to occupy the land after taking control of California. In the mid-nineteenth century, this official neglect allowed ambitious real estate developers to quietly move in and build elegant, private homes on the site. For nearly a decade, this secluded stretch of coast served as an exclusive enclave for wealthy merchants, bankers, and influential literary figures.