In the fall of 1976, a signature from President Gerald Ford turned Tao House, playwright Eugene O’Neill’s secluded Danville home, into a national historic site. The move capped a yearslong push to protect the white-brick hilltop mansion from being overtaken by a proposed 1,500-home development.
For anyone who works in the built environment, this is a familiar story. A community decides a building is more than real estate, and they organize to keep it standing. In this case, the fight drew an unlikely ally from Hollywood. Actor Jason Robards Jr., who credited O’Neill’s work with shaping his career, used his platform to help raise money and attention for the cause, including testifying before a U.S. Senate committee during the final push for federal protection.
The result is a preservation win that still has ripple effects for local tourism, culture, and the trades that keep historic structures serviceable. Tao House was restored and opened to the public in 1985. In 2025, more than 14,000 people visited the 15-acre site, which sits near Mount Diablo and Las Trampas Regional Preserve.
For mason contractors, the takeaway is simple: when brick buildings become community landmarks, longevity matters, and stewardship becomes part of the job. Tao House is now one of nearly 40 National Park Service sites devoted to American writers. Visitors can tour the house by reservation via a shuttle into the park, hike nearby trails, and attend performances tied to O’Neill’s legacy, including the annual Eugene O’Neill Festival in September.
Read the full, original article from The Mercury News (subscription required at source) here.