Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini purchased Carolands Chateau in 1950 , saving it from demolition by speculators interested in developing the land , and uninterested in the house 's architectural significance . Prior to her marriage in 1932 to Mexican-born Count Alessandro Dandini di Cesena , Lillian Remillard was an heir to the Remillard Brothers fortune , which derived from a brick manufacturing business dating back to California 's gold rush , a business that benefitted greatly from the construction boom following the 1906 earthquake . During the twenty-three years ( until her death ) that she lived at Carolands , the countess entertained often and made the house available for numerous charity benefits . She frequently invited San Francisco 's French community to the house and opened it annually to the San Francisco Bay area 's French students . Her generosity in sharing the house inspired the Town of Burlingame to give her the town 's " Woman of the Year " award
1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Carolands