Only child of William G. Irwin and Fannie Marie Ivers Holladay Irwin. She was born in Hawaii where her father had been reared, being born in England and brought to Hawaii in early childhood, Hawaii not then being a state, only a territory.
She grew up in wealth and was heiress to a large sugar plantation fortune, one that later became C&H sugar. Her father sold his interest to take the family to San Francisco where, as Irwin put it, Helene might find a more suitable husband, so the society pages began to fill with rumors when Charles Templeton Crocker began to date Irene. Templeton was also a millionaire in his own right. Charles and Helene were married at the home of her father in San Francisco on February 28, 1911. Helene's father gave her $1 million in stocks and bonds as a wedding gift, her mother gave her a new limosene and Crocker's family lavished her with many gifts of expensive jewelry. Quote from The New York Times about the wedding says, "Miss Irwin is a lucky young woman, but society is asking what can she buy with her million when she has so much." Charles was owner of a 500-acre estate at Hillsborough California, where they would make their home.
Helene purchased land of her own, after the death of both her parents, a lot in Pebble Beach, a 3-acre coastal lot and hired an architect to design and build a home there, atop the cliffs near Pescadero Point. The architect was the famed George Washington Smith and no expense was spared. He created what is believed to be the only Byzantine-style house then in America. The walls were faced with stone from Mount Vesuvius, the entry included 45 marble columns imported from quarries in 16 different countries. It was approximately 10,000 sq.ft. of interior space, with seven bedrooms, each with its own bath. But before the house was finished, Helene filed for divorce and the final decree was issued in 1928.
Helene then went East for a few months and there married Paul I. Fagan in New York City, 15 March, 1929. Paul was a successful exporter-importer. They honeymooned in Europe, bought a home in Hillsbough and then finished the Pebble Beach home, the final cost reported to be $2.1 million, and the couple divided time between Hillsborough, Pebble Beach and Hawaii where they developed a 10,000 acre ranch and, in 1946, a luxury resort on Maui. They remained married until his death in 1960. There were no children from this marriage, though Paul did have two children from a previous marriage.
Helene also donated land she owned on Diamond Head, to be called Irwin Park, to the Territory of Hawaii in trust to be always maintained as a public park "to beautify the entrance to Honolulu Harbor."
(added Nov. 2013 by M.Andersen)
She grew up in wealth and was heiress to a large sugar plantation fortune, one that later became C&H sugar. Her father sold his interest to take the family to San Francisco where, as Irwin put it, Helene might find a more suitable husband, so the society pages began to fill with rumors when Charles Templeton Crocker began to date Irene. Templeton was also a millionaire in his own right. Charles and Helene were married at the home of her father in San Francisco on February 28, 1911. Helene's father gave her $1 million in stocks and bonds as a wedding gift, her mother gave her a new limosene and Crocker's family lavished her with many gifts of expensive jewelry. Quote from The New York Times about the wedding says, "Miss Irwin is a lucky young woman, but society is asking what can she buy with her million when she has so much." Charles was owner of a 500-acre estate at Hillsborough California, where they would make their home.
Helene purchased land of her own, after the death of both her parents, a lot in Pebble Beach, a 3-acre coastal lot and hired an architect to design and build a home there, atop the cliffs near Pescadero Point. The architect was the famed George Washington Smith and no expense was spared. He created what is believed to be the only Byzantine-style house then in America. The walls were faced with stone from Mount Vesuvius, the entry included 45 marble columns imported from quarries in 16 different countries. It was approximately 10,000 sq.ft. of interior space, with seven bedrooms, each with its own bath. But before the house was finished, Helene filed for divorce and the final decree was issued in 1928.
Helene then went East for a few months and there married Paul I. Fagan in New York City, 15 March, 1929. Paul was a successful exporter-importer. They honeymooned in Europe, bought a home in Hillsbough and then finished the Pebble Beach home, the final cost reported to be $2.1 million, and the couple divided time between Hillsborough, Pebble Beach and Hawaii where they developed a 10,000 acre ranch and, in 1946, a luxury resort on Maui. They remained married until his death in 1960. There were no children from this marriage, though Paul did have two children from a previous marriage.
Helene also donated land she owned on Diamond Head, to be called Irwin Park, to the Territory of Hawaii in trust to be always maintained as a public park "to beautify the entrance to Honolulu Harbor."
(added Nov. 2013 by M.Andersen)
Only child of William G. Irwin and Fannie Marie Ivers Holladay Irwin. She was born in Hawaii where her father had been reared, being born in England and brought to Hawaii in early childhood, Hawaii not then being a state, only a territory.
She grew up in wealth and was heiress to a large sugar plantation fortune, one that later became C&H sugar. Her father sold his interest to take the family to San Francisco where, as Irwin put it, Helene might find a more suitable husband, so the society pages began to fill with rumors when Charles Templeton Crocker began to date Irene. Templeton was also a millionaire in his own right. Charles and Helene were married at the home of her father in San Francisco on February 28, 1911. Helene's father gave her $1 million in stocks and bonds as a wedding gift, her mother gave her a new limosene and Crocker's family lavished her with many gifts of expensive jewelry. Quote from The New York Times about the wedding says, "Miss Irwin is a lucky young woman, but society is asking what can she buy with her million when she has so much." Charles was owner of a 500-acre estate at Hillsborough California, where they would make their home.
Helene purchased land of her own, after the death of both her parents, a lot in Pebble Beach, a 3-acre coastal lot and hired an architect to design and build a home there, atop the cliffs near Pescadero Point. The architect was the famed George Washington Smith and no expense was spared. He created what is believed to be the only Byzantine-style house then in America. The walls were faced with stone from Mount Vesuvius, the entry included 45 marble columns imported from quarries in 16 different countries. It was approximately 10,000 sq.ft. of interior space, with seven bedrooms, each with its own bath. But before the house was finished, Helene filed for divorce and the final decree was issued in 1928.
Helene then went East for a few months and there married Paul I. Fagan in New York City, 15 March, 1929. Paul was a successful exporter-importer. They honeymooned in Europe, bought a home in Hillsbough and then finished the Pebble Beach home, the final cost reported to be $2.1 million, and the couple divided time between Hillsborough, Pebble Beach and Hawaii where they developed a 10,000 acre ranch and, in 1946, a luxury resort on Maui. They remained married until his death in 1960. There were no children from this marriage, though Paul did have two children from a previous marriage.
Helene also donated land she owned on Diamond Head, to be called Irwin Park, to the Territory of Hawaii in trust to be always maintained as a public park "to beautify the entrance to Honolulu Harbor."
(added Nov. 2013 by M.Andersen)
She grew up in wealth and was heiress to a large sugar plantation fortune, one that later became C&H sugar. Her father sold his interest to take the family to San Francisco where, as Irwin put it, Helene might find a more suitable husband, so the society pages began to fill with rumors when Charles Templeton Crocker began to date Irene. Templeton was also a millionaire in his own right. Charles and Helene were married at the home of her father in San Francisco on February 28, 1911. Helene's father gave her $1 million in stocks and bonds as a wedding gift, her mother gave her a new limosene and Crocker's family lavished her with many gifts of expensive jewelry. Quote from The New York Times about the wedding says, "Miss Irwin is a lucky young woman, but society is asking what can she buy with her million when she has so much." Charles was owner of a 500-acre estate at Hillsborough California, where they would make their home.
Helene purchased land of her own, after the death of both her parents, a lot in Pebble Beach, a 3-acre coastal lot and hired an architect to design and build a home there, atop the cliffs near Pescadero Point. The architect was the famed George Washington Smith and no expense was spared. He created what is believed to be the only Byzantine-style house then in America. The walls were faced with stone from Mount Vesuvius, the entry included 45 marble columns imported from quarries in 16 different countries. It was approximately 10,000 sq.ft. of interior space, with seven bedrooms, each with its own bath. But before the house was finished, Helene filed for divorce and the final decree was issued in 1928.
Helene then went East for a few months and there married Paul I. Fagan in New York City, 15 March, 1929. Paul was a successful exporter-importer. They honeymooned in Europe, bought a home in Hillsbough and then finished the Pebble Beach home, the final cost reported to be $2.1 million, and the couple divided time between Hillsborough, Pebble Beach and Hawaii where they developed a 10,000 acre ranch and, in 1946, a luxury resort on Maui. They remained married until his death in 1960. There were no children from this marriage, though Paul did have two children from a previous marriage.
Helene also donated land she owned on Diamond Head, to be called Irwin Park, to the Territory of Hawaii in trust to be always maintained as a public park "to beautify the entrance to Honolulu Harbor."
(added Nov. 2013 by M.Andersen)
Gravesite Details
Wife of Paul Irving Fagan, daughter of William G. Irwin. (added by Lin)
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