Oakland-grown Julia Morgan was “America’s first truly independent woman architect,” according to local architectural historian Mark Wilson. Morgan is famous for works such as the Hearst Castle near San Simeon, the Berkeley City Club, and the Hearst Greek Theatre on the UC Berkeley campus.

This Thursday, under the sponsorship of Oakland Heritage Alliance, as part of its Second Thursday series, Wilson will discuss his forthcoming book “A Legacy of Beauty: The Life and Work of Julia Mogan.” Very fittingly, the talk will be given at Chapel of the Chimes—one of Morgan’s many works in Oakland, and not far from her resting place in Mountain View Cemetery.

Wilson’s deep interest in Morgan goes back over 25 years, when he wrote his master’s thesis about her. Wilson’s interest was somewhat ahead of his time: Even then, though she had died a quarter century before, Julia Morgan was underappreciated. (Wilson tells the story of a film shown to visitors at Hearst Castle which misidentified her as William Randolph Hearst’s secretary!) Her reputation has since caught up to her accomplishments.

Wilson will discuss working with Morgan’s goddaughter Lynn McMurray, his discovery of previously undocumented Morgan buildings, and Morgan’s lasting legacy at the 50th anniversary of her death.

The OHA-sponsored talk by Mark Wilson will start at 7:30 PM, Thursday, January 11, at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue [map]. Donation: $8 OHA members; $10 nonmembers.

Wilson will also sign copies of this classic guidebook: “A Living Legacy: Historic Architecture of the East Bay.”

For more information contact OHA at info@oaklandheritage.org, 510-763-9218, or www.oaklandheritage.org.