When magnate William Bowers Bourn II and his wife, Agnes, selected a picturesque parcel of land, midway between San Francisco and San Jose, on which to build their country house, they chose Willis Polk, an eclectic architect with a penchant for combining styles, to design the residence. Completed in 1917, the estate was bestowed with the unique name, Filoli—an acronym for Bourn’s personal motto: “Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.”
