In 1937, Eugene O'Neill and his wife, Carlotta, purchased a 158-acre ranch in the hills above Danville, California where they built Tao House, a refuge that they hoped would be their final home. The name "Tao House" was inspired by O'Neill's interest in Eastern thought and Carlotta's passion for Oriental art and decor. Tao, a pivotal concept in ancient Chinese philosophy and religion may be translated as knowledge, morality, ultimate truth, or simply as "the Way." Isolated from the world within the walls of Tao House, O'Neill would write his final and most masterful plays, including The Iceman Cometh, A Moon for the Misbegotten, and Long Day's Journey Into Night. Today, Tao House is the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site.