The Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle

To protect the architectural masterpieces of California history located at this unique site, Hearst Castle is a designated National Historic Landmark. This status required the restoration efforts to use an exact color and material match to reproduce the classic patterns of the original marble tile installation. Three-dimensional laser scans were used to map the original tile in the pool prior to demolition. From the scans and dimensions, shop drawings were produced to pinpoint the location of individual tiles and their relation to other pool features. To restore the pool to its initial, glorious state and to honor and pool’s first builders, the original Vermont quarry locations were found and used to source new marble and serpentine needed for the project.  

All of this planning was followed by the painstaking installation of over 19,000 stone tiles involving countless referrals to photos, plans, and other documentation of the original pool. Tiles were carefully created and placed to best replicate every detail of the historic site.

The natural stone tile work on this project was awarded to the third-generation marble craftsmen at Carnevale & Lohr, Inc., of Bell Gardens, CA. Their union stone masons and tile setters are trained in time-tested and traditional hand fitting methods, but they also incorporate modern tile installation technology, standards, and techniques. In this way, the installers brought together the best of the old and new worlds of tile craftsmanship for this historic renovation.

With the renovation completed, the pool was refilled in 2018 and can be visited by tourists once again.