The Nepenthe Log Cabin Turns 100!

Established April 24th 1949

A Century Along The Coast

The Nepenthe Log Cabin Turns 100!

Nepenthe stands 808 feet above the sea, built around the site of The Log House. This three-bedroom cabin was built in 1925 by the Trail Club of Jolon.

The Log Cabin’s History

Henry Miller

Many are not aware that Henry Miller’s first home on the coast was the Log House. After the Log House was no longer used by the Trails Club, novelist Lynda Sargent rented the cabin as a writer’s escape. It was during this time Sargent took in the penniless Henry Miller and gave him a place to set up his typewriter during the day and lay his head at night…

Rita Hayworth & Orson Welles

Hollywood legends Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles stumbled upon the secluded log cabin while travelling down Highway One. Captivated by the coastal views, the couple impulsively purchased the cabin as a private retreat, collecting just over $167 for a down payment. They never came back to the cabin, and eventually sold it to the Fassett family in 1947. Their brief connection with the Log Cabin has lived on as part of its rich history.

Our Story…

Nepenthe stands on the site of The Log House in Big Sur California. In 1947 Lolly and Bill Fassett took over the property and moved in with their five children. The Fassett’s felt that the site and its magnificent vistas were too vast, too wonderful to keep to themselves.

“no individual can own it, it belongs to everyone”

-Lolly Fassett

From that thought grew the idea of Nepenthe, an isle of no-care. The word Nepenthe is derived from the Greek, meaning “no sorrow.” It is also known as the mythical Egyptian drug that the wife of Thonis, King of Egypt, gave to Helen, daughter of Jove, to induce forgetfulness and surcease from sorrow.

The Log Cabin Today…

Once a quiet retreat, the Log Cabin lives on as a rare glimpse into the charm and character of the early life on the Big Sur coast. Now surrounded by the lively energy of present-day Nepenthe. The Log Cabin is not open to the public, however, here is a special look inside where it all began!