Press Releases

CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. - December 13, 2005 - The land holds its breath as the legendary Holman Ranch prepares to pass into new hands. The sprawling Carmel Valley gem will officially be "for sale" in January 2006. William L. Smith of Prudential California Realty has been chosen to broker the sale, although a price for the nearly 400-acre ranch has not yet been announced.

Under the administration of the Holman Ranch Corp. and Northern Trust Bank, ranch employees have run the property without interruption since the death of owner Dorothy McEwen in early 2005, continuing to host private events and operate the world-class Equestrian Center. The ranch's mission-style hacienda, oak-studded hills, and stunning vistas remain much as they were in golden eras of the past.

Still the pride of Carmel Valley, the ranch has seen very few owners since Gordon Armsby built the stone home he called "La Casa Escondida" in the 1920s. In the 40s Clarence Holman created the Holman Guest Ranch and, along with his second wife Vivian Ogden, turned it into a social hub and vacation hideaway for the Hollywood elite. Stars said to have stayed at the ranch include Clark Gable, June Allyson, Marlon Brando and, most famously, Charlie Chaplin.

McEwen rescued the ranch from a period of neglect and restored it to its former grandeur in the late 1980s. The ranch was available to rent for elegant private functions and welcomed numerous community and charitable events, as it did in the Holman era. Her passion for horses led her to build the Equestrian Center, a facility for riding, training, and boarding horses. She also planted a small vineyard and had developed plans to grow grapes on 41 acres.

Smith, Broker/Owner of Prudential California Realty (www.williamsmith.com), specializes in ranch, equestrian, and vineyard properties. He previously managed the sales of Quail Creek Ranch and the El Milagro estate in Salinas Valley. "I'm thrilled to be working with a property as extraordinary as the Holman Ranch, and I take pride in helping to secure its future," said Smith. Smith has worked to preserve historic buildings and sites on the Monterey Peninsula.
 
For more information, please contact William Smith at 831-622-1500 ext. 103 and visit www.holmanranch.com.