Atalaya was the former winter home of renowned sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband Archer Milton Huntington, a well-known scholar of Hispanic studies, businessman, and poet. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992 primarily because it was the home and working studio of a famous sculptor and secondarily because of its Moorish-influenced architecture. Soon after their 1923 marriage in New York, Anna was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and in seeking treatment for her illness, the Huntingtons looked for a warmer climate in which to spend their winters. Archer also intended to develop a garden area to display some of his wife’s work. Atalaya, a Spanish term meaning “watchtower,” was constructed along with Brookgreen Gardens from 1931-33 and employed mostly local labor.