After receiving the Nobel Prize in 1936, Eugene O'Neill was at the peak of his career and, seeking solitude, he and his wife Carlotta built Tao House in the Las Trampas hills west of Danville. They chose a Chinese word meaning "the right way of life" for its name, and he called it his final harbor. The O'Neills lived there for six years. By day, the playwright worked in isolation in his study, taking time out in the afternoons for gardening and swimming, while evenings were spent with a vast record collection and a player piano called "Rosie," which had its own room. During World War II, maintaining the large home and property became increasingly difficult. Herbert Freeman, their driver, bodyguard, and general helper, joined the Marines, servants were scarce, both O'Neills were in poor health, and gas rationing made medical care hard to reach. They left Tao House early in 1944 and never returned.