In 1915, Frank Devendorf developed the Carmel Highlands as a residential community of creative people dedicated to the arts.

His friend, marine artist William Frederic Ritschel, helped him plan sight lines for the hotel that had views north along the coast.

Here many painters and sculptors found inspiration in the rugged scenery and established studio-homes, including: Ferdinand Burgdorff, Alice Comins, Theodore Criley, Arthur Hill Gilbert, Ralph Helm Johonnot, Ada Howe Kent, George J. Koch, Louise F. MacDougal, John O'Shea, Thomas S. Parkhurst, Ira Mallory Remsen, William Frederic Ritschel, Nora Havel Ritschel.

Mills, who apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West from 1944 to 1948, created a distinctive design that caught the attention of the architectural world.

[12] The local Carmel literati frequently socialized in the Highlands, including Lincoln Steffens, Ella Winter, Robinson Jeffers, and Sinclair Lewis.