Agenda packet — Palm Springs City Council, May 25, 2023 (part 2 of 4)

May 25, 2023

RESOLUTION NO.:_____

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNAT ING “ THE TAHQUITZ
RESORT GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE ” L OCATED AT 1885
LAWRENCE CROSSLEY ROAD , A CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE,
(HSPB #149), APN# 681-250-012.

THE CITY COUNCIL FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:

A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts; and

B. WHEREAS, The City of Palm S prings, submitted an applicat ion seeking historic site designation of the Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse located at 1885 Lawrence Crossley Road; and

C. WHEREAS, in March , 2023, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) and City staff conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource; and

D. WHEREAS, on April 4, 2023, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic S ite Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #149 was held in accordance with applicable law; and

E. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, t he HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony and voted unanimously to recommend that the Council designate the Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhous e a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource; and

F. WHEREAS, on May 25, 2023, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs City Council to consider Case HSPB #149 was held in accordance with applicable law; and

G. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, the City Council carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to the staff report and all written and oral testimony.

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:

SECTION 1: FINDINGS – PART “A”, CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.

Evaluation of the Application.

Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

Criteria for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object Item 2B - Page 8
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may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided both of the following findings (“a” and “b”) are met:

a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

The use of simple yet exaggerated forms, unadorned building surfaces, and the horizontality of the building on the site embodies Modernist principles. Alterations to the site have been made in a way that does not diminish the overall design intent, and the integrity of the building has been carefully maintained. City Council finds the clubhouse structure has exceptional historic significance that qualifies for Class 1 (Landmark) historic status.

(Criterion 1) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community;

The report does not list any events associated with the home that contributed to the nation, state or community. Thus, it does not qualify under Criterion i.

(Criterion 2) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;

As referenced in the report, prominent professional golfers like Arnold Palmer played at this golf course but do not have a direct association with the clubhouse structure that rises to a meaningful level of contribution to national, state or local history. City Council finds the site does not qualify as a historic resource under this Criterion.

(Criterion 3) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history;

The promotion of tourism played a pivotal role in the economic development of Palm Springs.

The Municipal Golf Course was opened during a time when the City was promoting itself as a world class golf destination. The design of the clubhouse exemplifies Mid- century Modern and Late Modern design principles through the building’s massing, site configuration, exterior treatment of materials, and bold geometric expression. City Council finds that criterion iii is met because the resource clearly reflects the local history of tourism and is an exceptional and unique example of Modernist design principles that were widely accepted during the post-World War II period in Palm Springs.

(Criterion 4) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;

Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of construction) and the method (of construction). Standard framing methods and post and beam construction was used for much of the building but the structural use of glu- lam to create the expansive covered breezeway is distinctive for its time. The report identifies glu-lam construction as a “technology driven-material” that allowed the long span and subtle curve of the roofline over the covered breezeway possible.

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City Council finds the use of this material during the post -World War II period distinctive and representative of the period, thus meeting criterion iv.

(Criterion 5) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;

City Council finds the resource qualifies under Criterion v due to the high artistic value that is associated with the design of the clubhouse and Hugh Kaptur’s direct association with the design of the resource during a highly productive period in his career.

(Criterion 6) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists; or

No information has been provided that the resource qualifies under Criterion vi.

(Criterion 7) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.

No information has been provided on any pre-historic significance of the site.

SECTION 2: PART “B” ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY.

Analysis of Integrity. (PSMC 8.05.070 (C,1,b). The site, structure, building or object retains one or more of the following aspects of integrity, as established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: integrity of design, materials, workmanship, location, setting, feeling, or association.

Beginning on page 33 of the Chattel report is an evaluation of the site relative to the seven aspects or qualities of historic integrity, as recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

The seven aspects or qualities include location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The report concludes that the site retains a high degree of integrity and is further analyzed below:

1. Location:

The resource remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity of location.

2. Design:

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Clerestory windows align directly below the wooden eave and extended beams that follow the “sweeping” roofline and vertical windows are arranged in a regular pattern on the upper walls of the west elevation. Additions have been constructed over time but are in areas that do not impact the overall appearance of the original design because they are concentrated on non- primary elevations and recessed back from the original building footprint. In addition, many of the alterations appear reversible in nature, therefore, the design integrity of the s tructure remains intact.

3. Setting:

The original setting of the golf course remains unchanged. The clubhouse structure serves as the connection point between the parking lot and the golf course, as was originally designed.

The integrity of setting remains.

4. Materials:

The exterior walls include a roughly textured stucco finish and rock wall veneer which all remain.

The primary façade shows heavy timber beams extending beyond the walls and the added wood entry feature is completely detached from the walls of the resource. Although the original drawings indicate the loss of certain architectural details such as the replacement of fenestration and the removal of the memorial fountain and a decorative wood screen on the north elevation, much of the character-defining features remain in place, thus the integrity of materials is intact.

5. Workmanship:

The unique shape and structure of the building requires a higher level of workmanship to execute. The organic curve of the roofline is a simple shape yet complex to construct. The cutout skylights in the breezeway are expansive, and the stucco application on the walls and the rock veneers are precise and distinct. A high level of knowledge and skill was required during construction and is clearly evident in the resource today. Staff finds the integrity of workmanship is still intact
.

6. Feeling:

Despite the additions that have been made to the building, the feeling evoked by the simple yet bold form of the structure and the use of materials remains unaltered. The integrity of feeling remains.

7. Association:

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subordinate to the original design using the same architectural language of mass, scale, low horizontality, and materials. Thus, integrity of association with the Mid-century Modern and Late Modern ideals have been protected and retained.

SECTION 3: DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS

In considering a recommendation for historic resource designation it is important to distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that contribute to the resource’s historic significance from alterations, additions or features that were added at a later time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character -defining features from non- original elements aids the HSPB when it is tasked with evaluating future alterations to the historic resource.

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site as follows:

Character-defining features of the resource are as follows:

• “ Sweeping” curved roofline
• “ Sweeping” wooden eave that follows the roofline with exposed wood beams on the east and west elevations
• Asymmetrical composition and one-story configuration
• Parabolic arch entrances for the exterior breezeway (east and west elevations) • Exterior covered breezeway with elliptical skylights divided by glu-lam beams • Battered exterior walls clad in textured stucco with inset foundation detailing • Rock wall veneer
• Unadorned exterior wall surfaces
• Deeply inset windows in an atypical pattern on the primary façade • Clerestory windows under the “sweeping” wood eave of the east and west elevations • Vertical slot windows on the south elevation
• Ground to roofline stretch of glazing (windows and doors) on the west elevation • Three-stepped design of the rafter beam tails on the east elevation

Non-contributing elements:

• Main entry feature with canopies leading to the covered breezeway • Building additions to the north and west side of the building that are currently used for golf cart storage, offices, and the pro shop
• Patio area and wood trellis for outdoor restaurant seating on the west elevation • Rooftop mechanical equipment and satellite dish
• Ceramic tiles applied to the building surface near the restrooms in the covered breezeway • Accessible sloped pathway adjacent to a low retaining wall along the east (front) elevation • Parking lot, surrounding landscape and golf course.1

1 The surrounding site context is original to the design; however, these features were not identified as significant character-defining features for this designation. The findings are based on the analysis of the clubhouse structure.

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SECTION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

The proposed historic resource designation is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical changes to t he environment, directly or indirectly.

SECTION 5: CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO HISTORIC SITES:

According to Section 8.05 of the Municipal Code, the following shall apply to a Class 1 Historic Resource:

1. It shall meet the definition of a Class 1 historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section

8.05.020.

2. An archival file on the property shall be maintained by the City.

3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.

4. The structure/site may not be modified nor objects removed without following the procedures outlined in Municipal Code Section 8.05.110 “Demolition or Alteration of Class 1 and Class 2 Historic Resources – Certificate of Appropriateness”.

5. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed at the site in a location viewable from the public way.

6. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Sites and Historic Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code shall be required.

7. The site shall not be further subdivided.

8. The City Clerk shall submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for recordation within 90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.

Based upon the foregoing, the City Council hereby designates “The Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse” located at 1885 Lawrence Crossley Road, a Class 1 (Landmark) Historic Resource (Case HSPB #149).

ADOPTED THIS TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF MAY, 2023.

SCOTT STILES

CITY MANAGER
ATTEST:

BRENDA PREE, MMC

CITY CLERK
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CERTIFICATION

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS )

I, BRENDA PREE, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that Resolution No. ____ is a full, true and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on _______________________, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Palm Springs, California, this ______ day of ______________, _________.

BRENDA PREE, MMC

CITY CLERK
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ATTACHMENT C

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HISTORIC RESOURCES REPORT

Palm Springs Municipal Golf Course Clubhouse
1885 Golf Club Drive
Palm Springs, California

Prepared for:

City of Palm Springs
3200 Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92263

Prepared by:

Chattel, Inc. | Historic Preservation Consultants
13417 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

March 16, 2023
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PALM SPRINGS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE, 1885 GOLF CLUB DRIVE, PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

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PALM SPRINGS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE, 1885 GOLF CLUB DRIVE, PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

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2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction and Executive Summary .............................................................................. 4

II Qualifications ...................................................................................................................... 5

III. Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 6

IV. Regulatory Setting .............................................................................................................. 7 City of Palm Springs ............................................................................................................. 7 Previous Surveys, Evaluations, and Reports ....................................................................... 9

V. Description ........................................................................................................................ 10 Physical Description ............................................................................................................ 10 Alterations ........................................................................................................................... 13 Character-Defining Features .............................................................................................. 15 Subject Property History ..................................................................................................... 17 Period of Significance ......................................................................................................... 19

VI. Historic Contexts .............................................................................................................. 20 Post- World War II Commercial Development in Palm Springs .......................................... 20 Golf in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley .................................................................. 22 Hugh Michael Kaptur, AIA .................................................................................................. 25 Mid-Century Modern and Late Modern ............................................................................... 28

VII. Historic Resource Assessment ....................................................................................... 30 City of Palm Springs ........................................................................................................... 30 Integrity ............................................................................................................................... 33

VIII. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 35

IX. Bibliography ...................................................................................................................... 36

X. Attachments
Attachment A: DPR 523A Forms
Attachment B: Maps and Aerials
Attachment C: Historic Images
Attachment D: Contemporary Photos
Attachment E: Excerpts from Original Drawings

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4 I. INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The purpose of this Historic Resources Report (report) is to determine if the Palm Springs Municipal Golf Course Clubhouse located at 1885 Golf Club Drive, Palm Springs, California (Assessor Parcel Number: 681-250-012, “subject property” or “clubhouse”) is eligible as a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource under the City of Palm Springs (City) Historic Preservation Ordinance. The clubhouse was constructed in 1967 for the Palm Springs Municipal Golf Course, known today as part of the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort. It was designed by master architect Hugh Kaptur in a mix of the Mid- Century Modern and Late Modern architectural style s. The clubhouse is currently identified as a City Class 3 building, or potentially eligible resource, and was previously assigned California Register of Historical Resources (California Register) status code 5S3 by Historic Resources Group (HRG), appearing individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation as part of the Citywide Survey published in 2018.

For the reasons stated in this report, the subject property is eligible for local designation as a Class 1 historic resource under City Criterion iii for reflecting the Post-World War II period of golf course development and growth in Palm Springs and the period of transition between the Mid- Century Modern and Late Modern architectural styles, Criterion iv for embodying distinctive characteristics of a method of construction in its use of exposed glu-lam beams and heavy timber framing to create a robust expression of the building structure, and Criterion v as a work of master architect Hugh Kaptur which possesses high artistic value. Despite some alterations, the subject property continues to retain integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The period of significance is 1967, when the clubhouse was constructed and opened to the public.

R
efer to Attachment A for DPR 523A form prepared by HRG, Attachment B for maps and aerials, Attachment C for historic images, Attachment D for contemporary photos, and Attachment E for excerpts from the original drawings.

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5 II. QUALIFICATIONS

Chattel, Inc. (Chattel) is a full-service historic preservation-consulting firm with practice throughout the western United States. The firm represents governmental agencies and private ventures, successfully balancing project goals with a myriad of historic preservation regulations without sacrificing principles on either side. Comprised of professionals meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards in history, architecture, architectural history, and historic architecture, the firm offers professional services including historical resources evaluation and project effects analysis, in addition to consultation on federal, state, and local historic preservation statutes and regulations.

Chattel staff engage in a collaborative process and work together as a team on individual projects.

This report was prepared by President Robert Jay Chattel, architectural historian and preservation architect, and Associate III Alvin-Christian Nuval, planner . Additional support was provided by Principal Associate Leslie Heumann, architectural historian, and Intern Leilani Commons.

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6 III. METHODOLOGY

Primary and secondary source materials were consulted for the development of this assessment and applicable historic contexts. For a complete list of sources, see bibliography. Sources generally included:

• Original and alteration drawings held by the City of Palm Springs • Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings prepared by HRG in 2018 • Newspaper articles (primarily from the Palm Springs Desert Sun, available online through Newspapers.com)
• Hugh M. Kaptur Collection held by the Palm Springs Art Museum • Publications, including The Desert Modernists: The Architects Who Envisioned Midcentury Modern Palm Springs , created in partnership between Modernism Week and Desert Publications Inc., and The Modern Architecture of Hugh Michael Kaptur, written by Steven Keylon and published by the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation • Historic and current aerials from NETR Historic Aerials and Google Earth • Other previous surveys, evaluations, and reports of the subject property

A site visit was conducted by President Robert Jay Chattel, architectural historian and preservation architect, Associate III Alvin-Christian Nuval, planner, and Intern Leilani Commons on November 21, 2022, during which the exterior and interior of the subject property were extensively photographed, and integrity was assessed.

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7 IV. REGULATORY SETTING

City of Palm Springs

In considering eligibility as a historic resource, the City has a system in which properties may be classified as having Class 1, 2, 3, or 4 status. As defined in Palm Springs Municipal Code (PSMC) Section 8.05.020:

“Landmark/Class 1 historic resource” means any site, structure, building or object not located on Tribal Trust or Allocated Trust Land designated by resolution of the City Council as having historic, architectural, archaeological, cultural, or aesthetic significance that contributes to an understanding and awareness of the community’s history.

“Historic Merit/Class 2 historic resource” means a site, structure, building or object not located on Tribal Trust or Allocated Trust Land that does not qualify for Class 1 historic resource designation under this chapter, but is otherwise deserving of official recognition as having historic, architectural, archaeological, cultural, or aesthetic significance and is designated as a Class 2 historic resource by resolution of the City Council. A Class 2 historic resource may lack some aspects of historic integrity, or may include a site where the structure, building or object of historic significance has been lost, damaged or removed.

Class 2 sites on which the historic resource still exists are eligible for the execution of a Mills Act historic property preservation agreement, as determined by City Council.

“Potentially Eligible/Class 3 building” means any building which is not a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource, but is identified in a City historic resources survey as eligible for designation as a historic resource. A building may be a Class 3 building regardless of the construction date or the improvements thereon. Class 3 sites are not eligible for the execution of a Mills Act historic property preservation agreement.

“Class 4 building” means any building which is not a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource or a Class 3 building, and on which the building or improvements thereon were constructed before January 1, 1978, or whose age cannot be determined. The City Council shall review this date and update it as it deems appropriate through amendment to this chapter.

Under PSMC Section 8.05.070(C)(1), City Council may designate a property as a Class 1 historic resource if it meets the following criteria of subsections (a) and (b):

a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
(i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community; or
(ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; or
(iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history; or
(iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction; or
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8 (v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his or her age, or that possesses high artistic value; or
(vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists; or
(vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.
b. The site, structure, building or object shall be evaluated for integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association according to the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service’s National Register Bulletin titled:
“How to apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation” as revised from time to time.

The City Council may designate a property as a Class 2 historic resource if it meets the criteria of subsection (a) above, but does not meet the findings for integrity in subsection (b).

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9 Previous Surveys, Evaluations, and Reports

The following section summarizes previous surveys, evaluations, and reports completed for the City regarding the subject property. See Attachment A for Department of Parks and Recreation 523A form (DPR form) prepared by HRG.

DPR 523A Form, 2016

In 2016, HRG prepared a DPR form which gave the subject property California Register status code 5S3 as individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. HRG identified the period of significance as 1957(likely an error as the clubhouse was not constructed until 1967), with applicable criterion C/3/4,5, all for architecture. Regarding significance, HRG wrote:

The property is significant as an excellent example of Mid-century Modern, post-World War II commercial building with Expressionist influences, designed by prominent Palm Springs architect Hugh Kaptur. The building exhibits quality of design with distinctive features including its battered entrance wall with heavily -textured plaster, and upswept roof with overhanging eave and exposed timber beams.

HRG also identified the following character-defining features:

• One-story configuration
• Horizontal massing
• Expressed wood post-and-beam construction
• Flat roof with wide overhanging eaves and cantilevered canopies • Plaster and stone used as exterior wall panels or accent materials • Flush-mounted metal frame fixed windows
• Expressionistic/Organic subtype: sculptural forms and geometric shapes

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PALM SPRINGS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE, 1885 GOLF CLUB DRIVE, PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

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10 V. DESCRIPTION

Physical Description

The following physical description is based on review of available historic documentation and inspection from the November 21, 2022 site visit . See Attachment B for maps and aerials, Attachment C for historic images , Attachment D for contemporary photographs of the subject property, and Attachment E for excerpts from original drawings.

Setting

The subject property, located at 1885 Golf Club Drive (APN 681-250-012), is set within the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort (golf course) and is a one-story clubhouse constructed in 1967. The golf course is generally bounded by East Palm Canyon Drive to the south, Dinah Shore Drive to the north, Gene Autry Trail to the west, and Golf Club Drive to the east. The clubhouse itself is situated on a slope at the west end of a surface parking lot connecting to Golf Club Drive and just north of the Palm Canyon Wash, a tributary of the Whitewater River that is susceptible to flooding during heavy rain seasons. Tahquitz Creek, a stream originating from the eastern slope of Mount San Jacinto, is located along the western border of the golf course alongside Gene Autry Trail near the now-defunct Wet'n'Wild water park.

Located in southeast Palm Springs, the subject property neighbors Cathedral Canyon Golf Club to the east and Seven Lakes Country Club to the west. The surrounding neighborhood is known as the Tahquitz Creek Golf Neighborhood (originally the Green Fairway Estates ), which is home to both single-family residences and hotels. The subject property is approximately 2.5 miles southeast of Palm Springs International Airport (PSP). Golf Club Drive is a secondary throughfare in the City’s General Plan Circulation Map in the airport’s master plan for providing access to the airport within the regional roadway network. Mount San Jacinto and its associated mountain range are visible to the west.

The most dominant landscape feature at the subject property is the grass lawn that comprises the golf course to the north, west, and south of the clubhouse. A mix of both Mexica n fan palms and California palms are located at all elevations, along with other trees and low bushes, though they are mostly concentrated at the primary east elevation of the building. At the surface parking lot, two rows of palms frame the clubhouse entrance at the driveway from Golf Club Drive. Rows of olive trees also divide sections of parking and original light fixtures appear to exist based on review of historic photographs . Original slump block walls sit on the slope from the parking lot to the clubhouse and feature an original plaque dedicated on November 3, 1967.

General

Although several additions have been constructed to the north and east of the original building, the clubhouse generally retains its T-shaped plan with its longer side set along the north- south axis.

Near its center, the building extends to the east toward the golf course. Designed in a mix between the Mid-Century Modern and Late Modern styles, the clubhouse is characterized by its sweeping roofline. Although it is at grade with the ground to the west, the one-story clubhouse is set higher than the parking lot to the east and is accessed at its main east elevation entrance by a semicircular sloped driveway for golf carts and pedestrians.

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11 Exterior walls are mostly clad in stucco that was applied with a heavy texture. Where additions have been constructed, the exterior stucco appears to have been applied similarly, though the texture is not an exact match. Other common materials include rock veneer, glass, and wood posts and beams. The walls of the original clubhouse building are battered with deeply inset rectangular glass windows. A short outdoor mall, or covered breezeway , runs east -west through the clubhouse accessed by parabolic arch-shaped entrances at the east and west elevations.

Figure 1: Map showing original 1967 building Figure 2: Map showing general room and timeline of major additions. configuration with addition overlay.

Exterior

The following description of the exterior of the subject property begins at the primary east elevation and continues counterclockwise around the clubhouse. Refer to Figures 1 and 2 above for maps showing timeline of additions and general room configuration.

The primary east elevation faces the surface parking lot and is dominated by the main clubhouse pavilion consisting of the original 1967 building clad in heavily textured stucco flanked to the north and south by rock veneer walls (colored red in Figure 1). The pavilion is expressed by its sweeping roofline and textured stucco cladding with deeply inset fixed rectangular glass windows that do not follow a specific fenestration pattern. The stucco clad walls are battered and inset at the foundation which is clad in the rock veneer. At the south side of this bay, there is an overhanging wood eave with exposed wood beams and narrow clerestory windows. At the north side of the bay, there are three faux wood rafter ends that project from the stucco wall.1 At the center of the bay, there is a large parabolic arch that serves as a main entrance and leads to the covered breezeway. The arched entrance is framed at the east elevation by an added canopy with wood posts and green fabric cover.

1 The faux wood rafter ends appear to be refencing vigas of pueblo architecture which inspired many of Hugh Kaptur’s designs.

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12 To the north of the main clubhouse pavilion is the exterior east elevation wall of a 1990s addition that has been set back from the original building. The wall is clad in a similar textured stucco as the original building and has a curved roofline. Mechanical equipment is located adjacent to the wall and a door provides access to the golf cart storage room. The north elevation of the 1990s addition is also clad in textured stucco matching the east elevation with added lettering applied directly to the wall as signage. At the west elevation of the 1990s addition, there are two garage doors providing access for the golf carts. Another garage door entrance is located south of the 1990s addition that leads to a different addition that was constructed in 1983.

The pro shop comprises much of the western projection of the clubhouse and is set under wood rafters at the west and a wood eave at the south with exposed beams. Windows are aluminum - framed above a stucco wainscot. The pro shop can be accessed either from the east or south through aluminum double doors flanked by sidelights. In 1987, an addition was added to the east of the original pro shop enlarging the space.

To the south of the pro shop at the west elevation of the original building is another parabolic arch- shaped entrance at the opposite side of the covered breezeway from the east entrance. There is also an outdoor patio area adjacent to the restaurant that is covered by a wood pergola with a fabric canopy. Like the east elevation of the main clubhouse pavilion, the roofline at the west elevation sweeps upward to the south with an overhanging wood eave, exposed wood beams, and narrow clerestory windows. A pair of double doors provides access to the restaurant beneath the pergola, with windows a bove stretching to the roofline. To the south of the west elevation restaurant entrance, there is another textured stucco wall that features inset square windows providing light to the restaurant.

The restaurant extends further south marked by a lower-height room that is slightly inset from the main clubhouse pavilion at the west elevation. According to the original floor plan, the space was previously an outdoor covered eating area that has since been enclosed. The west elevation of this extension is also clad in textured stucco and features a flush square window and a flat roof. There is also a double door entrance to the restaurant with an added fabric canopy.

The south elevation of the subject property consists of two bays. The west bay contains the extension of the restaurant and has three fixed rectangular windows. Above the windows are rafter tails with a three-stepped design, a distinctive detail used by Hugh Kaptur in his work. The east bay contains a raised inset platform for deliveries and is largely not visible to the public, fenced by slump block walls with added metal grates. Original vertical slot windows can be seen at the south elevation of the main clubhouse pavilion beneath the overhanging eave at the restaurant.

At the covered breezeway, the ceiling is clad in stucco and contains four openings that are rectangular with rounded corners. The openings are divided by glued laminated timber, or “glu- lam”, beams. The floor features a grid of large seeded exposed aggregate squares framed by strips of smaller colored concrete squares. Entrances to two restrooms are located at the north side of the covered breezeway. Doors to the restaurant are a contemporary aluminum storefront assembly with floor-to-ceiling single-pane glass. Faux wood panels appear to have been added to the walls.

Interior

While interiors are not typically considered when reviewing eligibility as a City historic resource, a general summary of spaces is provided. The high-ceiling restaurant comprises most of the building area to the south of the covered breezeway and includes a dining area, bar, and fireplace. At the Item 2B - Page 28
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13 restaurant, a mezzanine spans above the kitchen and bar at the south, with natural light coming in from the repetitive tall and narrow clerestory windows above. To the north of the covered breezeway are men’s and women’s restrooms, a pro shop, and a golf cart storage facility. Portions of original exterior walls that were enclosed by additions are still extant in the golf cart storage room.

Alterations

Alterations described in this section are based on review of historic documentation including original drawings, alteration drawings, and historic photographs. As described, there have been three additions to the original clubhouse pavilion expansion of the golf cart storage in 1983, expansion of the pro shop and offices in 1987, and further expansion of the golf cart storage in the early 1990s.

See Attachment B for maps and aerials, Attachment C for historic images, Attachment D for contemporary photographs of the subject property, and Attachment E for excerpts from original drawings.

Although the additions changed the original form of the clubhouse facility, the original clubhouse pavilion appears to be mostly intact and retain original features from its period of significance. At the primary east elevation, all original fenestration openings exist. This appears to be the case at the west elevation, although a new inset rectangular window was added adjacent to an original.

Some original window and door frames at the west elevation of the restaurant and south elevation of the pro shop appear to have been replaced with more contemporary frames. The west and south elevation walls of the restaurant extension at the south end of the subject property have been altered with addition of textured stucco and new windows and doors, although the wood post and beams appear to be original.

A decorative wood screen at the north elevation of the original clubhouse pavilion shown in historic photographs and original drawings has since been removed. The existing pergola at the west elevation patio and the existing fabric canopies at the east and west elevations are not original and do not contribute to the significance of the subject property. The canopies obscure portions of the exterior elevations including the prominent entrance at the east elevation. Canopies appear to be a reversible alteration that can be removed as part of future work.

At the covered breezeway , a rectangular raised memorial fountain dedicated to golf industry professional Milt Hicks was part of the original construction, however it has since been removed.

The exterior wall of the restaurant at the covered breezeway has been altered. Originally clad in channel siding, it has been replaced with faux wood panels and the entrance doors to the restaurant have been replaced. The exterior wall of the restrooms at the covered breezeway was also altered, with removal of ceramic tile and a drinking fountain, and replacement of original doors.

Based on review of the original drawings, interior spaces have been changed, either with expansion, such as at the pro shop and golf cart storage, or reconfiguration, such as at the restaurant and restrooms. At the restaurant, the bar area was also expanded into the formerly outdoor patio space that has since been enclosed.

The hardscape and landscape at the subject property have been altered, including the removal of grass at the east elevation slope from the parking lot to the clubhouse. Originally, the primary east elevation entrance was accessed by a symmetrical paved asphalt driveway that curved from two openings at the parking lot and served golf carts and pedestrians. While the southern curve of this path appears to still be extant, the northern curve was removed and replaced with a new accessible sloped walk with a low retaining wall and curb. Plantings have changed over time based on Item 2B - Page 29
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14 available historic photographs, which shows an expansive lawn and a mix of ocotillo, low shrubs, and desert plants in decomposed granite. The desert planting was later replaced with palms) and the landscape again was altered with removal of grass and addition of drought tolerant plants.

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15 Character-Defining Features

Character-defining features are the physical features of a building that convey its significance. A three-step approach, as described in Preservation Brief #17: Architectural Character: Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character 2 is utilized to identify materials, features, and spaces that contribute to the historic significance of the subj ect property. The purpose of this approach is to identify features or elements that give a building its historic visual character and that should be preserved to the maximum extent possible. This approach involves first describing a building from afar in order to present the characteristics that comprise its overall setting and architectural context; then describing the exterior up-close to define materials, surface finishes, and manner in which it was constructed; and, finally, describing the spaces, rooms, and details that comprise its interior visual character. The subject property has the following character-defining features that convey its significance:

Overall Visual Aspects

• Location directly adjacent to a golf course, with palm-lined entrance framing the building at parking lot.
• One-story configuration with horizontal massing.
• Roughly T-shaped footprint.
• Slightly asymmetrical composition.
• Exaggerated expression of structure with bold geometric volumes. • Exterior covered breezeway, with elliptical skylights divided by glu-lam beams. • Sweeping curved roofline.
• Battered exterior walls clad in heavily textured stucco. • Unadorned wall surfaces with little or no decorative detailing. • Rock veneer cladding
• Deeply inset rectangular windows in an atypical pattern. • West elevation entrance and windows at restaurant stretching from ground to roofline.

Visual Character at Close Range

• Parabolic arch entrances at east and west elevations. • Viga-like false rafter beams at east elevation.
• Inset trapezoidal window at east elevation.
• Sweeping wood eave with exposed beams at east and west elevations. • Clerestory windows under sweeping wood eave at east and west elevations. • Vertical wood grills at north elevation of main clubhouse pavilion. • Vertical slot windows at south elevation of main clubhouse pavilion. • Inset foundation under battered exterior walls clad in rock veneer. • Seeded aggregate floor framed by colored concrete squares at covered breezeway , extending to east and west elevations.
• Square ceiling light fixtures at covered breezeway

2 National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Preservation Brief #17: Architectural Character:

Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character. Washington D.C.

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16 Interior Visual Character
• Heavy timber post and beams at the interior of restaurant • Extension of glu-lam beams that continue from covered breezeway into restaurant • Exposed wood beams at pro shop
• Battered exterior walls clad in heavily textured stucco that were retained and became part of interior when the golf cart storage room was expanded

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17 Subject Property History

As the “Winter Golf Capital of the United States,” Palm Springs was home to several golf courses and resorts in the 1950s largely owned by private clubs. 3 As the popularity of golfing in Palm Springs grew, calls for a public City -owned golf course gained support in the community with backing from local organizations to help alleviate the burden on private clubs. Having a public golf course was seen to have the benefit of “[attracting] many more golfers to the area for longer stays due to the fact that previously many players found it difficult to get course time due to the large membership of the various clubs, the popularity and crowding of their greens, and the necessity to limit play to a day or two for guests in most instances.” 4 In 1956, the issue of a public golf course was placed on the ballot as Proposition 2 as part of a municipal civic improvement bond election. Voters would decide if the City should allocate a $750,000 bond for acquisition of “land best suitable for golf course purposes” and construction of “a first class course in keeping with the general development of Palm Springs.” 5 Newspaper
accounts in favor of the proposition noted:

Since it will create prosperity for the entire community the proposed golf course should be paid for by public funds. Communities seeking industrial development provide money from tax funds to attract that kind of development. Since recreation is this resort’s only appropriate industry it is just as reasonable that we should build it with local tax funds and attract more visitors.
6 The measure did not receive the two-thirds vote necessary and was defeated. Still, the City Council “decided to continue its efforts to obtain title, and title insurance, on land in Section 26 for possible use as a municipal golf course.”
7 In 1957, the City tentatively approved a 300 -acre site on South Palm Canyon Drive as its preferred location for a municipal golf course, despite ownership issues of much of the land.8 The City hired golf course architect Lawrence Hughes as consultant in 19589 and leased the land for a public golf course in the following year. 10 Golf course architect William Francis Bell would provide the design.11

Though the City was developing its golf course, there was initial disagreement among the City Council on the official name of the property. City Manager Dan Wagner recommended the official name be the Palm Springs Golf Course, though a councilmember expressed that the word “municipal” or “city” should be included.
12 Ultimately, the Palm Springs Municipal Golf Course was

3 “A Municipal Golf Course is This Community’s Greatest Need,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 9, 1956: 5.
4 Cameron Jr, George E, “Fortunate Purchase Makes Municipal Golf Course Here a 1959 Reality,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 3, 1959: 1.
5 “Proposition No. 2 – Golf Course Land Acquisition and Construction,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, January 27, 1956: 4.
6 “A Municipal Golf Course is This Community’s Greatest Need,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 9, 1956: 5.
7 “City to Continue Hunt for Golf Course Land,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 28, 1956: 14. 8 “Golf Course Committee Selects No. 1 Site Location,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, July 9, 1957: 1. 9 “Golf Course Committee Asks Hiring of Consultant,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, April 29, 1958: 2. 10 Cameron Jr, George E, “Fortunate Purchase Makes Municipal Golf Course Here a 1959 Reality,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 3, 1959: 1.
11“New Golf Tournament Coming to Tahquitz,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, January 8, 2010: 25. 12 “Council Disagrees on Name for New Municipal Course,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, June 25, 1959: 2.

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18 selected and opened to the public with only nine of its eighteen holes open for play on October 30, 1959.13 A clubhouse had not yet been constructed for the site.

It would take nearly six years for the City to find the funding to finally purchase the land and begin designing a clubhouse. In 1965, the fate of the golf course was again decided upon by voters who this time approved an $800,000 general obligation bond in a special election. Of the total, $662,500 would be used to purchase the property, with the balance going to construction of the clubhouse.14 Eight months after the issuance of the bond, construction of the clubhouse had still not started. The City had been negotiating with developer Robert Blake Development Co. on a deal to construct the clubhouse on private property that the City would lease for $1 a year.15

Fearing that the deal would not move forward, the City ended negotiations and explored an alternate plan to construct the clubhouse somewhere on the City -owned property. The City’s Golf Course Advisory Committee (advisory committee) opted to authorize architect Hugh Kaptur to prepare drawings for the clubhouse facility.
16 Kaptur recommended that the advisory committee
consider a location at the north end of the golf course and in 1966, the City Council approved purchase of 4.5 acres of land at the north end to contain the clubhouse and a new parking area.17 By October of that year, the City was calling for bids for construction of the clubhouse with an estimated cost of $125,000.
18 On December 14, 1966, the City hosted groundbreaking ceremonies for the new clubhouse that included a brief golf cart parade. 19 The clubhouse included a “snack shop, pro shop, cart storage and rental space, lockers, showers and dressing rooms” and was “planned to meet the needs of the course when expanded to 36 holes.”
20 The cost of constructing the clubhouse and the adjacent parking area for 175 cars had grown to $265,000 with a target completion date of May 1967. The clubhouse did not open for business until September 2, 1967 21 with a more formal dedication on November 3, 1967.22

By 1988, the City began “contemplating an addition to the packed municipal golf course to fight the flight of golfers to the mid - and east-Coachella Valley.” 23 Though there were eight golf courses in
Palm Springs, only one offered public play. Given the demand, the City hired golf course architect Ted Robinson to design a new 18- hole golf course adjacent to the existing one, which opened in 1995.24 Together, the 1959 course and the 1995 course became known as the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort. The original 1959 course became known as the Legend Course while the 1995 course is known as the Resort Course.

Since its opening, the clubhouse has continued to serve patrons of the golf resort and been used as a venue for various luncheons and events hosted by local groups. As previously described, additions were added to the north and east of the original clubhouse building in 1983, 1987, and

13 “Munie Course to Open this Week,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, October 27, 1959: 12. 14 Brown, Doug, “$800,000 Issue Set for Ballot,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, March 9, 1956: 1. 15 “Panel Studies New Plan for Golf Course Clubhouse,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, December 7, 1965: 1. 16 Ibid.
17 “Clubhouse Gets Council Boosts,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, June 1, 1966: 1. 18 “Council Calls for Bids on Golf Clubhouse,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, October 11, 1966: 1. 19 “Clubhouse Gal,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, December 10, 1966: 9. 20 Ibid.
21 “Three Men and a Tree,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, August 29, 1967: 8. 22 “Clubhouse Dedication?” Palm Springs Desert Sun, November 4, 1967: 1. 23“The Road to Recovery,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 5, 1995: 8. 24 Ibid.

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19 the 1990s, expanding the volume, but retaining its T-shaped footprint. In a 2015 interview for the historic site nomination for Tahquitz Plaza, Kaptur noted that the clubhouse was one of his favorite buildings that he designed.25

Period of Significance

The period of significance is 1967, when the clubhouse was constructed and opened to the public.

25 Marshall, Ronald W. and Barbara A., Historic Site Designation Application: Tahquitz Plaza, Prepared on behalf of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, 2015.

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20 VI. HISTORIC CONTEXTS

Historic contexts or significant historical themes provide the relevant framework within which to evaluate significance of the subject property. The subject property has been evaluated under the following historic contexts: post-World War II commercial development in Palm Springs; golf courses in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley; Hugh Kaptur; and the Mid-Century Modern and Late Modern architectural styles.

Post-W orld War II Commercial Development in Palm Springs

The following context was compiled and summarized using excerpts from the “Post -World War II Commercial Development (1945-1969)” theme of the Citywide Historic Context Statement prepared by HRG in 2018:26

Peace returned to Palm Springs just in time for the winter season of 1945- 46, and so did the Hollywood movie stars and Eastern industrialists. Along with them, in ever -increasing numbers, came ordinary tourists; the growing prosperity of the postwar years and the rise of the car culture created a leisured, mobile middle class that sought, in Palm Springs, a resort lifestyle that had previously been available primarily to the very rich. This surge of visitors and seasonal residents coincided with Modernism’s rise in popularity. As a result, commercial architecture in Palm Springs from this period reflected this acceptance of Modernism and expressed a wide range of Modern interpretations as it increasingly served two purposes: the need for tourist -oriented buildings for seasonal residents and visitors, and the need for practical daily services, such as banks, shops, and gas stations, for the growing population of permanent residents. Commercial development during this period consisted of both infill development in the original commercial core, and the continued northward and southward expansion of the commercial district along Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon Drives. A number of motels and other commercial services were constructed to the south of the original downtown, with a cluster of postwar commercial development along S. Palm Canyon Drive.

Several significant retail buildings were constructed in the years immediately after the war.

The city's wealthy leisure class had always attracted exclusive shops. In 1947 Bullock's, one of Los Angeles' fashionable department stores, moved out of its boutique at the Desert Inn and into a new building by Los Angeles architects Walter Wurdeman and Welton Becket, with landscape design by Ruth Shellhorn (demolished). It reflected the Late Moderne style the pair used the same year at Bullock's Pasadena to attract a stylish, suburban clientele. In the late 1950s Becket designed the Saks Fifth Avenue branch at 490 S. Palm Canyon Drive (altered) with highly textured walls of stone and molded concrete block. Two other notable Los Angeles architects, Paul R. Williams and A. Quincy Jones, were hired by Pearl McCallum McManus to update her Tennis Club and design a new restaurant for the facility. Williams and Jones also collaborated on The Center (1948, 146 N. Palm Canyon Drive; listed in the National Register), also known as the Town & Country center, a two- story, Late Moderne- style collection of shops, offices, and a fashionable restaurant in the center of the block off the main retail area on Palm Canyon Dr. The complex fronts onto both Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon Drives, and was configured around a central landscaped courtyard, accessed from the streets by pedestrian passages.

26 Historic Resources Group, “City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings,” December 2018.

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21 It is a rare example of a modern adaptation of the courtyard type more typically associated with Spanish and Mediterranean Revival styles.

Other commercial buildings serving tourists and local residents included shops along Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon Drives. While Spanish style buildings were sometimes still built in the immediate postwar years, Modern design was featured in numerous commercial buildings throughout the center of town, many of which were designed by prominent local and regional architects. These ranged from small single- and multi-tenant retail and office buildings, such as the commercial building by William Cody at 120 W. Arenas Road, to large, free- standing department stores and mixed- use commercial buildings. There are several commercial buildings from this period designed by Wexler & Harrison, including the Welmas Building (1960, 201-267 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way); other notable examples include the Robinson's department store (1958, 333-343 S. Palm Canyon Drive; HSPB-84) by the Los Angeles firm of Pereira and Luckman. Robinson’s is a pavilion structure, with a high roof made up of connected diamond-shaped trusses that appear to float above slender pipe columns strengthened by tapered stiffening fins. This structure allowed for a large column- free interior span, and a large expanse of floor to ceiling glass to reveal the store's interior to passing motorists.

Tourism, Palm Springs’ main industry, spawned the development of attractions, golf courses, and more motels in the 1960s. The premier attraction was the opening of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, a major engineering feat. Pylons were constructed on the side of rugged and steep Mt. San Jacinto to support cable cars transporting tourists 8,500 feet from the valley floor to the alpine mountain top. Frey & Chambers designed the tramway’s lower Valley Station (1963, 1 Tramway Road; HSPB-33), and Williams, Clark & Williams designed the mountain station. Both included restaurants and viewing platforms. Frey and Chambers’ design reflected their technological approach by incorporating a large triangulated truss to span a natural wash; the structure's triangular shapes were expressed on the exterior of the building. In the mountaintop environment, which has snow in winter, Williams, Clark, and Williams used heavy timber post -and-beam construction, allowing for tall windows to frame the panoramic views of the valley floor.

Relationship to Subject Property

The clubhouse was constructed during a boom in development following World War II in which the tourism industry flourished due to growing prosperity and the rise of car culture. The 1950s and 1960s saw growth of commercial properties such as shops, motels, golf courses, and other attractions that were intended to draw in tourists to the area. As described further in the following historic context, the clubhouse and its golf course were part of efforts from the City to address the growing demand for recreational activities for both residents and tourists alike.

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22 Golf in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley

Though references to Palm Springs as the “Winter Golf Capital of the World” have appeared in the Palm Springs Daily Sun since at least 1952, the area was only home to two golf courses prior to 1950 – “the small nine-hole course that had been laid out behind the Desert Inn in 1926 by Thomas O’Donnell; and Cochran Ranch, a nine- hole course opened in 1944.” 27,28 Development in Palm Springs and the broader Coachella Valley after World War II included more advanced irrigation systems that helped spur a boom in golf courses. Previously such a venture would be considered prohibitively expensive due to the scarcity and high cost of water. Thunderbird Ranch in the nearby city of Rancho Mirage was one of the first post-war communities to integrate a golf course into the residential tract design, where home lots came with a private club membership.29 The innovative business model at Thunderbird Ranch helped to increase its popularity and led to growth of similar properties in the Coachella Valley, with Golf Digest noting that “communities that have been purposely planned and developed with a golf course as the focal point of neighborhood life have taken hold in this country.”30 The simultaneous development of “golf carts, air conditioning, jet-age travel, and increased media exposure” further enabled similar neighborhoods to start sprouting in desert communities in the years that followed.31

Golf became an integral part of the tourism industry in Palm Springs, and advertisements in favor of the initial bond to fund a municipal golf course noted “your job…and every job in Palm Springs depends on attracting tourists here!”
32 In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower become one of the city’s most famous visitors to spend a winter vacation in Palm Springs, playing daily rounds of golf at the Tamarisk and Thunderbird Country Clubs.
33 At the time, there were only four golf courses
in the area. 34 When President Eisenhower returned to Palm Springs five years later, there were already twelve golf courses.35

The popularity of the desert golf courses in the 1950s caused some private clubs to feel overburdened by the number of visitors. Calls were made in support of a municipal golf course that could be open to the public without need for membership. As described earlier in this report, a municipal golf course was seen as advantageous as it helped to address challenges of access at private courses due to crowding and play limits.
36 The Palm Springs Municipal Golf Course
subsequently opened to the public in 1959.

27 Historic Resources Group, “City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings,” December 2018.
28 The O’Donnell Golf Course (301 N. Belardo Road) was designated a Class 1 historic resource in 2019 and was subsequently listed in the National Register in 2020. The Cochran Ranch golf course is located in Indio. 29 Historic Resources Group, “City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings,” December 2018.
30 Ibid.
31 Ibid.
32 “A Municipal Golf Course is This Community’s Greatest Need,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 9, 1956: 5.
33 Klotzbuecher, Don, “President Makes Most of Brilliant Desert Sunshine,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 22, 1954: 1.
34 “Advertisement: A Few Important Words Regarding the…First Annual $100,000 Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic!” Palm Springs Desert Sun, January 22, 1960: 2. 35 Ibid.
36 Cameron Jr, George E, “Fortunate Purchase Makes Municipal Golf Course Here a 1959 Reality,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 3, 1959: 1.

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23 In 1960, the city would host the first annual Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic with over $100,000 in prizes. The presidents of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, Retail Merchants Association, Hotel & Apartment Association, Palm Springs Realty Board, and Coachella Valley Contractors Association paid for an advertisement for the event in the Palm Springs Desert Sun making several declarations about the importance of golf to the area:

Undeniably in recent years golf has been the greatest single contributing factor to the growth of the entire desert resort area...during President Eisenhower’s initial visit to Palm Springs in 1954, four golf courses comprised the total…five short years later, on his second visit, twelve courses dot the desert landscape…now the President is returning for another visit…he doesn’t come here to fish!

Undeniably golf has been responsible for the major portion of national and international publicity accruing to the Village…during 1959 “Sports Illustrated” devoted twenty-two pages to Palm Springs, twenty of which pointed up the tremendous gol f scene in the desert…acknowledging the greater Palm Springs area as the “Winter Golf Capital of the World.”

Undeniably the ancient and honorable game of golf is on the up- swing…each year more and more accede to the lure of the fairways and become “golfers”…additionally the game has a tendency to attract attractive people, which has always been a motto for our Village.

Undeniably through the foresight and hard work of a group of Villagers, the door has been opened bringing to the desert the greatest golfing event of all time…the die has been cast…the challenge presented…NOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY to perpetuate and build this event in stature to equal the importance of the Pasadena Rose Parade…the 500 Mile Indianapolis Race…the Kentucky Derby…think of what this can mean to the entire desert resort area…untold amounts of priceless publicity…thousands of visitors attracted to the desert by the…One Hundred Thousand Dollar Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic!! 37 The event included 132 professional golfers as well as hundreds more amateurs including celebrities such as Bob Hope, Clark Gable, Desi Arnaz, and Groucho Marx. 38 Arnold Palmer was
the first winner of the competition, coming four strokes under his closest rival and winning a $12,000 prize.39 Today, the Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic is more well -known as the Desert Classic (under current sponsorship, it is known as the American Express Golf Tournament) and is held at PGA West in the city of La Quinta.

In 1972, the Los Angeles Times helped to further cement the area’s reputation as a prominent golf destination by affirming that the “30- mile smudge along the base of San Jacinto has been transformed into one long, verdant oasis with a most unlikely title: Golf Capital of the World.”40 The article noted that “It stretches from Desert Hot Springs to Indio and its heart is a sandy bit of riverbottom named Palm Springs. To the despair of such other towns as Cathedral City, Palm

37 “Advertisement: A Few Important Words Regarding the…First Annual $100,000 Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic!” Palm Springs Desert Sun, January 22, 1960: 2. 38 “528 to Tee Off Tomorrow in Palm Springs Desert Classic,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 2, 1960: 11.
39 “$100,000 Desert Classic – Millions in Publicity,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 11, 1960: 10. 40 Glick, Shav, “A Dream Come True: Golf’s Not Just a Game, but Way of Life in Desert,” Los Angeles Times, April 28, 1972: 13.

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24 Desert and Indian Wells, the area has become known as Greater Palm Springs – home of 32 golf courses.”41

Although Palm Springs had eight golf courses within city limits in 1988, only five offered public play.

To “fight the flight of golfers to the mid- and east-Coachella Valley,” the City developed a second municipal golf course in 1995. Today, although at least two private golf courses have closed in Palm Springs, golf is still a prominent part of the tourism industry, and many visitors use the numerous golf courses scattered across the Coachella Valley. The Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort is operated by Arnold Palmer Golf Management and is part of several recreational facilities managed by City Parks & Recreation Department along with the Demuth Community Center, James O.

Kessie Desert Highland Unity Center, leisure center, skate park, and swim center.

Relationship to Subject Property

The clubhouse was constructed for the City’s first municipal golf course during a time when the City was intent on being recognized as a prime destination for the sport. While the City struggled to find funding for the project until the mid-1960s, the clubhouse was always intended to be part of the golf course and represented efforts to attract more visitors to boost the local economy.

41 Ibid.

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25 Hugh Michael Kaptur, AIA

Hugh Michael Kaptur, AIA (Kaptur) was born in Detroit, Michigan on May 22, 1931. He attended the Lawrence Institute of Technology (known today as the Lawrence Technological University) in 1949 to study architectural engineering but left after two years to serve as a Marine in the Korean War.42 Joining the Marines afforded Kaptur the ability to travel to different cities around the world where he could learn about architecture that would influence his designs in the future. While stationed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, Kaptur met Rosemarie Ann Hutton (Rosemarie), who he would marry in 1953. It was with Rosemarie that Kaptur first visited Palm Springs, recalling that he liked the city and “thought it was very nice.”
43 Although not licensed as an architect, Kaptur designed his first building in 1953 – a real estate office in San Clemente for his in- laws.
44 Kaptur studied for his real estate license and spent some time working with his in-laws, though he would later decide to move back to Detroit in 1954 to work at General Motors, where his father also served as an employee. By then, Kaptur had already married Rosemarie who had also given birth to their daughter, Michelle. 45 Kaptur and his family would shortly return to California in 1956 after his in- laws moved to Palm Springs for health reasons. 46 There, Kaptur spent six months working for architectural firm Wexler & Harrison before being laid off due to an economic recession.
47 Kaptur would find work doing renderings for architects like Howard Lapham and would later open his own office in the same building as Lapham’s in 1958.

Kaptur would also join the American Institute of Building Design (AIBD), “soon making more money than he had with Wexler & Harrison or at [General Motors].”48 One of Kaptur’s first projects in Palm Springs was the Impala Lodge, now the Triangle Inn, “a wildly inventive building with steel beams supporting a canopy reminiscent of a lean-to.”
49 In 1962, Kaptur was selected by the Palm Springs City Council to design Fire Station No. 3, though the City was alerted that they were in violation of statutes that required a civic building be awarded to a licensed architect.
50 To address this issue, Kaptur became partners with licensed architect Robert H. Ricciardi, though he would obtain his own commissions and work on his projects alone.51 On October 3, 1967, Kaptur finally became a licensed architect, soon resigning from Ricciardi- Kaptur & Associates.52 Kaptur joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA) the following year.

During this time, Kaptur and his wife Rosemarie had divorced, with their children moving with Rosemarie to Oregon.

Soon after resigning the firm, Kaptur would open an office at 612 E. Sunny Dunes Road and formed a new partnership with his former employee Larry Lapham. The firm, Kaptur & Lapham (later Kaptur-Lapham & Associates), was established in April 1968 and had been more collaborative than

42 Newman, Morris, “Hugh Kaptur” in The Desert Modernists: The Architects Who Envisioned Midcentury Modern Palm Springs, Desert Publications, Inc., 60.
43 Keylon, Steven, The Modern Architecture of Hugh Michael Kaptur, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, Palm Springs, January 2019, 19.
44 Ibid, 19.
45 Ibid, 20.
46 Ibid, 21.
47 Ibid, 22.
48 Ibid, 23.
49 Newman, 59.
50 Keylon, 94.
51 Ibid, 94.
52 Ibid, 95.

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26 Kaptur’s partnership with Ricciardi, though the firm dissolve d in 1975. 53 During this time, Kaptur became more active serving on civic boards and organizations including serving ten years on the Palm Springs Architectural Advisory Board. 54 Kaptur would then serve eight years on the Palm Springs Planning Commission. 55 Although Kaptur worked on his own for several years after his partnership with Lapham ended, he became significantly busier handling the real estate development side of his business and decided to partner with architect Jim Cioffi as Kaptur & Cioffi in 1982.
56 By 1992, another economic recession soured financial prospects an d Kaptur felt ready to semi -retire; the partnership was dissolved soon after. 57 Kaptur would meet his second wife, Helen Jean Dzo Dzo, in 2000 and they married in 2005. Helen would pass away from ovarian cancer in 2015.

In 2014, Kaptur was honored with the 363
rd star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. Sponsored by the Walk of Stars and Palm Springs Modernism Week, architect James Cioffi, architectural preservationist and owner of Palm Springs Modern Tours Robert Imber, and Gary Johns of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, all spoke in celebration of Kaptur . 58 A 2014 Palm Springs
Life article written by Morris Newman quotes Modernism Week chairman Chris Mobley recognizing the “significant role [Kaptur] played in the development of Palm Springs as a mecca for midcentury modern architecture,” adding “With more than 200 projects in the area, he represents a prolific and dynamic career. Many of his designs were considered among the most creative and innovative of the era.”
59 Kaptur has been recognized for “utilizing materials compatible or native to their surroundings” 60 and
being “one of the few – and one of the first – of the Palm Springs School to look beyond European- inspired modernism in favor of the indigenous form found in the American Southwest and Mexico.”61 This influence bled into his work, including at the clubhouse and at Tahquitz Plaza, where deeply inset windows and organic shapes helped define the building character. In designating Tahquitz Plaza as a Class 1 historic resource in 2015, the historic site designation application prepared by the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation noted:

While inarguably a modernist architect, over the decades Kaptur’s architectural style has been described by various experts and observers as “organic,” “Indian Modern,” “Mexican modern,” and “pueblo-influenced [modernist] architecture.”62

In his 2019 book about the life and architecture of Kaptur, author Steven Keylon wrote that “Kaptur’s focus on abstract geometric forms produced buildings that were architectural in scale, but sculptural in spirit. In his capable hands, he gave these static forms the quality of dynamism.” 63 Furthermore, Kaptur is quoted in the Tahquitz Plaza designation application stating:

53 Ibid, 104.
54 Ibid, 95.
55 Ibid, 130.
56 Ibid, 142.
57 Ibid, 148.
58 Dugas, Patricia Moloney, “Renowned Architect Gets a Star on Palm Springs Walk,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 23, 2014: G5.
59 Newman, Morris, “Modern Master,” Palm Springs Life, February 2014. 60 Keylon, 33.
61 Ibid, 37.
62 Marshall, Ronald W. and Barbara A., Historic Site Designation Application: Tahquitz Plaza, Prepared on behalf of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, 2015. 63 Keylon, 36.

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27 “I think due to the creative freedom I had, [Tahquitz Plaza] is one of my best buildings. My other favorites would probably be the [Palm Springs] Golf Course Clubhouse, the bermed Fragen Building and the Selzer Residence. If you’d like to tear down a building of mine I have a list…on many occasions I’d provide plans to clients and they’d take some unfortunate liberties and even cut corners on materials. So, I would say Tahquitz Plaza is certainly one of the best I ever did.”
64 With more than 200 projects in the area, the legacy of Kaptur’s architecture is still extant throughout Palm Springs today. Kaptur’s archives featuring documentation of his projects are currently held by the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Relationship to Subject Property

Kaptur is a celebrated local architect who is recognized for his architectural contribution to Palm Springs. The subject property is one of his projects that has been published and written about in books and newspaper articles referencing Kaptur’s craft. As described, it was also one of Kaptur’s favorite projects among the over 200 that he had designed.

64 Marshall, Ronald W. and Barbara A., Historic Site Designation Application: Tahquitz Plaza, Prepared on behalf of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, 2015.

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28 Mid-Century Modern and Late Modern

The Mid- Century Modern context in this report includes general description of the Mid- Century Modern style. In addition, the Late Modern style is also discussed. The following is excerpted from the “Architectural Styles & Local Practitioners” theme of the Citywide Historic Context Statement prepared by HRG in 2018:65

Mid-century Modern is a term used to describe the post -World War II iteration of various Modern styles in both residential and commercial design, including the International Style.

International Style architecture is characterized by geometric forms, smooth wall surfaces, and an absence of exterior decoration. Mid- century Modern represents the adaptation of these elements to the local climate, new building technologies (such as modular materials and structural systems), and to the postwar need for efficient ly-built, moderately priced homes. In Palm Springs, this often meant the use of wood post -and-beam construction.

Mid-century Modernism is often characterized by a clear expression of structure and materials, large expanses of glass, and open interior plans. It was adapted to Palm Springs by the use of concrete block, perforated concrete, and other forms of wood, concrete, and metal screens to shield against the intense desert sun while allowing for air flow.

The roots of the style can be traced to early Modernists like Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler, whose local work inspired “second generation” Modern architects like Gregory Ain, Craig Ellwood, and Harwell Hamilton Harris, to name a few. Mid- century Modernism was adapted to Palm Springs by prominent local architects including John Porter Clark, William Cody, Albert Frey, Donald Wexler, and E. Stewart Williams, as well as Los Angeles architects such as Dan Palmer and William Krisel. These postwar architects developed an indigenous Modernism that was born from international Modernism and but [sic] matured into a fundamentally regional style, fostered in part by Art and Architecture magazine’s pivotal Case Study Program (1945- 1966), along with specific local conditions. The style gained popularity because its use of standardized, prefabricated materials permitted quick and economical construction. It became the predominant architectural style in Palm Springs in the postwar years and is represented in almost every property type, from single- family residences to commercial buildings to gas stations.

Character-defining features include:
• One or two-story configuration
• Horizontal massing (for small-scale buildings)
• Simple geometric forms
• Expressed post-and-beam construction, in wood or steel • Flat roof or low -pitched gable roof with wide overhanging eaves and cantilevered canopies; some examples have folded plate roofs
• Unadorned wall surfaces
• Wood, glass, plaster, concrete, steel, brick or stone used as exterior wall panels or accent materials
• Flush-mounted metal frame fixed windows and sliding doors, and clerestory windows

65 Historic Resources Group, “City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings,” December 2018.

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29 • Concrete, wood, or metal screens
• Little or no exterior decorative detailing
• Expressionistic/Organic subtype: sculptural forms and geometric shapes, including butterfly, A-frame, folded plate or barrel vault roofs
Late Modern Architecture

According to the Citywide Historic Context Statement:

Late Modern is a blanket term used to describe the evolution of Modern architecture from the mid- 1950s through the 1970s. It is typically applied to commercial and institutional buildings. Unlike the straightforward, functionalist simplicity of International Style and Mid- century Modernism, Late Modern buildings exhibit a more deliberate sculptural quality with bold geometric volumes, uniform surfaces such as glass skin or concrete, and a sometimes exaggerated expression of structure and systems. Significant architects who produced works in the style include Marcel Breuer, Philip Johnson, Cesar Pelli, Piano and Rogers, and John Portman. A Palm Springs example from the 1960s is the Alan Ladd building at 500 S. Palm Canyon Drive.66

Character-defining features include:
• Bold geometric volumes
• Large expanses of unrelieved wall surfaces
• Uniform use of cladding materials including glass, concrete, or masonry veneer • Exaggerated expression of structure and systems
• Hooded or deeply set windows
• Little or no applied ornament
Relationship to Subject Property

The subject property represents a blend of the Mid-Century Modern and Late Modern architectural styles. Constructed in 1967, it falls within the period when Late Modern had been evolving between the mid-1950s and the 1970s. The clubhouse expresse s character-defining features of the Mid- Century Modern style including one-story configuration; wood, glass, stucco, concrete, steel, brick, or stone used as exterior wall panels or accent materials; unadorned wall surfaces; and little or no exterior decorative detailing. It also begins to blend elements of the Late Modern style with its bold geometric volumes; large expanses of unrelieved wall surfaces; uniform use of cladding materials including glass, concrete, or masonry veneer; exaggerated expression of structure; hooded or deeply set windows; and little or no applied ornament. The building features a sweeping roofline and parabolic arched entrances that emphasizes the unique quality of Kaptur’s design.

66 In addition, the Shea Residence at 1690 Ridgemore is considered a significant example of the Late Modern style due to its minimal use of ornament, use of new material technologies, and exposed expression of structure. It was designated a Class 1 historic resource in 2020.

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30 VII. HISTORIC RESOURCE ASSESSMENT

This section evaluates the subject property for eligibility as a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource under the City Historic Preservation Ordinance.

City of Palm Springs

Designation Criteria

(i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community.

The subject property does not appear to be associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community. While the Palm Springs Desert Classic was a large important event in the community that gained nationwide recognition and continues today, it was first hosted at the golf course in 1960, several years before the clubhouse had been constructed.

Although the clubhouse does appear to be important to the period in which the City expanded its intent to become the “Golf Capital of the World,” this is better discussed under Criterion iii. The subject property does not qualify as a historic resource under Criterion i.

(ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history.

Although Kaptur is a master architect who designed over 200 buildings and is recognized on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, association with the lives of persons is typically evaluated based on whether or not a person conducted their significant work while living or working at the property.

Research of local newspaper articles and other historic documentation did not reveal the subject property to be associated directly with persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state, or local history. While prominent professional golfer Arnold Palmer played at the golf course and won the first Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic, he does not appear to have direct association with the clubhouse itself. The subject property does not qualify as a historic resource under Criterion ii.

(iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history.

The subject property reflects the Post -World War II period of golf course development in Palm Springs, as the City sought to solidify its status as the world’s most prominent golf destination. With golf becoming a more popular form of recreation in the 1950s, the existing private golf clubs in Palm Springs were being overburdened by the number of visitors and a municipal golf course was planned to continue to attract the public while being able to meet demand. Although the Palm Springs Municipal Golf Course opened to the public in 1959, a clubhouse at the property was always intended but stalled due to lack of funding. A bond was ultimately approved by the public in 1965, allowing for the golf course to finally get its clubhouse. Groundbreaking ceremonies officially began for construction in 1966. By 1972, the Los Angeles Times was referring to Greater Palm Springs as “Golf Capital of the World.” As a clubhouse intended to support the golf industry in Palm Springs, the subject property exemplifies this period of growth in local history and an activity that is still closely associated with the city today.

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31 The subject property also represents a transition between the Mid- Century Modern and Late Modern architectural styles, two prominent styles in Palm Springs, during the 1960s. As described in the Citywide Historic Context Statement, Late Modern describes “the evolution of Modern architecture from the mid- 1950s through the 1970s” and the clubhouse represents that transition period well by exhibiting character-defining features of both styles. From the Mid-Century Modern style, the clubhouse features a one- story configuration, horizontal massing, expressed post -and- beam construction, unadorned wall surfaces, and little or no exterior decorative detailing. From the Late Modern style, the clubhouse features bold geometric volumes, large expanses of unrelieved wall surfaces, uniform use of cladding materials, exaggerated expression of structure, hooded or deeply set windows, and little or no applied ornament. The subject property qualifies as a historic resource under Criterion iii.

(
iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction.

The subject property embodies distinctive characteristics of a method of construction in its use of exposed glu-lam beams and heavy timber framing to create a robust expression of building structure. While much of the clubhouse is conventionally framed, including the shaped parapets to the north of the breezeway, the breezeway and the restaurant both have roof elements that are worthy of note. As identified in the designation application for Kaptur’s Tahquitz Plaza, glu-lam, or glued laminated timber, was considered a “technolo gy-driven ‘modern’ material” that is a “type of structural timber product comprising a number of layers of dimensioned timber bonded together with durable, moisture- resistant structural adhesives.” 67 As opposed to the rectilinear forms at Tahquitz Plaza, exposed long-span glu-lam beams at the covered breezeway of the clubhouse have a slight, subtle curve that upturns toward the south and extends into the restaurant. From there, the height of the roofline changes above the restaurant with heavy timber post and beams that extend beyond the curved expressive roof shape and are divided by dynamic clerestory windows at the east and west elevations. The clerestory windows would be typically restricted in height by blocking that would obstruct the view. The resulting visible expression of structure is unique. The subject property qualifies as a historic resource under Criterion iv.

(
v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his or her age, or that possesses high artistic value.

The subject property, as a work of master architect Hugh Kaptur, AIA, possesses high artistic value and is unique in design, taking aspects of the Mid-Century Modern and Late Modern architectural styles. Although it is one of over 200 projects that Kaptur had designed in his career, Kaptur acknowledged the clubhouse as one of his favorites due to the creative freedom he had in the design. The characteristic shape with curved sweeping roofline makes the clubhouse one of the most distinctive buildings in Palm Springs and it has been written about and published in newspapers and books such as The Desert Modernists: The Architects Who Envisioned Midcentury Modern Palm Springs and The Modern Architecture of Hugh Michael Kaptur. Kaptur is a prominent master architect who is also a celebrated local figure, receiving a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in 2014. He has been renowned as “the only living renowned Palm Springs modernist architect” by Palm Springs Li fe and had his work recently highlighted by the Palm Springs At

67 Marshall, Ronald W. and Barbara A., Historic Site Designation Application: Tahquitz Plaza, Prepared on behalf of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, 2015.

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32 Museum in 2019 in an exhibit titled “Hugh Kaptur: Organic Desert Architecture.”68 Kaptur’s body of work clearly has inspired future generations of architects and designers who continue to celebrate his designs. The subject property qualifies as a historic resource under Criterion v.

(
vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists.

The subject property does not represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. The subject property does not qualify as a historic resource under Criterion vi.

(vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.

The scope of this report did not include evaluation of the subject property for significance relative to prehistory.

Contributor to a Potential Historic District

The scope of this report is limited to determining if the subject property is eligible as a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource under the City Historic Preservation Ordinance. While it does not include an evaluation of whether or not the subject property is a contributor to a potential historic district, cursory analysis did not find the property to be associated with any adjacent development other than the golf course as a whole. While the golf course, opened in 1959, appears to be important to the local history of Palm Springs, further evaluation would be necessary to understand alterations and whether it retains the integrity of its original design.

68 Kremer, Lydia, “2019: The Year of High Kaptur,” Palm Springs Life, October 1, 2019, <https://www.palmspringslife.com/hugh-kaptur/> accessed March 16, 2023.

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33 Integrity

To be eligible as a Class 1 historic resource, a property must also retain sufficient integrity to convey historic significance. A Class 2 historic r esource does not have to meet the integrity criteria. A property either retains its integrity, the physical and visual characteristics necessary to convey its significance, or it does not. Evaluation of integrity is founded on “an understanding of a property’s physical features and how they relate to its significance.” The seven aspects of integrity are Location, Design, Setting, Materials, Workmanship, Feeling, and Association. Natio nal Register Bulletin #15 “How to Apply National Register Criteria for Evaluation” (National Register Bulletin #15) states that “[to] retain historic integrity, a property will always possess several, and usually most, of the aspects.”69

Location

The subject property was constructed at its current location and has not been moved. The subject property retains integrity of location.

Design

Although several additions have been constructed, largely at the rear and side elevations of the clubhouse, the subject property continues to convey its original appearance from its period of significance, with original materials and workmanship also extant to express its design. The original clubhouse pavilion still retains its overall visual aspects from its construction, including one- story configuration with horizontal massing; roughly T -shaped footprint; slightly asymmetrical composition; sweeping curved roofline; and exaggerated expression of structure with bold geometric volumes. Many other character-defining features are still evident at the subject property, including battered exterior walls clad in heavily-textured stucco; unadorned wall surfaces with little or no exterior decorative detailing; deeply inset rectangular windows set in an atypical pattern; and parabolic arch entrances to the covered breezeway . While some alterations such as the added canopies and the added accessible sloped walk contribute to loss of integrity, they are both reversible alterations and much of the initial design intent is still reflected in the building today. The subject property retains integrity of design.

Setting

The subject property was constructed as a clubhouse to service the adjacent Palm Springs Municipal Golf Course. Although the golf course has expanded and is now known as the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort, the setting remains the same with no adjacent construction and large expanses of grass to the north, west, and south of the property. The original surface parking lot continues to be located to the east of the clubhouse with entrance framed by two rows of palms.

The subject property retains integrity of setting.

Materials

Original materials at the clubhouse are still extant, including textured plaster cladding at exterior walls; slump block walls at east and south elevations; wood and glu- lam beams and rafter tails at exterior elevations and covered breezeway ; rock veneer accent cladding; and seeded aggregate

69 National Register Bulletin #15, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation (National Park Service, 1990, revised 2002), 44.

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34 floor framed by colored concrete squares. Alt hough there are some losses in material, including wall tile noted in original drawings at the restroom entrance at the covered breezeway , the remaining character-defining features continue to convey the building’s significance from its construction in 1967. The subject property retains integrity of materials.

Workmanship

The subject property reflects a high level of quality in workmanship, evident in the det ails of its design such as the exaggerated expression of structure with bold geometric volumes . The ability to form the geometric composition of the building, reflected in its sweeping curved roofline and the parabolic arched entrances to the covered breezeway that are not common or traditional features in other buildings at the time or since, displays a high level of aptitude and talent. The unique and complex design of the building required skill and attention to detail, with renowned profes sionals like master stonemason John Gallerani involved in the application of rock veneer. All of this is still evident in the existing design of the building. The subject property retains integrity of workmanship.

Feeling

The subject property continues to read as a clubhouse constructed for the adjacent golf course due to its configuration of spaces that includes a restaurant, pro shop, and golf cart storage. Sited to the west of a surface parking lot with an entrance driveway framed by palms, visitors driving to the property experience the same feeling and view as those who drove the same path once the clubhouse was constructed. The subject property retains integrity of feeling.

Association

The subject property continues to be associated with golfing in Palm Springs and has served continuously as a clubhouse servicing the adjacent golf course since its construction. It is associated with architect Hugh Kaptur as one of his most celebrated and well-known designs that has been published in books and newspaper articles. The subject property retains integrity of association.

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35 VIII. CONCLUSION

This r eport evaluated the Palm Springs Municipal Golf Course Clubhouse located at 1885 Golf Club Drive, Palm Springs, California for eligibility as a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource under the City Historic Preservation Ordinance. For the reasons stated in this report, the subject property is eligible for local designation as a Class 1 historic resource under City Criterion iii for reflecting the Post - World War II period of golf course development and growth in Palm Springs and the period of transition between the Mid- Century Modern and Late Modern architectural styles , Criterion iv for embodying distinctive characteristics of a method of construction in its use of exposed glu- lam beams and heavy timber framing to create a robust expression of the building structure, and Criterion v as a work of master architect Hugh Kaptur which possesses high artistic value.

Additionally, the subject property continues to retain integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

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36 IX. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Historic Resources Group, “City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings,” December 2018.

Keylon, Steven, The Modern Architecture of Hugh Michael Kaptur, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, Palm Springs, January 2019.

Kremer, Lydia, “2019: The Year of High Kaptur,” Palm Springs Life, October 1, 2019, <https://www.palmspringslife.com/hugh-kaptur/> accessed March 16, 2023.

Los Angeles Times newspaper articles (organized by date):

Glick, Shav, “A Dream Come True: Golf’s Not Just a Game, but Way of Life in Desert,” Los Angeles Times, April 28, 1972: 13.

Marshall, Ronald W. and Barbara A., Historic Site Designation Application: Tahquitz Plaza, Prepared on behalf of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, 2015.

National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Preservation Brief #17: Architectural Character:

Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character.

Washington D.C.

National Register Bulletin #15, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation (National Park Service, 1990, revised 2002).

Newman, Morris, “Hugh Kaptur” in The Desert Modernists: The Architects Who Envisioned Midcentury Modern Palm Springs, Desert Publications, Inc.

Newman, Morris, “Modern Master,” Palm Springs Life, February 2014.

Palm Springs Desert Sun newspaper articles (organized by date):

Klotzbuecher, Don, “President Makes Most of Brilliant Desert Sunshine,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 22, 1954: 1.

“Proposition No. 2 – Golf Course Land Acquisition and Construction,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, January 27, 1956: 4.

“A Municipal Golf Course is This Community’s Greatest Need,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 9, 1956: 5.

“City to Continue Hunt for Golf Course Land,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 28, 1956: 14.

Brown, Doug, “$800,000 Issue Set for Ballot,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, March 9, 1956:

1. “Golf Course Committee Selects No. 1 Site Location,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, July 9, 1957: 1.

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37 “Golf Course Committee Asks Hiring of Consultant,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, April 29, 1958: 2.

Cameron Jr, George E, “Fortunate Purchase Makes Municipal Golf Course Here a 1959 Reality,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 3, 1959: 1.

“Council Disagrees on Name for New Municipal Course,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, June 25, 1959: 2.

“Munie Course to Open this Week,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, October 27, 1959: 12.

“Advertisement: A Few Important Words Regarding the…First Annual $100,000 Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic!” Palm Springs Desert Sun, January 22, 1960: 2.

“528 to Tee Off Tomorrow in Palm Springs Desert Classic,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 2, 1960: 11.

“$100,000 Desert Classic – Millions in Publicity,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 11, 1960: 10.

“Panel Studies New Plan for Golf Course Clubhouse,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, December 7, 1965: 1.

“Clubhouse Gets Council Boosts,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, June 1, 1966: 1.

“Council Calls for Bids on Golf Clubhouse,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, October 11, 1966:

1. “Clubhouse Gal,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, December 10, 1966: 9.

“Three Men and a Tree,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, August 29, 1967: 8.

“Clubhouse Dedication?” Palm Springs Desert Sun, November 4, 1967: 1.

“The Road to Recovery,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 5, 1995: 8.

“New Golf Tournament Coming to Tahquitz,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, January 8, 2010:

25. Dugas, Patricia Moloney, “Renowned Architect Gets a Star on Palm Springs Walk,” Palm Springs Desert Sun, February 23, 2014: G5.

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ATTACHMENT D

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RESOLUTION NO. HSPB #149

A RESOLUTION OF THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION

BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA,

RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DESIGNATE
“THE TAHQUITZ RESORT GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE ”
LOCATED AT 1885 LAWRENCE CROSSLEY ROAD, A
CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE, ( HSPB #149), APN # 681-250-
012.

THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD (“HSPB”) FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:

A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts; and

B. WHEREAS, on October 6, 2021, the City of Palm Springs filed an application with the City pursuant to Article III, Section 8.05.0 70 (Procedure and Criteria for Designation of Historic Resources) of the Palm Springs Municipal Code requesting historic resources designation for the Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse located at 1885 Lawrence Crossley Road. The application included a historic resources report (“the report”) prepared by Chattel, dated March 16, 2023.

C. WHEREAS, on March 27
th and 29th, 20 23, members of the Historic Site
Preservation Board (HSPB) conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource, accompanied by City staff; and

D. WHEREAS, on April 4, 2023, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board (“HSPB”) to consider Case HSPB #149 was held in accordance with applicable law; and

E. WHEREAS, The HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all of the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony presented.

THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:

SECTION 1:

FINDINGS – PART “1”, CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.

Evaluation of the Application. P
ursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

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April 4, 2023

1. Criteria for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided both of the following findings (“a” and “b”) are met:

a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

The use of simple yet exaggerated forms, unadorned building surfaces, and the horizontality of the building on the site embodies Modernist principles. Alterations to the site have been made in a way that does not diminish the overall design intent, and the integrity of the building has been carefully maintained. Staff finds the clubhouse structure has exceptional historic significance that qualifies for Class 1 (Landmark) historic status.

(Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community;

The report does not list any events associated with the home that contributed to the nation, state or community. Thus, it does not qualify under Criterion i.

(Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;

As referenced in the report, prominent professional golfers like Arnold Palmer played at this golf course but do not have a direct association with the clubhouse structure that rises to a meaningful level of contribution to national, state or local history. Staff finds the site does not qualify as a historic resource under Criterion ii.

(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history;

The promotion of tourism played a pivotal role in the economic development of Palm Springs. The Municipal Golf Course was opened during a time when the City was promoting itself as a world class golf destination. The design of the clubhouse exemplifies Mid-century Modern and Late Modern design principles through the building’s massing, site configuration, exterior t reatment of materials, and bold geometric expression. Staff finds that criterion iii is met because the resource clearly reflects the local history of tourism and is an exceptional and unique example of Modernist design principles that were widely accepted during the post-World War II period in Palm Springs.

(Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;

Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of construction) and the method (of construction). Standard framing methods and post and beam construction was used for much of the building but the structural use of glu- lam to create the expansive covered breezeway is distinctive for its time. The report identifies Item 2B - Page 56
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April 4, 2023

glu-lam construction as a “technology driven -material” that allowed the long span and subtle curve of the roofline over the covered breezeway possible. Staff finds the us e of this material during the post -World War II period distinctive and representative of the period, thus meeting criterion iv.

(Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;

The clubhouse building was designed by master architect Hugh Kaptur when he was with Ricciardi-Kaptur & Associates. Hugh Kaptur designed many significant projects in Palm Springs and is an architect that continues to influence the field. His designs are celebrated and cited as notable examples of “Desert Modernism” architecture. As reflected i n the report, the clubhouse was stated as one of his favorite projects because of the creative freedom he was able to convey. Staff finds the resource qualifies under Criterion v due to the high artistic value that is associated with the design of the clubhouse and Hugh Kaptur’s direct association with the design of the resource during a highly productive period in his career.

(Criterion vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists; or

No information has been provided that the resource qualifies under Criterion vi.

(Criterion vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.

No information has been provided on any pre-historic significance of the site.

SECTION 2: PART “B” ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY.

Analysis of Integrity. (PSMC 8.05.070 (C,1,b). T
he site, structure, building or
object retains one or more of the following aspects of integrity, as established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: integrity of design, materials, workmanship, location, setting, feeling, or association.

T
he Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse is evaluated in terms of its historic integrity as follows:

Location.

The resource remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity of location.

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April 4, 2023

Design.

The single-story building has a “sweeping” roofline which extends on a north- south axis giving it a strong horizontal presence on the site. The building mass in the center has a roughly textured stucco finish applied to the exterior walls and the rectilinear forms that extend on either ends of this massing are clad in a rock veneer. The building has unadorned walls, deeply recessed windows laid out in an atypical pattern on the east facade, and an inset foundation detail. Clerestory windows align directly b elow the wooden eave and extended beams that follow the “sweeping” roofline and vertical windows are arranged in a regular pattern on the upper walls of the west elevation.

Additions have been constructed over time but are in areas that do not impact the overall appearance of the original design because they are concentrated on non- primary elevations and recessed back from the original building footprint. In addition, many of the alterations appear reversible in nature, therefore, the design integrity of the structure remains intact.

Setting.

The original setting of the golf course remains unchanged. The clubhouse structure serves as the connection point between the parking lot and the golf course, as was originally designed. The integrity of setting remains.

Materials.

The exterior walls include a roughly textured stucco finish and rock wall veneer which all remain. The primary façade shows heavy timber beams extending beyond the walls and the added wood entry feature is completely detached from the walls of the resource.

Although the original drawings indicate the loss of certain architectural details such as the replacement of fenestration and the removal of the memorial fountain and a decorative wood screen on the north elevation, much of the char acter-defining features remain in place, thus the integrity of materials is intact.

Workmanship.

The unique shape and structure of the building requires a higher level of workmanship to execute. The organic curve of the roofline is a simple shape yet complex to construct.

The cutout skylights in the breezeway are expansive, and the stucco application on the walls and the rock veneers are precise and distinct. A high level of knowledge and skill was required during construction and is clearly evident in the resource today. Staff finds the integrity of workmanship is still intact
.

Feeling.

Association.

The exterior changes and additions to accommodate growing functions for the golf course have been done in a way that is respectful to the original design by making sure the additions are subordinate to the original design using the same architectural language of mass, scale, low horizontality, and materials. Thus, integrity of association with the Mid- Item 2B - Page 58
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century Modern and Late Modern ideals have been protected and retained.

SECTION 3: DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS

In considering a recom mendation for historic resource designation it is important to distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that contribute to the resource’s historic significance from alterations, additions or features that were added at a later time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character -defining features from non- original elements aids the HSPB when it is tasked with evaluating future alterations to the historic resource.

Character-de
fining features of the resource are as follows:

Non-c
ontributing elements:

• Main entry feature with canopies leading to the covered breezeway • Building additions to the north and west side of the building that are currently used for golf cart storage, offices, and the pro shop
• Patio area and wood trellis for outdoor restaurant seating on the west elevation • Rooftop mechanical equipment and satellite dish
• Ceramic tiles applied to the building surface near the restrooms in the covered breezeway
• Accessible sloped pathway adjacent to a low retaining wall along the east (front) elevation

SECTION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

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April 4, 2023

or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical changes to the environment, directly or indirectly.

SECTION 5: RECOMMENDATIONS.

The Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) included the following recommendations for consideration as part of this request for designation:

1. The timber and canvas structure on the main façade be removed.

2. The City consider working with the architect, Hugh Kaptur, on the removal of the canvas structure and any subsequent alterations to the building.

These recommendations have been forwarded to the appropriate City agencies for consideration.

SECTION 6:

CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITES.

According to Section 8.05 of the Municipal Code, the following shall apply to a Class 1 Historic Resource:

1. It shall meet the definition of a Class 1 historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section 8.05.020.

2. An archival file on the property shall be maintained by the City.

3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.

5. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed at the site in a location viewable from the public way.

6. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Sites and Historic Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code shall be required.

7. The site shall not be further subdivided.

8. The City Clerk shall submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for recordation within 90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.

Based upon the foregoing, the Historic Site Preservation Board recommends that the City Council designate “ The Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse” located at 1885 Lawrence Crossley Road, a Class 1 Historic Resource (HSPB #149).

ADOPTED THIS FOURTH DAY OF APRIL, 2023.

AYES: Hough, Nelson, Miller, Hansen, Rosenow.

NOES: None.

ABSENT: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

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April 4, 2023

ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

Christopher Hadwin
Director of Planning Services
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HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD

STAFF REPORT

DATE: April 4, 2023 PUBLIC HEARING

SUBJECT: AN APPLICATION BY THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF “ THE TAHQUITZ RESORT GOLF COURSE
CLUBHOUSE” LO CATED AT 1885 LAWRENCE CROSSLEY ROAD,
CASE HSPB #149. (APN #681-250-012) (SY).

FROM: Department of Planning Services

SUMMARY

At staff’s recommendation, the Historic Site Preservation Board voted to add the Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse, a city-owned property, to the 2021-2022 annual work plan on October 6, 2021. The proposed period of significance is 1967 when the clubhouse building was completed. A historic resources report was commissioned which supports the designation of the clubhouse.

If designated as a historic resource, the property would be subject to the regulations outlined in Section 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code.

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Open the public hearing and receive public testimony.

2. Close the public hearing and adopt Resolution HSPB #149, “A RESOLUTION OF

THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM

SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DESIGNATE “THE TAHQUITZ RESORT GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE ”
LOCATED 1885 LAWRENCE CROSSLEY ROAD, AS A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #1 49, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN #681- 250-012).”

BACKGROUND AND SETTING:

A historic resources report dated March 16, 2022, prepared by CHATTEL (“the report”) on behalf of the City of Palm Springs and a site visit by staff and members of the HSPB are the basis of this staff report.

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Related Relevant City Actions by HSPB, Planning, Fire, Building, etc.

March, 2023 Site inspection by members of the HSPB and City Staff.

Ownership Status
April, 1978 City-owned property.

BELOW IS AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE CLUBHOUSE BUILDING.

The Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse building is a one-story structure designed by architect Hugh Kaptur and completed in 1967. Completed in the “post -World War II” context (1945-1969), tourism became a major component to the economics of Palm Springs, and seasonal tourists and residents were attracted to the various outdoor recreational activities offered in the desert. Architecturally, “Mid-Century Modernism” and “Late Modern” styles gained prominence in the region during this time.

ANALYSIS:

The one-story clubhouse structure has a “sweeping” roofline that extends on a north- south axis. The exterior walls are covered in a rough stucco finish and select areas are Item 2B - Page 63
I
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covered in a rock veneer . Alterations have been made to the original design of the clubhouse which include additions to the original building footprint, however, the primary east façade remains consistent to the original design and many of the alterations are considered reversible changes.

BELOW IS A VIEW OF THE EAST ELEVATION.

BELOW IS A VIEW OF THE WEST ELEVATION.

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BELOW IS A VIEW OF THE COVERED BREEZWAY AND GLU-LAM BEAMS.

Historic Preservation activities in Palm Springs are regulated under Municipal Code Section 8.05 (“ Historic Preservation” ). The purpose of the Historic Preservation Ordinance is:

“…to stabilize and improve buildings, structures or areas which are considered to be of historical, architectural, archaeological or ecological value, to foster civic beauty, to strengthen the local economy and to promote the use of historic resources for the education and welfare of the citizens.”

Conditions that apply to Class 1 historic sites or resources:

1. It shall meet the definition of a historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section

8.05.020.

2. An archival file shall be maintained on the property by the City.

3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.

4. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed in a location viewable from the public way.

5. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Resources and Historic Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code.

6. If designated, the findings in support of designation shall be stated in a resolution of the City Council that shall be recorded with the County Recorders’ office within 90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.

Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

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a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

The use of simple yet exaggerated forms , unadorned building surfaces, and the horizontality of the building on the site embodies Modernist principles. Alterations to the site have been made in a way that does not diminish the overall design intent , and the integrity of the building has been carefully maintained. Staff finds the clubhouse structure has exceptional historic significance that qualifies for Class 1 (Landmark) historic status.

(Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community;

The report does not list any events associated with the structure that contributed to the nation, state or community. Thus, it does not qualify under Criterion i.

(Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;

As referenced in the report, prominent professional golfers like Arnold Palmer played at this golf course but do not have a direct association with the clubhouse structure that rises to a meaningful level of contribution to national, state or local history. Staff finds the site does not qualify as a historic resource under Criterion ii.

(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history;

The promotion of tourism played a pivotal role in the economic development of Palm Springs. The Municipal Golf Course was opened during a time when the City was promoting itself as a world class golf destination. The design of the clubhouse exemplifies Mid-century Modern and Late Modern design principles through the building’s massing, site configuration, exterior treatment of materials , and bold geometric expression. Staff finds that criterion iii is met because the resource clearly reflects the local history of tourism and is an exceptional and unique example of Modernist design principles that were widely accepted during the post-World War II period in Palm Springs.

(Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;

Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of Item 2B - Page 66
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construction) and the method (of construction). Standard framing methods and post and beam construction was used for much of the buildin g but the structural use of glu-lam to create the expansive covered breezeway is distinctive for its time. The report identifies glu-lam construction as a “technology dr iven-material” that allowed the long span and subtle curve of the roofline over the covered breezeway possible. Staff finds the use of this material during the post-World War II period distinctive and representative of the period, thus meeting criterion iv.

(Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;

The clubhouse building was designed by master architect Hugh Kaptur when he was with Ricciardi-Kaptur & Associates. Hugh Kaptur designed many significant projects in Palm Springs and is an architect that continues to influence the field. His designs are celebrated and cited as notable examples of “Desert Modernism” architecture. As reflected in the report, the clubhouse was stated as one of his favorite projects because of the creative freedom he was able to convey. Staff finds the resource qualifies under Criterion v due to the high artistic value that is associated with the design of the clubhouse and Hugh Kaptur’s direct association with the design of the resource during a highly productive period in his career.

No information has been provided that the resource qualifies under Criterion vi.

(Criterion vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.

No information has been provided on any pre-historic significance of the site.

The Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse is evaluated in terms of its historic integrity as follows:

Location.

The resource remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity of location.

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Design.

The single-story building has a “sweeping” roofline which extends on a north-south axis giving it a strong horizontal presence on the site. The building mass in the center has a roughly textured stucco finish applied to the exterior walls and the rectilinear forms that extend on either end s of this massing are clad in a rock veneer. The building has unadorned walls, deeply recessed windows laid out in an atypical pattern on the east facade, and an inset foundation detail. C lerestory windows align directly below the wooden eave and extended beams that follow the “sweeping” roofline and vertical windows are arranged in a regular pattern on the upper walls of the west elevation.

Additions have been constructed over time but are in areas that do not impact the overall appearance of the original design because they are conc entrated on non-p rimary elevations and recessed back from the original building footprint. In addition, many of the alterations appear reversible in nature, therefore, the design integrity of the structure remains intact.

Setting.

Materials.

Although the original drawings indicate the loss of certain architectural details such as the replacement of fenestration and the removal of the memorial fountain and a decorative wood screen on the north elevation, much of the character -defining features remain in place, thus the integrity of materials is intact.

Workmanship.

The unique shape and structure of the building requires a higher level of workmanship to execute. The organic curve of the roofline is a simple shape yet complex to construct .

The cutout skylights in the breezeway are expansive , and the stucco application on the walls and the rock veneers are precise and distinct. A high level of knowledge and skill was required during construction and is clearly evident in the resource today. Staff finds the integrity of workmanship is still intact.

Feeling.

Association.

The exterior changes and additions to accommodate growing functions for the golf course have been done in a way that is respectful to the original design by making sure the Item 2B - Page 68
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additions are subordinate to the original design using the same architectural language of mass, scale, low horizontality, and materials. Thus, integrity of association with the Mid- century Modern and Late Modern ideals have been protected and retained.

DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS

In considering a recommendation for historic resource designation it is important to distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that contribute to the resource’s historic significance from alterations, additions or features that were added at a later time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character -defining features from non- original elements aids the HSPB when it is tas ked with evaluating future alterations to the historic resource.

On page 15, the report identifies the physical character -defining historic features of this site as follows:

Non-contributing elements:
• Main entry feature with canopies leading to the covered breezeway • Building additions to the north and west side of the building that are currently used for golf cart storage, offices, and the pro shop
• Patio area and wood trellis for outdoor restaurant seating on the west elevation • Rooftop mechanical equipment and satellite dish
• Ceramic tiles applied to the building surface near the restrooms in the covered breezeway
• Accessible pathway adjacent to a low retaining wall along the east (front) elevation

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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

NOTIFICATION

Pursuant to section 8.05.140 of the Municipal Code of Palm Springs, all residents within five hundred (500) feet of the subject property have been notified and notice was published in a newspaper of general circulation.

CONCLUSION:

The Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse meets the definition of a historic resource based on Criterion 3, 4, and 5 of the Palm Springs Historic Preservation Ordinance; therefore, staff recommends Class 1 designation. The property possesses historic integrity to qualify as a Class 1 (“Landmark”) site . The designation will apply to the clubhouse and will not affect the balance of the golf cour se, no r is any development proposed.

PREPARED BY: Sarah Yoon, Associate Planner/Historic Preservation Officer REVIEWED BY: David Newell, AICP, Assistant Director of Planning REVIEWED BY: Christopher Hadwin, Director of Planning Services

Attachments:

A. Vicinity Map
B. Draft Resolution
C. A pplication prepared by CHATTEL, related background materials, photos.

Item 2B - Page 70
From: Planning
To: Sarah Yoon
Subject: FW: Please approve the application for historic designation of the Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse Case #149
Date: Monday, April 3, 2023 10:30:17 AM
FYI For tmrw night.
-----Original Message-----
From: suzykindel <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, April 2, 2023 10:03 AM
To: Planning <[email protected]>
Subject: Please approve the application for historic designation of the Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse Case #149
NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe.

To the Historic Site Preservation Board:

I recommend that the HSPB approve the application for the historic site designation of the Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse (APN No. 681-250-012).

I have owned a home in the adjacent neighborhood for the past 5 years and the Clubhouse is a wonderful part of this area offering us a restaurant we can walk to and place for meetings as well as serving residents and tourists with two great golf courses.

The historic value as well as the architecture of the Clubhouse have contributed substantially to this community for many years and should be protected for generations to come.

With all the new development in this city, it is critical that the HSPB work hard to preserve those structures that are meaningful to our special community. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Suzanne Kindel
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]
>
--
Suzy
Item 2B - Page 71
From: Linda Piercy
To: Planning
Cc: Sarah Yoon
Subject: Case #149
Date: Thursday, March 30, 2023 7:28:22 PM
NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe.

To whom it may concern:

I am writing this in support of making Tahquitz Resort Clubhouse a designated historic site.

As a nearby resident, I think it would be good for the neighborhood. The public clubhouse and golf course is a real plus for the neighborhood.

Linda Piercy & Barbara Connolly

2700 Lawrence Crossley

#115
Palm Springs,Ca
92264
Sent from my iPad
Item 2B - Page 72
From: Richard Bruno
To: Sarah Yoon
Subject: FW: Tahquitz Creek Golf Course Clubhouse
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 9:23:57 AM
-----Original Message-----
From: Wendy Wright <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2023 4:55 PM
To: Planning <[email protected]>
Subject: Tahquitz Creek Golf Course Clubhouse
NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe.

After reading the 35 pages of the Historic Resources Report of March, 2023, I STRONGLY support the preservation and designation of the clubhouse on the Tahquitz Creek Golf Course as a Class 1 historic resource.

I think it is a treasure, and compliment the city for preserving and maintaining it as an historic building.

Sincerely,
Wendy Wright

2233

Pebble Beach Dr. Palm Springs
Item 2B - Page 73

EXCERPTS OF MINUTES

At the Historic Site Preservation Board meeting of the City of Palm Springs, held April 4, 2023, the Historic Site Preservation Board took the following action:

2.A. AN APPLICATION BY THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS REQUESTING HISTORIC DESIGNATION O THE “TAHQUITZ RESORT GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE” LOCATED AT 1885 LAWRENCE CROSSLEY ROAD, HSPB #149, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN #681-250-012) (SY).

Staff member Yoon summarized the staff report.

Chair Hough and Vice Chair Nelson asked if the landscaping around the building or the parking lot is considered part of the designation.

Staff member Yoon clarified that the designation is limited to the building only.

Chair Hough opened the public comment portion of the hearing for this item.

Hugh Kaptur, the architect of the clubhouse, talked about his design process and intent of creating a building that did not have the mechanical equipment positioned on the roof since it would be a prominent view of the building from an airplane, and the sweeping roof form is tied to the arc of a golf swing. He also requested that the added entry structure be removed because it obscures the original design intent.

Steve Keylon spoke in support of the Class 1 designation of the structure and concurs with Hugh Kaptur’s request to remove the entry structure.

Ernest Cecena supports the preservation and designation of the clubhouse structure.

There were no other public comments, Chair Hough closed the public hearing.

Chair Hough and Member Rosenow stated their support for the historic designation of the building.

Member Hansen thanked Chattel for the detailed historic resources report and expressed her support of the designation. She asked if a recommendation to remove the entry structure could be added as part of the nomination request.

Planning Director Hadwin stated a recommendation could be incorporate into the presentation to City Council for consideration.

Staff member Yoon clarified that the staff report and the resolution identify the entry structure as a non-contributing element.

Member Miller and Vice Chair Nelson thanked the architect for attending the meeting and expressed their support for a Class 1 designation of the structure.

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EXCERPTS OF MINUTES

Vice Chair Nelson suggested the architect’s vision for future alterations and historic details be included in the property records.

Hugh Kaptur cautioned that planting material around the structure is not recommended or it should be low in profile so it does not cover significant design features of the building.

Staff member Lyon clarified that the City has the full set of drawings for this building as part of the record.

Motion by Member Hansen seconded by Member Nelson, to adopt the findings in the staff report and add two recommendations to the resolution that City Council designate the Tahquitz Resort Golf Course Clubhouse (HSPB #149) as a Class 1 historic site. The recommendations are as follows: 1. The timber and canvas structure on the main façade be removed and 2. the City consider working with the architect, Hugh Kaptur, on the removal of the canvas structure and any subsequent alterations to the building.

I, JOANNE BRUGGEMANS, Administrative Secretary for the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that the above action was taken by Historic Site Preservation Board of the City of Palm Springs on the fourth day of April, 2023, by the following vote:

AYES: Hough, Nelson, Rosenow, Miller, Hansen.

NOES: None.

ABSTAIN: None.

ABSENT: None.

_______________________________
Joanne Bruggemans
Administrative Secretary
Item 2B - Page 75

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
05/25/2023
SUBJECT:

AN APPLICATION BY THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF “THE SECURITY FIRST NATIONAL BANK” LOCATED AT 500 SOUTH INDIAN CANYON DRIVE, (APN #508-121-001), CASE HSPB #137 RECOMMENDATION:

Open the public hearing and receive public testimony.1.

Close the public hearing and adopt a Resolution entitled, “A RESOLUTION OF

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING “THE SECURITY FIRST NATIONAL BANK” LOCATED 500 SOUTH INDIAN CANYON DRIVE, AS A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #137, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN 508-121-001).”

2. Attachments
Item 2C

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT

DATE: M AY 25, 2023 PUBLIC HEARING

SUBJECT: AN APPLICATION BY THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF “THE SECURITY FIRST NATIONAL BANK” LOCATED AT 500 SOUTH INDIAN CANYON DRIVE , (APN #50 8-121-001), CASE HSPB #137

FROM: Scott Stiles, City Manager

BY: Development Services Department

SUMMARY:

The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation (“PSPF”) approached the City of Palm Springs with a request to initiate a historic site designation for the “Security First National Bank” and on June 1, 2021 , the Historic Site Preservation Board ( HSPB) voted unanimously to add the site to its annual work plan as a City -initiated application. The proposed period of significance is 1959 when the project was completed.

On February 9, 2023 the request for Historic Designation was heard by the City Council in a duly noticed public hearing. At this time, members of the City Council expressed their overall support for designation but directed City staff to engage in additional discussions with the property owners to address some of their concerns.

City staff meet with the property owners on two separate occasions. (See Attachment E for the meeting minutes.) As a result of these discussions, the draft resolution for Historic Designation was revised to address specific concerns related to the parking lot, landscape design, and future alterations. The parking lot is identified as a non-contributing element and the original planting materials may be modified in accordance with the City’s Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. Additional language was included to clarify how future alterations will be handled for this Class 1 (Landmark) site. (See Exhibit B showing redline changes made to the draft resolution from February 9, 2023.)

If designated as a historic resource, the property would be subject to the regulations outlined in Section 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code.

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Open the public hearing and receive public testimony.

Item 2C - Page 1
City Council Staff Report
May 25, 2023 – Page 2
Historic Designation – The Security First National Bank

2. Close the public hearing and adopt Resolution No . _____, “A RESOLUTION OF

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING “THE SECURI TY FIRST NATIONAL BANK” LOCATED 500 SOUTH INDIAN CANYON DRIVE, AS A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #137, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN 508-121-001).”

BACKGROUND AND SETTING:

The attached historic resources report dated June 3, 2022, prepared for the City of Palm Springs by North Wind Resource Consulting (“the report”), a report dated June 2021 prepared independently by the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, and a site visit with Board members are the basis of this staff report.

Related Relevant City Actions by HSPB, Planning, Fire, Building, etc.

June 2021 HSPB voted to amend its annual work plan to include the Security First National Bank as a City-initiated nomination.

November 2022 Site inspection by members of the HSPB and City Staff.

January 2023 HSPB considered the case at a public hearing and voted 3 to 0 to recommend Class 1 designation.

February 9, 2023 The City Council considered the application to designate the subject property as a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource but took no action on the application. While supportive of the designation, the Council directed staff to work with the property owners to address concerns related to the designation.

Ownership Status
November 2019 Purchase by the current owner.

The Security First National Bank is a one-story commercial building designed by architect Joseph Bing Wong and completed in 1959. It is located at the southeast corner of South Indian Canyon Drive and Ramon Road. Completed in the “post -World War II” contex t (1945-1969), Palm Springs experienced major growth in seasonal visitors and wealthy residents moving to the area at that time. This change brought vitality to the commercial core and a small financial district began to emerge as a concentration of bankin g institutions developed in the southern part of downtown. The First Security National Bank building is a noteworthy example of the modernization of financial institutions at that time.

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS:

The Board’s analysis of the application relative to the criteria for the designation of historic resources is detailed in the attached HSPB resolution and staff report dated January 3, 2023. To be designated a historic landmark, a resource must exhibit exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed in Section 8.05.070.C.1.a. The Board made findings supporting Class 1 (Landmark) designation based on the following criteria:

Item 2C - Page 2
City Council Staff Report
May 25, 2023 – Page 3
Historic Designation – The Security First National Bank

PSMC 8.05.070, (5,C,1,Part a). The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

(Criterion 2) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;

(Criterion 3) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history;

(Criterion 5) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;

The Board also made findings pursuant to PSMC 8.05.070, (5,C,1,Part b) ; “ Historic Integrity” that the Security First National Bank possesses sufficient historic integrity to qualify as a Class 1 (Landmark) historic site.

Following the March 6, 2023 and March 23, 2023 meetings with the owners, revisions to the resolution were confirmed. The following is list of the changes made to the resolution:

• “Automobile centric design with the drive through” was removed as a Character- defining feature of the resource, and the “Parking Lot” was added as a non- contributing element.
• The “rugged landscape design” was revised to t he “rugged landscape beds” as a Character-defining feature of the resource, and additional clarification in the footnotes indicate that planting material may be modified. • Clarifying language was added in Section 3 of the resolution about future alterations to this Class 1 Site and the associated process.

The finalized draft resolution was sent to the owners on May 4, 2023.

CONCLUSION:

The Security First National Bank meets the definition of a historic resource based on Criterion 2, 3, and 5 of the Palm Springs Historic Preservation Ordinance. The property possesses sufficient historic integrity to qualify as a Class 1 (“Landmark”) site. The HSPB recommendation to the City Council reflects these findings which are outlined in the attached draft City Council resolution.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

The proposed historic resource designation is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) Item 2C - Page 3
City Council Staff Report
May 25, 2023 – Page 4
Historic Designation – The Security First National Bank

(the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical changes to the environment, directly or indirectly.

NOTIFICATION

Pursuant to Section 94.09.00 (Public Hearing) of the Palm Springs Zoning Code, written notice has been mailed to all property owners and residents within five hundred (500) feet of the subject property and notice was published in a newspaper of general circulation.

FISCAL IMPACT:

None.

REVIEWED BY:

Department Director: Christopher Hadwin
Deputy City Manager: Flinn Fagg
City Manager: Scott Stiles

ATTACHMENTS:

A. Vicinity Map.

B. Draft Resolution with redlines - 02/09/2023.

C. Draft Resolution - Revised.

D. Application, related background materials, photos.

E. Meeting Minutes from staff and owner meetings.

F. HSPB resolution, staff report, minute excerpt.

Item 2C - Page 4

ATTACHMENT A

Item 2C - Page 5

Department of Planning Services
Vicinity Map

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
HSPB #137 – Security First National Bank
500 S Indian Canyon Drive

Item 2C - Page 6
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ATTACHMENT B

Item 2C - Page 7
Item 2C - Page 8
RESOLUTION NO.: --

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING "THE SECURITY FIRST
NATIONAL BANK" LOCATED AT 500 SOUTH INDIAN CANYON
DRIVE, A CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE, (HSPB #137), APN# 508-121- 001.

THE CITY COUNCIL FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:

A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts; and
B. WHEREAS, The City of Palm Springs, submitted an application seekir-ig historic site designation of the Security First National Bank located at 500 South Indian Canyon Drive; and C. WHEREAS, in November, 2022, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) and City staff conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource; and D. WHEREAS, on January 3, 2023, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #137 was held in accordance with applicable law; and
E. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, the HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony and voted unanimously to recommend that the Council designate the Security First National Bank a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource; and F. WHEREAS, on February 9, 2023, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs City Council to consider Case HSPB #137 was held in accordance with applicable law; and G. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, the City Council carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to the staff report and all written and oral testimony.

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:

SECTION 1: FINDINGS -PART "A", CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.

Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C, 1,a), the HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

Criteria for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided both of the following findings ("a" and "b'? are met:
a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic Item 2C - Page 9
Resolution No. __

Page 2 of 8 ends

February 9, 2023
significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

The Security First National Bank exhibits exceptional historic significance because it embodies modernist design principles prevalent in the mid-twentieth century of simple geometric planes and volumes. It demonstrates a responsiveness to the desert climate with the generous eaves and overhangs that became characteristic of the "Desert Modern" architecture in Palm Springs.

It is a noteworthy example of the evolution in banking in the mid-twentieth century in which architecture of financial institutions abandoned the old classical architectural forms for a more open, glassy and community-oriented design. It also reflects a trend that began as early as the 1930's when public art, specifically murals and wall sculpture was specifically commissioned and incorporated into the design of commercial buildings.
(Criterion 1) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community;
The reports do not list any events associated with the resource that contributed to the nation, state or community. Thus, it does not qualify under Criterion i. (Criterion 2) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; This resource was commissioned by the Security First National Bank in response to the local influx of wealthy tourists and residents in Palm Springs. The report identifies Herbert Samson as the first branch manager who was involved with the design and functionality of the bank. While his contributions to the construction and management of this site were instrumental, his involvement does not rise to the level of being a meaningful contribution to local, state or national history. The report also asserts that Lawrence Tenney Stevens, the artist of the bas-relief panels on the building was significant internationally as an artist whose work focused on depicting the romantic character of the American Southwest. Stevens made a meaningful contribution to the overall genre of American art and therefore the property qualifies as a historic site under Criterion ii.
(Criterion 3) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history;
The Security First National Bank exemplifies the post-World War 11 period in local history when both commercial and residential building designs in Palm Springs were embracing the tenets of Modernism and shifting away from traditional "revival" forms of architecture popular in the pre World War II period. It is also a noteworthy example of the evolution in bank design in the post war period, again, moving away from neo-classical styles and toward more modernist styles.

Lastly, it exemplifies the cultural shift from the pedestrian-oriented commerce and activity of a traditional downtown toward the growing convenience and popularity of doing business from the comfort of one's own car. For these reasons, the City Council finds the site qualifies as a historic resource under Criterion iii.
(Criterion 4) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;
Item 2C - Page 10
Resolution
No.
__
Page
3 of
8 February
9,
2023
The
historic
resource
report
asserts
that
the
steel
frame
construction
of
the
Security
First
National
Bank
building
is
characteristic
of
the
mid-century
modern
period,
however,
that
steel
frame
construction
technology
existed
since
the
latter
part
of
the
19th
century
and
is
not
historically
significant
to
the
mid-twentieth
century
period.

As
such,
the
City
Council
finds
the
building's
type,
period
and
method
of
construction
method
are
not
distinctive
and
thus
the
building
does
not
qualify
under
Criterion
iv.
(Criterion
5)
The
resource
presents
the
work
of
a
master
builder,
designer,
artist,
or
architect
whose
individual
genius
influenced
his
age,
or
that
possesses
high
artistic
value;
As
noted
in
the
reports,
Joseph
Bing
Wong,
was
a
competent
architect
of
the
mid-twentieth
century
period
whose
work
included
both
revivalist
styles
as
well
as
modernist
architecture.

His
projects
often
featured
a
strong
integration
of
the
building
with
its
site.

This
can
be
seen
in
the
subject
site
in
which
Wong
carefully
brings
the
rugged
rocks
and
desert
plant
palette
onto
the
site.

The
PSPF
report
asserts
the
site
is
historically
significant
because
of
its
association
with
Wong.

Wong's
design
of
Security
First
National
Bank
demonstrates
his
creativity
as
an
architect
and
ability
to
work
in
the
Modernist
style,
however,
to
be
eligible
under
this
criterion
it
must
be
found
that
the
architect
was
a
master
in
his
profession
and
that
his
work
influenced
his
age
(i.e.
his
peers,
successors
or
the
profession
in
general).

The
reports
do
not
make
a
compelling
case
that
Wong's
talent
and
commissions
are
significant
enough
to
label
him
a
master,
nor
that
his
design
talent
influenced
others.

Thus,
the
site
is
not
historically
significant
because
of
its
association
with
Joseph
Wong.

Lawrence
Tenney
Stevens
is
the
artist
who
created
the
terracotta
bas-relief
panels
specifically
commissioned
to
portray
the
local
history
of
Palm
Springs.

These
panels
are
a
key
element
in
the
design
of
the
building.

They
were
installed
at
the
northwest
corner
of
the
building
to
draw
pedestrian-oriented
patrons
to
the
building
from
the
walkable
central
business
district.

As
noted
in
the
reports,
Stevens
was
significant
as
an
artist
whose
work
captured
and
promoted
the
romantic
notion
of
the
American
Southwest.

His
work
was
recognized
internationally
in
the
art
world.

The
panels
he
created
possess
a
high
level
of
artistic
value
and
purpose.

Considering
these
factors,
the
City
Council
finds
the
site
qualifies
as
a
historic
site
under
Criterion
v
because
of
its
association
with
Stevens.
(Criterion
6)
The
resource
represents
a
significant
and
distinguishable
entity
whose
components
may
lack
individual
distinction,
as
used
in
evaluating
applications
for
designation
of
historic
districts,
for
parcels
on
which
more
than
one
entity
exists;
or
No
information
has
been
provided
that
the
resource
qualifies
under
Criterion
vi.
(Criterion
7)
The
resource
has
yielded
or
may
be
likely
to
yield
information
important
to
national,
state
or
local
history
or
prehistory.

No
information
has
been
provided
on
any
pre-historic
significance
of
the
site.

Item 2C - Page 11
Resolution
No.
__
Page
4 of
8 February
9,
2023

SECTION
2:

PART
"B''

ANALYSIS
OF

HISTORIC
INTEGRITY.

Analysis
of
Integrity.
(PSMC

8.05.070
(C,
1,b).

The
site,
structure,
building
or
object retains
one
or
more
of
the
following
aspects
of
integrity,
as
established
in
the
Secretary
of
the
Interior's
Standards:
integrity
of
design,
materials,
workmanship,
location,
setting,
feeling,
or
association.

Beginning
on
page
46 of
the
North
Wind
report
is
an
evaluation
of
the
site
relative
to
the
seven
aspects
or
qualities
of
historic
integrity,
as
recognized
by
the
National
Register
of
Historic
Places.

The
seven
aspects
or
qualities
include
location,
design, setting,
materials,
workmanship,
feeling,
and
association.

The
report
concludes
that
the
site
retains
a
high
degree
of
integrity
and
is
further
analyzed
below:

1. Location:

The
Security
First
National
Bank
remains
in
its
original
location
of
construction,
therefore,
retains
its
integrity
of
location.

2. Design:

The
original
asymmetrical
massing
and
veneers
of
native
stone
and
precast
masonry
panels
and
glass
curtainwalls
remain
in
place,
although
some
of
the
glass
curtainwall
was
modified
in
the
1980's
and
a
mesh
screen
to
conceal
roof-mounted
mechanical
equipment
was
added.

Elements
of
the
landscape
at
the
northwest
corner
of
the
site
has
also
been
slightly
altered
to
accommodate
an
accessible
ramp,
however
the
lush
quality
of
the
landscape
remails
sufficiently
intact
and
the
building
in
general
retains
good
integrity
of
design.

3. Setting:

The
building
is
located
at
the
southern
end
of
the
downtown
commercial
core
along
two
of
the
City's
major
thoroughfares
in
an
area
that
developed
with
a
number
of
financial
institutions
in
the
50's
and
60's.

Its
setting
is
decidedly
urban.

This
area
of
town
was
already
well
developed
at
the
time
the
building
was
constructed.

Although
many
of
the
nearby
banks
and
savings
and
loans
have
been
repurposed
with
other
uses,
the
area
retains
its
setting
as
the
City's
primary
urban
commercial
core.

4. Materials:

The
original
massing
of
the
building,
the
glass
curtainwall
around
the
entry,
the
precast
masonry
veneer
panels,
and
the
native
rock
wall
all
remain.

The
canopy
over
the
original
drive-through,
although
altered,
remains
in
place
and
the
landscape
design
has
a
strong
presence
on
site.

The
alterations
that
have
occurred
have
minimal
impact
and
appear
to
be
reversible.

The
integrity
of
materials
is
intact.

5. Workmanship:

Although
the
Security
First
National
Bank
generally
exhibits
a
level
of
workmanship
typical
of
a
Item 2C - Page 12
Resolution
No.
__
Page
5 of
8 February
9,
2023
commercial
building,
it
integrates
locally
quarried,
hand-laid
stone
on
portions
of
the
fac;ade
which
give
it
a
higher
level
of
quality
of
workmanship
that
most
other
commercial
buildings.

The
bas-relief
panels
located
on
the
northwest
corner
of
the
building
also
convey
a
level
of
hand
crafted
workmanship
not
often
found
on
commercial
buildings.

6. Feeling:

The
building
retains
its
feeling
as
a
mid-century
modern
commercial
building
through
its
form,
site
orientation
and
use
of
materials.

7. Association:

The
resource
retains
its
integrity
of
association
with
the
mid-century
modern
period
of
design
through
its
simple
use
of
materials
and
architectural
detailing
including
the
generous
use
of
cantilevered
eaves
and
the
abstract
angularity
of
the
east
facade.

SECTION
3:

DEFINING

HISTORIC

CHARACTERISTICS
In
considering
a
recommendation
for
historic
resource
designation
it
is
important
to
distinguish
those
physical
elements
that
are
original
or
from
the
period
of
significance
that
contribute
to
the
resource's
historic
significance
from
alterations,
additions
or
features
that
were
added
at
a
later
time
that
may
be
sympathetic
to
the
original
character,
but
which
may
create
a
false
sense
of
historicity.

Distinguishing
original
character-defining
features
from
non-original
elements
aids
the
HSPB
when
it
is
tasked
with
evaluating
future
alterations
to
the
historic
resource.

Page
31 of
the
North
Wind
report
identifies
the
physical
character-defining
historic
features
of
this
site
as
follows:

Character-defining
features
of
the
resource
are
as
follows:
•
Flat
roof
and
cantilevered
canopies.
•
Asymmetrical
fac;ade
projections/recessions.
•
Geometric
form
and
massing
with
no
extraneous
ornamentation.
1 •
Irregular
plan
and
site
placement.
•
Exterior
veneers
of
native
stone
and
exposed
aggregate
concrete
panels.
•
Large
expanse
of
glass
at
the
main
entrance
facing
the
parking
lot.
•
Automobile
sentric
design
>Nith
the
drive
through.2:
•
Terracotta
bas-relief
panels
depicting
historic
milestones
of
Palm
Springs.
1 The
report
characterizes
the
geometry
of
the
building
as
"simple",
however,
there
is
a
complexity
and
sophistication
juxtaposition
in
the
blending
of
the
orthogonal
box-like
quality
of
the
west
fayade
with
the
irregular,
free-form
floor
plan
and
projecting
eaves
and
angles
of
the
east
fayade.
2 The
original
drive
through
function
is
no
longer
in
use
and
modifications
were
made
to
the
original
canopy
in
the
1980s,
however,
the
feature
is
still
visible
and
continues
to
tell
the
story
of
the
automobile
and
its
integration
into
the
overall
design
of
the
site.

Item 2C - Page 13
Resolution
No.
__
Page
6 of
8 February
9,
2023
•
The
rugged
landscape
designThe
rugged
landscape
beds.
3-:-4
Non-contributing
elements:
•
Projecting
utility
room
on
the
southeast
corner
from
1964.
•
Extended
portion
of
the
canopy
from
1986.
•
Rooftop
screening
for
mechanical
equipment
installed
in1972.
•
Exterior
ATM
installed
in1981.
•
The
parking
lot.

Future
alterations
to
the
exterior
of
a Class
1 historic
site,
including
but
not
limited
to
the
addition
of
new
fenestration,
to
accommodate for
future
uses
may
be
proposed
through
the
submittal
of
a
Certificate
of
Appropriateness
pursuant
to
the
historic
preservation
ordinance
Section

8.05.110. SECTION
4:

ENVIRONMENTAL

ASSESSMENT
The
proposed
historic
resource
designation
is
not
subject
to
the
California
Environmental Quality
Act
(CEQA)
pursuant
to
Sections
15060(c)(2)
(the
activity
will
not
result
in
a
direct
or
reasonably
foreseeable
indirect
physical
change
in
the
environment)
and
15060(c)(3)
(the
activity
is
not
a
project
as
defined
in
Section
15378)
of
the
CEQA
Guidelines,
California
Code
of
Regulations,
Title
14,
Chapter
3,
because
it
has
no
potential
for
resulting
in
physical
changes
to
the
environment,
directly
or
indirectly.

Based
upon
the
foregoing,
the
City
Council
hereby
designates
"The
Security
First
National
Bank"
located
at
500
South
Indian
Canyon
Drive,
a Class
1 (Landmark)
Historic
Resource
(Case
HSPB
#137). ADOPTED
THIS
NINTH
DAY
OF

FEBRUARY,
2023.

ATTEST:

TERESA

GALLAVAN
INTERM
CITY

MANAGER
'
3 The
rugged
landscape
beds
are
character-defining
features
but
the
plantings
in
this
area
may
be
modified
in
accordance
with
the
City's
Water
Efficient
Landscape
Ordinance
pursuant
to
a
Certificate
of
Appropriateness.
4 The
presence
of
the
rugged
landscape
and
indigenous
plant
palette
effecti
11ely
relates
the
building
to
the
natural
desert
areas
around
Palm
Springs.

Identifying
specific
existing
trees
or
other
plants
as
"character
defining",
per
so
,
is
not
recommended
, but
rather
that
the
rugged
landscape
areas
around
the
building
featuring
large
boulder
and
rocks
and
native
plants
contributes
to
its
historic
significance
because
the
architect
conceived
it
as
a
way
of
associating
the
site

1.vith
the
surrounding
desert
and
mountains
.

Item 2C - Page 14
Resolution
No.
__
Page
7 of
8 February
9,
2023
BRENDA
PREE,
MMC
CITY
CLERK
Item 2C - Page 15
Resolution No._

Page 8 of 8 ends

February 9, 2023

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS )

CERTIFICATION
I, BRENDA PREE, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that Resolution No. __ is a full, true and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on __________ , by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Palm Springs, California, this ___ day of _________ _

BRENDA PREE, MMC

CITY CLERK

ATTACHMENT C
Item 2C - Page 16
Resolution No.____

Page 2 of 8 ends

May 25, 2023

RESOLUTION NO.:_____

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNAT ING “THE SECURITY FIRST
NATIONAL BANK” L OCATED AT 500 SOUTH INDIAN CANYON
DRIVE, A CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE, (HSPB #137), APN# 508-121- 001.

THE CITY COUNCIL FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:

A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts; and

B. WHEREAS, The City of Palm Springs , submitted an applicat ion seeking historic site designation of the Security First National Bank located at 500 South Indian Canyon Drive; and

C. WHEREAS, in November, 2022, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) and City staff conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource; and

D. WHEREAS, on January 3, 2023, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #13 7 was held in accordance with applicable law; and

E. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, t he HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony and voted unanimously to recommend that the Council designate the Security First National Bank a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource; and

F. WHEREAS, on February 9 , 202 3, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs City Council to consider Case HSPB #137 was held in accordance with applicable law; and

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:

SECTION 1: FINDINGS – PART “A”, CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.

Evaluation of the Application.

Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

Item 2C - Page 17
Resolution No.____

Page 3 of 8 ends

May 25, 2023

a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

The Security First National Bank exhibits exceptional historic significance because it embodies modernist design principles prevalent in the mid- twentieth century of simple geometric planes and volumes. It demonstrates a responsiveness to the desert climate with the generous eaves and overhangs that became characteristic of the “Desert Modern” architecture in Palm Springs.

(Criterion 1) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community;

The reports do not list any events associated with the resource that contributed to the nation, state or community. Thus, it does not qualify under Criterion i.

(Criterion 2) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;

This resource was commissioned by the Security First National Bank in response to the local influx of wealthy tourists and residents in Palm Springs. The report identifies Herbert Samson as the first branch manager who was involved with the design and functionality of the bank. While his contributions to the construction and management of this site were instrumental, his involvement does not rise to the level of being a meaningful contribution to local, state or national history. The report also asserts that Lawrence Tenney Stevens, the artist of the bas-relief panels on the building was significant internationally as an artist whose work focused on depicting the romantic character of the American Southwest. Stevens made a meaningful contribution to the overall genre of American art and therefore the property qualifies as a historic site under Criterion ii.

(Criterion 3) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history;

The Security First National Bank exemplifies the post -World War II period in local history when both commercial and residential building designs in Palm Springs were embracing the tenets of Modernism and shifting away from traditional “revival” form s of architecture popular in the pre- World War II period. It is also a noteworthy example of the evolution in bank design in the post- war period, again, moving away from neo- classical styles and toward more modernist styles.

Item 2C - Page 18
Resolution No.____

Page 4 of 8 ends

May 25, 2023

(Criterion 4) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;

The historic resource report asserts that the steel frame construction of the Security First National Bank building is characteristic of the mid- century modern period, however , that steel frame construction technology existed since the latter part of the 19th century and is not historically significant to the mid- twentieth century period. As such, the City Council finds the building’s type, period and method of construction method are not distinctive and thus the building does not qualify under Criterion iv.

(Criterion 5) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;

As noted in the reports, Joseph Bing Wong, was a competent architect of the mid- twentieth century period whose work included both revivalist styles as well as modernist architecture. His projects often featured a strong integration of the building with its site. This can be seen in the subject site in which Wong carefully brings the rugged rocks and desert plant palette onto the site. The PSPF report asserts the s ite is historically significant because of its association with Wong. Wong’s design of Security First National Bank demonstrates his creativity as an architect and ability to work in the Modernist style, however, to be eligible under this criterion it mus t be found that the architect was a master in his profession and that his work influenced his age (i.e. his peers, successors or the profession in general). The reports do not make a compelling case that Wong’s talent and commissions are significant enough to label him a master, nor that his design talent influenced others. Thus, the site is not historically significant because of its association with Joseph Wong.

Lawrence Tenney Stevens is the artist who created the terra cotta bas-relief panels specifically commissioned to portray the local history of Palm Springs. These panels are a key element in the design of the building. They were installed at the northwest corner of the building to draw pedestrian-oriented patrons to the building from the walkable central business district. As noted in the reports , Stevens was significant as an artist whose work captured and promoted the romantic notion of the American Southwest. His work was recognized internationally in the a rt world. The panels he created possess a high level of artistic value and purpose. Considering these factors, the City Council finds the site qualifies as a historic site under Criterion v because of its association with Stevens.

No information has been provided that the resource qualifies under Criterion vi.

(Criterion 7) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.

Item 2C - Page 19
Resolution No.____

Page 5 of 8 ends

May 25, 2023

No information has been provided on any pre-historic significance of the site.

SECTION 2: PART “B” ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY.

Beginning on page 46 of the North Wind report is an evaluation of the site relative to the seven aspects or qualities of historic integrity, as recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

1. Location:

The Security First National Bank remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity of location.

2. Design:

The original asymmetrical massing and veneers of native stone and precast masonry panels and glass curtainwalls remain in place, although some of the glass curtainwall was modified in the 1980’s and a mesh screen to conceal roof -mounted mechanical equipment was added.

Elements of the landscape at the northwest corner of the site has also been slightly altered to accommodate an accessible ramp, however the lush quality of the landscape remails sufficiently intact and the building in general retains good integrity of design.

3. Setting:

The building is located at the southern end of the downtown commercial core along two of the City’s major thoroughfares in an area that developed with a number of financial institutions in the 50’s and 60’s. Its setting is decidedly urban. This area of town was already well developed at the time the building was constructed. Although many of the nearby banks and savings and loans have been repurposed with other uses, the area retains its setting as the City’ s primary urban commercial core.

4. Materials:

The original massing of the building, the glass curtainwall around the entry, the precast masonry veneer panels, and the native rock wall all remain. The canopy over the original drive- through, although altered, remains in place and the landscape design has a strong presence on site. The alterations that have occurred have minimal impact and appear to be reversible. The integrity of materials is intact.

Item 2C - Page 20
Resolution No.____

Page 6 of 8 ends

May 25, 2023

5. Workmanship:

Although the Security First National Bank generally exhibits a level of workmanship typical of a commercial building, it integrates locally quarried, hand- laid stone on portions of the façade which give it a higher level of quality of workmanship that most other commercial buildings. The bas-relief panels located on the northwest corner of the building also convey a level of hand- crafted workmanship not often found on commercial buildings.

6. Feeling:

The building retains its feeling as a mid-century modern commercial building through its form, site orientation and use of materials.

7. Association:

The resource retains its integrity of association with the mid-century modern period of design through its simple use of materials and architectural detailing including the generous use of cantilevered eaves and the abstract angularity of the east facade.

SECTION 3: DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS

Page 31 ends

this site as follows:

Character-defining features of the resource are as follows:

• Flat roof and cantilevered canopies.
• Asymmetrical façade projections/recessions.
• Geometric form and massing with no extraneous ornamentation.1 • Irregular plan and site placement.
• Exterior veneers of native stone and exposed aggregate concrete panels. • Large expanse of glass at the main entrance facing the parking lot. • Terra cotta bas-relief panels depicting historic milestones of Palm Springs. • The rugged landscape beds.2

1 The report characterizes the geometry of the building as “simple”, however, there is a complexity and sophistication juxtaposition in the blending of the orthogonal box-like quality of the west façade with the irregular, free-form floor plan and projecting eaves and angles of the east façade. 2 The rugged landscape beds are character-defining features but the plantings in this area may be modified in accordance with the City’s Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance pursuant to a Certificate of Appropriateness.

Item 2C - Page 21
Resolution No.____

Page 7 of 8 ends

May 25, 2023

Non-contributing elements:

• Projecting utility room on the southeast corner from 1964. • Extended portion of the canopy from 1986.
• Rooftop screening for mechanical equipment installed in1972. • Exterior ATM installed in1981.
• The parking lot.

Future alterations to the exterior of a Class 1 historic site, including but not limited to the addition of new fenestration, to accommodate for future uses may be proposed through the submittal of a Certificate of Appropriateness pursuant to the historic preservation ordinance Section

8.05.110.

SECTION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

SECTION 5: CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO HISTORIC SITES:

According to Section 8.05 of the Municipal Code, the following shall apply to a Class 1 Historic Resource:

1. It shall meet the definition of a Class 1 historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section

8.05.020.

2. An archival file on the property shall be maintained by the City.

3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.

5. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed at the site in a location viewable from the public way.

6. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Sites and Historic Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code shall be required.

7. The site shall not be further subdivided.

8. The City Clerk shall submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for recordation within 90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.

Based upon the foregoing, the City Council hereby designates “The Security First National Bank” located at 500 South Indian Canyon Drive, a Class 1 (Landmark) Historic Resource (Case HSPB #137).

Item 2C - Page 22
Resolution No.____

Page 8 of 8 ends

May 25, 2023

ADOPTED THIS TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF MAY, 2023.

SCOTT STILES

CITY MANAGER
ATTEST:

BRENDA PREE, MMC

CITY CLERK

CERTIFICATION

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS )

I, BRENDA PREE, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, h ereby certify that Resolution No. ____ is a full, true and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on _______________________, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Palm Springs, California, this ______ day of ______________, _________.

BRENDA PREE, MMC

CITY CLERK
Item 2C - Page 23

ATTACHMENT D
Item 2C - Page 24

HISTORIC DOCUMENTATION

OF THE FORMER SECURITY

FIRST NATIONAL BANK
BUILDING (HSPB #137)
500 S. INDIAN CANYON
DRIVE,

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS,

RIVERSIDE COUNTY,

CALIFORNIA
Prepared for:

City of Palm Springs
Prepared by:

North Wind Resource Consulting, LLC
June 3, 2022
Item 2C - Page 25
Historic Documentation of the Former
Security First National Bank Building,
500 S. Indian Canyon Drive,
City of Palm Springs, Riverside County,
California

Prepared for

The City of Palm Springs
3200 E. Tahquitz Way
Palm Springs, California 92262

Prepared by

Courtney Mooney, M.S., AICP
Kasey Fulwood, M.A.

Greta Rayle, M.A., RPA
2025 N. 3rd Street, Suite B260
Phoenix, Arizona 85004

June 3, 2022

North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01
Item 2C - Page 26
ihi.

NDRTHWND
RESURCE CONSULTING
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 i

REPORT ABSTRACT
Report Title: Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank Building, City of Palm Springs, Riverside County, California
Project Location: 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, City of Palm Springs, Riverside County, California
Project Locator UTM: 542080 E, 3741793 N (Zone 11N, NAD 83) Project Sponsor: City of Palm Springs
Lead Agency: City of Palm Springs
Other Involved Agencies: N/A
Funding Source: City of Palm Springs
Description of the
Project/Undertaking:

The City of Palm Springs contracted with North Wind
Resource Consulting, LLC to prepare a historic resource report (HRR) and Determination of Eligibility (DOE) for the former Security First National Bank, located at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive. The project includes the
preparation of a Historic Resource Designation form and accompanying documentation, including an evaluation
of historic significance and integrity, per requirements established in the Palm Springs Municipal Code

8.05.070.

Project Area: The project area consists of a rectangular parcel measuring roughly 185 feet (56.4 m) north-south by 209
feet (63.7 m) east-west, located at the southeast corner of Indian Canyon Drive and Ramon Road.

Legal Description: Within portions of Section 23, T04S, R04E, San Bernardino Meridian (USGS 7.5' Palm Springs, Cali.
1957, 2018)
Land Jurisdiction: Private
Total Acres: 0.87
Consultant Firm/
Organization:

North Wind
North Wind Project
Number:
030482.003.01
Summary:

North Wind was contracted by the City of Palm Springs to prepare historic documentation and a formal determination of eligibility for the former Security First Item 2C - Page 27
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 ii National Bank, located at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, for possible listing as a Class I or Class II historic resource within the City. The building was designed by Scottsdale, Arizona-based architect Joseph B. Wong, originally incorporating mid-twentieth century retail bank design, including Modernist architectural details, state of the art banking technology, and an emphasis on convenient access to both automobiles and pedestrians. Two distinctive bas relief panels were sculpted by Lawrence Tenney Stevens, a well-known Arizona-based sculptor, for placement at a former entrance.

North Wind recommends 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive as eligible for listing as a Class I historic resource within the City.

This report establishes the eligibility and appropriateness for designation of the former Security First National Bank building per City guidelines established in the Palm Springs Municipal Code (PSMC) 8.05.070. Included are a historic context for the development of the building, including any alterations, information regarding the builder, and ownership history; a discussion of the building’s character-defining features and analysis of architectural integrity as established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards; accompanying photographs and other documentation; and a recommendation of eligibility for its designation as a Class I historic resource. Also included is a completed application for Historic Resource Designation to be submitted for consideration by the City’s Historic Site Preservation Board and City Council (Appendix A).

Item 2C - Page 28
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Report Abstract ........................................................................................................... i Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 Physical Setting ......................................................................................................... 1 Historic Contexts ........................................................................................................ 4 Evolution of Branch Banking and Financial Development in Palm Springs in the Post-war Period ...................................................................................................... 4 Growth of the Security First National Bank Corporation ......................................... 8 Developmental History of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive .............................................. 9 Additional Context .................................................................................................... 17 Joseph Bing Wong ............................................................................................... 17 Lawrence Tenney Stevens ................................................................................... 20 Building Description ................................................................................................. 22 Character Defining Features of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive ................................ 31 Evaluation of Eligibility ............................................................................................. 33 Summary and Conclusions ...................................................................................... 36 References .............................................................................................................. 37 Appendix A: ............................................................................................................. 41 City of Palm Springs Application for Historic Resource Designation .................... 41 Appendix B: ............................................................................................................. 46 Map and List of Existing Historic Bank Buildings in the Palm Springs Financial District .................................................................................................................. 46

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Project location. .......................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Project area location. .................................................................................. 3 Figure 3. Riverside County Assessor’s parcel map showing Parcel 508121001 (outlined in red) .......................................................................................................... 4

Figure 4. Sketch of “Little Wall Street”, ca. 1970 ........................................................ 7 Figure 5. Herbert Samson, 1957 ................................................................................ 8 Figure 6. Architectural rendering for the proposed Ramon Road branch of the Security First National Bank, ca. 1959 ..................................................................... 10

Figure 7. Photograph of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, shortly after construction, ca. 1959 ......................................................................................................................... 10

Item 2C - Page 29
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 iv Figure 8. Bank directional signage (no longer extant) at the southwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing north, ca. 1968. ....................................................... 12 Figure 9. Northwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, ca. 1968, showing the water feature (denoted by red arrow) and landscaping complimenting the terra cotta panels at the pedestrian entrance, facing east ........................................................ 13

Figure 10. Northwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive ca. 1968, facing northeast, showing the water feature. The water feature is no longer extant ........... 13

Figure 11. Concrete steps at northwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, ca. 1968, facing southwest. These steps are no longer extant ...................................... 14 Figure 12. Winding concrete path (no longer extant) at north façade of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, ca. 1968, facing northeast. Note that the path winds through the landscaping .............................................................................................................. 14

Figure 13. Concrete steps at northeast corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, ca. 1968, facing west. The steps are no longer extant................................................... 15

Figure 14. Architect Joe B. Wong, 1959 .................................................................. 18 Figure 15. Photograph of the McCune Building in Scottsdale shortly after completion, ca. 1950s ................................................................................................................. 19

Figure 16.Lawrence Tenney Stevens with winning entry “Music” Prix de Rome ...... 21 Figure 17. Aerial view showing the location of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, outlined in red ........................................................................................................................ 22

Figure B.1. Map of existing historic bank buildings in the Palm Springs Financial District ...................................................................................................................... 46

LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Photograph 1. Landscaped area at north side of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive along Ramon Road, facing southwest. Note the original mesquite tree at right background ................................................................................................................................. 24

Photograph 2. East (main) façade of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, showing the lobby entrance, landscaped edge, and parking lot to the east, facing west ....................... 24

Photograph 3. Lobby entrance door, segmented glass, and native stone walls on the east façade of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing northwest .................................. 25

Photograph 4. Entrance and bas-relief panels at the northwest corner of 500 S.

Indian Canyon Drive, facing east. ............................................................................ 25

Photograph 5. View of the front (westernmost) panel, or “Panel of the Present,” facing east. Panel is one of two located at the northwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive ........................................................................................................... 26

Photograph 6. View of the rear (easternmost) panel, or “Panel of the Past,” facing east. Panel is one of two located at the northwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive ........................................................................................................................ 27

Item 2C - Page 30
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 v Photograph 7. East (main) entrance of the 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing southwest ................................................................................................................. 28 Photograph 8. South-facing wall and recessed patio area at main (east) entrance of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing north ................................................................ 29

Photograph 9. South (former drive-through teller facade) and east facades of 500 S.

Indian Canyon Drive, facing northwest. Note the extended canopy at the left (southwest corner) background, constructed in 1986, and the utility room at the southeast corner constructed in 1964. ..................................................................... 30

Photograph 10. West and south (drive-through) facades of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing northeast. ............................................................................................ 30

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive Timeline ......................................................... 16 Table B. 1. List of Existing Historic Bank Buildings in the Palm Springs Financial District ...................................................................................................................... 46

Item 2C - Page 31
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 1

INTRODUCTION
North Wind Resource Consulting, LLC (North Wind), on behalf of the City of Palm Springs (City), completed the City’s application for Historic Resource Designation, of which this historic documentation is a part, to nominate the former Security First National Bank (Bank), located at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, as a Class I historic resource. The building, which currently houses a Union Bank, was designed by prominent Arizona architect Joe Wong in 1959. It has received local prominence, not only for its Mid-century Modern design, which features locally sourced materials and flowing lines and forms, but also for its two monumental bas-relief terra cotta panels that were conceived and crafted by Arizona sculptor and part-time Palm Springs resident, Lawrence Tenney Stevens. The pan els, which are located adjacent to a former lobby entrance and face Indian Canyon Drive, each feature a central image neatly framed by ten vignettes of Palm Springs history.

This report seeks to build upon the historic research included in an existing historic resource report (HRR), which was prepared by Architect/Preservation Consultant Susan Secoy Jensen for the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation (PSPF), a local not-for-profit agency, and submitted to the City in June of 2021. It includes a historic context for the development of the building, including any alterations, information regarding the builder, and ownership history; a discussion of the building’s character- defining features and analysis of architectural integrity as established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards; accompanying photographs and other documentation; and a recommendation of eligibility for its designation as a Class I historic resource.

PHYSICAL SETTING
The project area is located at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, which is at the southern end the Central Business District of Palm Springs; it is bounded by S. Indian Canyon Drive on the west, Ramon Road on the north, S. Calle Ajo on the east, and commercial properties on the south (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The commercial building is situated on Parcel 508121001 in a commercial area that originally formed the core of the City’s downtown financial district (Figure 3). The parcels surrounding the former Security First National Bank are predominantly commercial with those on its north side, across Ramon Road, having been a vacant lot since 2015.

Item 2C - Page 32
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 2

Figure 1. Project location.

Item 2C - Page 33
534 000
§
0 "' ,._
(')
8 00
i!
(')
§
(0
~
(')
0 Project Location
538 000 540 000 546 000 548 000 550 000 542 000
"" ··------
Historic Documentation
of the
Former Security National Bank Building
Project Location Map
500 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA
0 1,000
-
4,000
Projection/Coordinate System:

NAD 1983 UTM Zone 11N
DataSource(s):

Palm Springs- 1957, 2018
.....__
--~t-
" ', ... .J~
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 3

Figure 2. Project area location.

Item 2C - Page 34
0 Project Location Historic Documentation
of the
Former Security National Bank Building
Project Area Map
500 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs , CA
250
Projection / Coordinate System:

NAD 1983 UTM Zone 11N
DataSource(s ):

Palm Springs - 1957, 2018
Document Date: 04 Jan 2022
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Figure 3. Riverside County Assessor’s parcel map showing Parcel 508121001 (outlined in red) (Courtesy of Riverside County Assessor’s Office 2020).

HISTORIC CONTEXTS
This section consists of two contexts. The first historic context examines the growth of branch banking during the early to mid-twentieth century with an emphasis on the ways in which industry and regulatory changes influenced the architecture and design of bank buildings in Palm Springs during this period. The second context provides background information on the development of the Security First National Bank and the role that the Bank played in the growth of California’s banking industry from the late 1880s until the Bank’s closure in the early 1990s. These contexts were then used to prepare an overview of the historical development of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, which includes a chronology of the building starting with its construction in 1959.

EVOLUTION OF BRANCH BANKING AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN PALM SPRINGS IN THE

POST-WAR PERIOD
In the post-WWII period, banks underwent an architectural transformation inspired by cultural and regulatory changes that profoundly reshaped the American banking industry. At the turn of the twentieth cent ury, banks typically catered to a wealthy private clientele and were designed in Classical architectural styles that reflected their prestigious positions in the community. Classical and Beaux-Art styles were often selected for bank design as their lavish ornamentation and, “monumental solidity,” Item 2C - Page 35
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Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 5 was thought to convey economic security, confidence, and strength (Dyson and Rubano 2000).

The onset of the Great Depression in 1929, and the catastrophic bank failures that followed, destroyed public trust in banking and brought the industry to a crashing halt (Dorigo 2004). The use of more opulent forms of architecture ended during the Depression, and, by 1933, the construction of new banks had stalled altogether (Reiner 2009). As part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal policies, federal intervention helped to rebuild the banking industry in the 1930s. The creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Federal Saving and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) revitalized American banking and restored public confidence in the industry. Across the country, construction of banks briefly resumed during the last years of the Depression, with many banks incorporating modest designs that melded elements of the Art Moderne style with an abstracted classicism that appealed to new investors (Dyson and Rubano 2000). By embracing more progressive designs, banks hoped to dissociate themselves from the financial failures of the Great Depression and reinforce an image of accessibility and transparency to the public. Unfortunately, in the early 1940s, the construction of new bank buildings was again hampered by material restrictions imposed during WWII (Reiner 2009).

Despite broader materials restrictions for the private sector, construction of war- related industry buildings and housing continued during the war. Wartime restrictions on materials such as steel and iron led architects and engineers to experiment with a variety of new building materials, includin g concrete, plywood, aluminum, and resin- based compounds. These materials—particularly pre-stressed and pre-cast concretes—allowed for the development of continuous panels and permitted architects to experiment with different building forms during the war (Dorigo 2004).

Modernist architects, such as Walter Gropius and Louis Kahn, hired under the Division of Defense Housing, brought innovative modernist ideas to the wartime construction industry that allowed for the interplay of modern design and brought modernism to the cultural forefront following the war’s conclusion (Dorigo 2004).

After WWII, the American middle-class was strengthened by the development of industries and public policies, which contributed to a nationwide boom in the housing market and automobile industry. As a result, the banking sector experienced a period of unprecedented growth fueled by the rise in automobile and personal loans that vastly increased the industry’s profits (Dyson and Rubano 2000). Banking journals of the period encouraged industry leaders to cultivate the bank’s retail image and to focus on customer service and convenience to appeal to the affluent post-WWII middle class (Dyson and Rubano 2000). As a result, post-war retail banks eagerly embraced modern conveniences such as automation, push button technology, and walk-up teller windows (Dyson and Rubano 2000). Although drive-through windows first appeared in the late 1940s, they didn’t enter the mainstream of American banking until the 1950s. This service was provided as a convenience to customers but was also developed with the acknowledgement of the ever-increasing importance of automobiles in suburban American culture. Unlike commercial buildings of the turn of Item 2C - Page 36
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 6 the century that were geared toward the pedestrian only, the new branch buildings were developed with a consideration for the pedestrian as well as for the automobile (Dorigo 2004). Thus, the design approach had to be three dimensional, with each façade of the building visible to the public (Dorigo 2004).

Additionally, banks adopted modernist styles that imitated retail shop design and removed physical barriers between customers and bank representatives (Dyson and Rubano 2000). The vocabulary of modernism was ideal for the retail-oriented post- war bank because it reflected the shift “from an emphasis on monumentality and stability to openness, adaptability, and modernity” (Reiner 2009). The rectangular- shaped branch banks of the 1950s were typically asymmetrical in nature, had flat roofs, and incorporated masonry, concrete, and glass in their design. Masonry continued to provide a sense of stability and often housed the traditional safe/vault, while glass served to visually open the bank to the public (Dorigo 2004). Modernism was also compatible with the commitment to convenience, efficiency, and technological advancement that served as hallmarks of the post-war banking industry.

Many banks also chose to incorporate public art into their design to market themselves to new customers and connect with the local community. This concept was first introduced to Southern California in the 1950s by the artist Millard Sheets, a well- known Los Angeles-area artist who specialized in painting, sculpture, and mosaics (Arenson 2018). In 1953, Sheets was commissioned by American businessman Howard Ahmanson to create exterior artwork for the Home Savings and Loan Bank of Los Angeles which expanded to include Homes Savings branches all over Southern California (Arenson 2018). Interestingly, this was not a popular feature in Mid-Century Modern banks in Palm Springs and is seen only on 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive in the form of terra cotta panels at the northeast entrance.

As automobile ownership became more prevalent during the post-war period, location also played an increasingly important role in the construction of retail branch banks.

As a result, new bank branches were often constructed along major thoroughfares and intersections that provided greater access and convenience for automobile customers (Dorigo 2004). In Palm Springs, this trend led to the establishment of a dedicated financial district that was concentrated in the southern portion of downtown near the intersections of South Palm Canyon Drive, Indian Canyon Drive, and Ramon Road.

The financial district’s development corresponded with Palm Springs’ growing reputation as a resort community during the post-war period. Following the war, middle-class families began to enter a culture that was more mobile and leisurely, and Palm Springs attracted a greater number of tourists to its desert resort community. In addition, several retail buildings were cons tructed for businesses, such as Bullocks and Saks Fifth Avenue, that catered to the wealthy, while commercial buildings geared toward tourists and local residents developed along Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon drives. The influx of seasonal tourists prompted bank managers from all over the state Item 2C - Page 37
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 7 to establish branch locations in Palm Springs to maintain relationships with existing customers (Desert Sun 1958).

The first financial institution constructed in the emerging financial district was the Coachella Valley Savings and Loan No. 1 (now The Bank), which was built at 383 S.

Palm Canyon Drive in 1956. The bank was designed by prolific Palm Springs-based architect E. Stewart Williams in a Mid-century Modern architectural style. Williams’ design set a precedent for bank construction in the City, as nearly all the banks that were built in the financial district during the post-war period embodied Mid-century Modern style characteristics. Th is style was particularly suited to the unique desert environment of Palm Springs where architects often incorporated elements such as arcades, screens, and canopies to provide shade, creating unique adaptations of branch bank architecture in the region (Dorigo 2004).

In 1959, the City’s financial district was firmly established following completion of City National Bank (now Bank of America) at 588 South Palm Canyon Drive, and the construction of Security First National Bank’s Ramon Road branch at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive. By the early 1960s, several other notable banks had been built in this part of the city, including the Santa Fe Federal Savings and Loan (now the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center), which was built at 300 S. Palm Canyon Drive in 1960 and the Coachella Valley Savings and Loan No. 2 (now Chase Bank), which was built at 499 S. Palm Canyon Drive in 1961. By 1970, there were more than 10 financial institutions in the southern part of downtown, earning the area the nickname, “Little Wall Street” (Figure 4) (The Desert Sun 1970). Today, ten of the original bank buildings still exist within the financial district. For a map and list of these institutions, please see Appendix B.

Figure 4. Sketch of “Little Wall Street”, ca. 1970 (image courtesy of The Desert Sun, October 15, 1970).

Item 2C - Page 38
s 10
INl)/AN AVENUE
LITTLE WALL STREET - Map shows concentration of financial institutions in downtown Palm Springs. Key: No. I, Security Pacific National 8111nk: 2, City National Bank; 3, Coache lla Valley Savings and Loanj 4, S11nta Fe Savings and Loan; 5; Palm Springs National Bank; 6, Budget Finance; 7.

Household Finance: 8, E. F. Hutton & Co. : 9, United California Bank: I 0, Morrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith : 11 , Shearson-Hammill & Co.

Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 8

GROWTH OF THE SECURITY FIRST NATIONAL BANK CORPORATION
The Security First National Bank was first established by investor Joseph F. Sartori in Los Angeles in 1889 as the Security Savings Bank and Trust Company (Furlong 1992). In 1905, the bank absorbed the Main Street Savings Bank of Los Angeles, making it the largest savings bank in Southern California ( San Francisco Call 1904).

The bank established its first Los Angeles-area branch office in 1912 (Wallace 1948).

Later that year, it acquired the Southern Trust Company of Los Angeles, and the bank’s name was subsequently changed to the Security Trust and Savings Bank.

The bank further expanded its branch banking operations after World War I (WWI), acquiring an additional 31 small banks throughout Southern California between 1922 and 1924. These acquisitions allowed the bank to open branches in Long Beach, Huntington Beach, San Pedro, and Pasadena in addition to its Los Angeles-area branches (Los Angeles Evening Express 1922). In
1929, the Security Trust and Savings Bank
underwent its most significant transformation, when
it merged with its largest competitor, the First
National Bank of Los Angeles (Furlong 1992).

Together, the two banks included 157 branch offices
and constituted the eighth largest bank in the United
States.

In November 1957, the Security First National Bank
consolidated with a large inland banking chain,
known as the Citizens National Bank of Riverside,
California. The acquisition included a Citizens
National branch office located at 456 North Palm
Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. The manager of the
Palm Springs branch office was Herbert Samson, a
Canadian-born banker and passionate promotor of
the City’s development. Samson had been
appointed Vice President and manager of the Citizen
National Bank’s Palm Springs branch in 1954 and,
following the merger, was selected to manage the
Citizens Division of the Security First National Bank
(Desert Sun 1957). He would prove instrumental in
the construction of the Security First National Bank’s
second Palm Springs’ branch at 500 S. Indian
Canyon Drive in 1959 (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Herbert Samson,
1957 (image courtesy of
The Desert Sun, June 11,
1957).

Item 2C - Page 39
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 9 DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY OF 500 S. INDIAN CANYON DRIVE
As early as June 1957, while still working for the Citizens National Bank, bank manager Herbert Samson had already developed plans for a second branch office in Palm Springs ( Desert Sun 1957). That year, Citizens National Bank received permission from the Comptroller of the Currency in Washington D.C. to construct a second branch office at the intersection of Indian Avenue (now Indian Canyon Drive) and Ramon Road ( Desert Sun 1957). The bank purchased the parcel, which at that time was occupied by the Mira Monte Hotel and Apartments. According to Samson, the new branch location would cater to customers in the southern part of the city, which was undergoing a period of rapid development in the late 1950s ( Desert Sun 1957). Following its merger with Citizens National Bank in late 1957, Samson continued to collaborate with the board of Security First National Bank to bring the project to fruition.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Ramon Road branch of the Security First National Bank were announced in December 1958 ( The Valley Times 1958). The project, which was heralded as the “bank’s most modern and distinctive building,” represented an investment of $450,000 ( The Valley Times 1958). The Bank was designed by Scottsdale, Arizona-based architect Joseph B. Wong, and incorporated many hallmarks of mid-twentieth century retail bank design, including Modernist architectural details, state of the art banking technology, and an emphasis on automobile culture (Figure 6). In keeping with the convenience of modern banking, the new branch offered night depositories, drive-in window service, and parking for 50 automobiles. Reflecting the importance of customer service in the post-war banking industry, the Ramon Road branch also included, “an elaborately appointed Community Room, which allows bank policy to provide the utmost in service to public community or organizations” (The Valley Times 1958). In addition to these innovative features, the article states that the new building would also include two unusual bas relief panels flanking its front entrance that depicted the history of Palm Springs. The panels were sculpted by Lawrence Tenney Stevens, a well-known Arizona-based sculptor. The contractors in charge of the project’s construction were the Kretz and Wilson Construction Company of Indio, California (The Valley Times 1958). Kretz and Wilson were responsible for the construction of several other notable buildings in Palm Springs, including the Palm Springs’ City Hall.

In early September 1959, as the new Security First National Bank was nearing completion, Herbert Samson was appointed manager of the new Ramon Road branch. Emmett Connors from Security First National Bank’s San Bernardino Branch was named assistant manager ( Desert Sun 1959a). An open house for the new building was held on September 19, 1959. Following its completion, The San Bernardino County Sun praised the Bank’s ultramodern features including a variable position teller counter, combination standup and sit-down check counters, and the drive-in window located along Indian Canyon Drive that was guaranteed to “provide rapid and relaxed in-car banking for those who desire it” (Figure 7) ( San Bernardino County Sun 1959).

Item 2C - Page 40
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 10 Figure 6. Architectural rendering for the proposed Ramon Road branch of the Security First National Bank, ca. 1959 (image courte sy of Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs, California).

Figure 7. Photograph of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, shortly after construction, ca. 1959 (image courtesy of Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs, California).

Item 2C - Page 41
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 11 Following its construction, the Ramon Road branch of the Security First National Bank served as a vital part of the Palm Springs community. Not only did the Bank offer financial services to Palm Springs residents, but it also hosted community events, club meetings, and exhibited ar twork by local artists.

After the 1968 merger between
Security First and Pacific National Bank, the Ramon Road branch was known as the Security Pacific National Bank. Herbert Samson continued to serve as the Bank’s manager until his retirement in 1969 (Desert Sun 1969). The Bank’s assistant manager, Emmett Connors, was appointed to the position after Samson’s retirement.

By 1970, the Security Pacific Bank was well established in the city’s financial district, also known as “Little Wall Street” ( Desert Sun 1970). An article in the Desert Sun newspaper acknowledged the Bank’s contribution to the area’s growth, reporting that among the first banks “to venture into this southern territory of downtown was the Ramon Road branch of the Security Pacific National Bank, which obtained its present site in 1957 and opened its doors in 1959” ( Desert Sun 1970). By 1970, the city’s financial district had grown to include nearly a dozen similar institutions. The design of the Security Pacific Bank continued to be a point of pride for the community as well.

It was nominated for the Gold Palm Conservation Award presented by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce in 1980 (Desert Sun 1980). The nominating committee especially praised the building’s use of energy efficient building materials such as, “double thick concrete block which helps maintain even temperature within the building” (Desert Sun 1980). The article notes that the Bank’s energy efficient design was particularly remarkable as the building was constructed “before energy conservation were considered ‘necessary and in vogue’” (Desert Sun 1980).

In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, the building underwent several alterations, including an interior remodel that involved the installation of new partitions and a new ceiling (Riverside County Assessor’s Office 1977). In 1978, a walk-up teller window was installed on the north-facing wall south of the east (main) entrance. This window replaced a wall consisting largely of plate glass and possibly an entrance, per a ca. 1959 photograph of the Bank (see Figure 7). Three years later the window was replaced with an automatic teller machine (ATM), most likely resulting in the removal of all glazing at this section of wall. An ATM remains in this location today. In 1986, an ATM on the bank’s south wall was replaced with a teller window (no installation date for the ATM available), and the drive-through canopy was extended to the south to cover an additional lane. Signage associated with Security First National Bank and the banking function, including drive-through lane and parking directional signage, was most likely removed in 1990, the year the Bank was sold to the Valley Players Guild (Figure 8).

Item 2C - Page 42
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 12

Figure 8. Bank directional signage (no longer extant) at the southwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing north, ca. 1968 (image courtesy of Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs, California).

In 1988, building permits on file with the City indicate that site upgrades were conducted. The details regarding these site upgrades are not known; however, historic images taken in 1968 reveal that a water feature and a set of concrete steps that lead from the north-facing entrance to the north sidewalk via a winding path, and a set of concrete steps at the northeast corner that lead from the north sidewalk to the east (main) façade, are no longer extant. The path led pedestrians through the landscaping with a landscaped buffer at the northern edge (since removed) (Figure 9; Figure 10; Figure 11; Figure 12; Figure 13). In its place is what appears to be a handicap- accessible ramp.

Item 2C - Page 43
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 13

Figure 9. Northwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, ca. 1968, showing the water feature (denoted by red arrow) and landscaping complimenting the terra cotta panels at the pedestrian entrance, facing east (image courtesy of Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs, California).

Figure 10. Northwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive ca. 1968, facing northeast, showing the water feature. The water feature is no longer extant (image courtesy of Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs, California).

Item 2C - Page 44
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 14 Figure 11. Concrete steps
at northwest corner of 500
S. Indian Canyon Drive, ca.
1968, facing southwest.

These steps are no longer
extant (image courtesy of
Palm Springs Historical
Society, Palm Springs,
California).

Figure 12. Winding
concrete path (no longer
extant) at north façade of
500 S. Indian Canyon
Drive, ca. 1968, facing
northeast. Note that the
path winds through the
landscaping (image
courtesy of Palm Springs
Historical Society, Palm
Springs, California).

Item 2C - Page 45
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 15 Figure 13. Concrete steps at northeast corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, ca. 1968, facing west. The steps are no longer extant (image courtesy of Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs, California).

In 1989, just prior to Security Pacific Corp.’s collapse, the Bank merged with City National Bank of Beverly Hills (Desert Sun 1989). Following completion of the merger, Security Pacific announced plans to sell 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive and relocate to the former City National Bank at 588 S. Indian Canyon Drive (now Bank of America) (Desert Sun 1989). In 1990, the Bank was purchased by the Valley Players Guild and the interior was remodeled once again. The group operated the building as the Palm Springs Playhouse until 1994 when it was sold to the Bank of California ( Desert Sun 1994). Following the purchase, the Bank of California relocated its Palm Springs branch from East Tahquitz Way to 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive. The Bank of California merged with Union Bank in 1995, and the building at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive has continued to operate as the Palm Springs branch of Union Bank since that date.

In 2008, the Bank’s east (main) facade underwent significant modifications, and ADA upgrades were implemented. No detailed information regarding the façade alterations is available; however, it is surmised that it was during this time that the stucco was applied to this façade, as well as at the base of the drive through canopy. Additionally, two south-facing, horizontally oriented, single-lite windows located north of the main entrance were replaced with more square, faux divided-lite windows, and the double- leaf entrance was relocated from the center of the east (main) glass entrance wall to the south end. It is possible that this is when the scored stucco panels were installed on the east (main) façade and scored stucco posts were installed at the drive-through Item 2C - Page 46
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 16 canopy.1 At some point a modern decorative metal fence was installed at the northwest corner to block off the drop in elevation resulting from the removal of the concrete steps (Photograph 1). And finally, the 1959 artist’s rendering of the Bank (see Figure 6) shows an east-facing single-leaf door with large, single-lite window.

This door, if it ever existed, has been replaced with a scored stucco wall.

Table 1, below, provides a comprehensive timeline of ownership, construction, alterations, and uses based on available records.

Table 1. 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive Timeline
Date of
Record Ownership Business Name Type of Activity Source
1959 Security First
National Bank
Security First National
Bank
Building constructed Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
1964 Security First
National Bank
Security First National
Bank
Approximately 64 square
foot concrete block
addition constructed on
southeast corner
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
1972 Security Pacific
Corp.

Security Pacific
National Bank
Mechanical alterations,
including new equipment
in basement and on
rooftop with appropriate
screening added
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
1977 Security Pacific
Corp.

Security Pacific
National Bank
Interior remodel Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
1978 Security Pacific
Corp.

Security Pacific
National Bank
Walk up teller window
added on east wall near
front entrance
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
1981 Security Pacific
Corp.

Security Pacific
National Bank
Remove existing walk-up
window and install ready
teller machine on east
wall near front entrance
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
1983 Security Pacific
Corp.

Security Pacific
National Bank
Reroof Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
1986 Security Pacific
Corp.

Security Pacific
National Bank
Remove ATM and install
drive up teller window
with covered canopy on
south façade
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
1988 Security Pacific
Corp.

Security Pacific
National Bank
ADA site upgrades Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
1990 Valley Players
Guild
Palm Springs
Playhouse
Interior remodel for use
as a theatre
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office

1 No historic images of the south-facing wall at the main (east) façade were found.

Item 2C - Page 47
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 17 Table 1. 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive Timeline
Date of
Record Ownership Business Name Type of Activity Source
2008 Union Bank Union Bank New storefronts installed,
remodel entry, ADA
upgrades
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
2009 Union Bank Union Bank Remove and replace five
signs
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
2010 Union Bank Union Bank Interior remodel and ADA
upgrades
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office
2014 Union Bank Union Bank HVAC renovation
including new rooftop
equipment and screening
Riverside County
Assessor’s Office

ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
The following biographies on Joseph Bing Wong, the architect responsible for the Bank building’s design, and Lawrence Tenney Stevens, the sculptor responsible for the bas-relief panels at its northwest corner, were adapted from Jensen (2021).

Additional information has been added to illustrate the scope of Wong and Stevens’ work in Southern California, with an emphasis on similar property types.

JOSEPH BING WONG
Joseph (Joe) Bing Wong, A.I.A., of Scottsdale, Arizona was responsible for the unique architectural design of Security First National Bank’s Ramon Road branch (Figure 14).

Wong was widely recognized throughout the Southwest for “his ability to communicate a delicacy of local feeling and interpretation of his buildings’ surroundings,” which was much sought after by the Security First National Bank ( Desert Sun 1959b). For the Bank’s design, Wong chose materials that blended with the desert environment. The spacious lobby and extensive use of glass provided views of the surrounding terrain, while native desert plants helped the building conform to its natural setting. The design placed particular importance on the landscape design of the property, as Wong hoped to create, “an attractive landscape plan, including fountains and pools, and trees to grace an otherwise barren expanse of asphaltic parking lot” (Jensen 2021). Also incorporated into Wong’s design was a secondary entrance in which the historical bas- relief panels, executed by the internationally known artist Lawrence Tenney Stevens, were placed as a tribute to Palm Springs’ history (Desert Sun 1959b).

Joe B. Wong was born on August 17, 1921, in the copper mining town of Clifton, Arizona. He worked in his family’s general store and restaurant until 1940 when the family moved to California. Wong attended the University of California, Berkeley, and received his degree from the School of Fine Arts in 1941 ( Desert Sun 1959b). He subsequently provided architectural services for the U.S. Army during WWII and Item 2C - Page 48
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 18 worked as an architect at Nichols-White Architects in Palo Alto, and Higgins & Rudd Architects of San Jose. He practiced architecture for five years in Palo Alto before returning to Arizona in 1952. Wong settled with his family in Scottsdale and worked for Hiram Hudson Benedict, one of the first architects practicing in Scottsdale. In 1954, Joe Wong established his own firm, known as Wong Associates Architects.

Joe Wong is believed to be one of the first Asian American architects to be licensed in Arizona. He was also licensed in California and
Nevada and registered with the National Council
of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

His design philosophy, th at buildings should
blend in with and maintain the integrity of the
surrounding desert landscape, followed the
tenets of Organic Architecture, a style first
articulated by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in his
book, In the Cause of Architecture , published in
1908 (Graff 2018). He maintained this vision in
designing over 550 private homes, offices,
banks, restaurants, and schools throughout the
Southwest.

Wong was a versatile architect, whose work
embraced both Modernist and Revival styles. He
constructed several buildings in the Mid-century
Modern architectural style, including the McCune
Building (Figure 15), constructed in 1957 at Sixth
Avenue and Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale,
Arizona, the Medical Office Building located at
7300 E. Fourth Street in Scottsdale, constructed
in 1960, and the commercial buildings at Stetson
Plaza at 7120 E. Sixth Avenue in Scottsdale,
constructed in 1974 (Sydnor 2018). Similar to the
Security First National Bank, many of Wong’s
Mid-century Modern buildings utilized native
stone and masonry construction.

The majority of Wong’s work was concentrated
in Arizona. Among his other notable projects in
the state are the Carefree Sundial, Scottsdale’s Fifth Avenue buildings, Hopi School, Scottsdale Boys Club, El Dorado Park Community Center, and additions to the Valley Ho and Camel Back Inn. He was especially influential in the City of Carefree, Arizona, where, in 1964, he designed the Carefree Inn, a $3 million project under the management of Western International Hotels. Consequently, there are very few surviving structures designed by Wong in the State of California. A restaurant located at 8231 W. Foothill Boulevard in Rancho Cucamonga serves as one of the few remaining examples of Wong’s work in the state ( Pomona Progress 1957). The Figure 14. Architect Joe B. Wong,
1959 (image courtesy of The
Desert Sun, September 19,
1959b).

Item 2C - Page 49
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 19 building was designed by Wong in 1957, the year before he designed the Ramon Road branch of the Security First National Bank. It originally served as a Chinese restaurant operated by the family of Robert and Sue Jong. The project was proposed to cost $130,000 and have a seating capacity for 130 people ( Pomona Progress 1957). The building is now occupied by an Italian restaurant.

Figure 15. Photograph of the McCune Building in Scottsdale shortly after completion, ca. 1950s (image courtesy of Sydnor 2018).

Wong was both artist and architect. He dabbled in various mediums and took classes at Lawrence Tenney Stevens’ studio, which may be how Wong became associated with the Security First National B ank project. A 1959 article in the Desert Sun newspaper refers to Joe B. Wong as “a specialist in bank building design” (Desert Sun 1959b). However, very little evidence was found to indicate that Wong had any previous experience in bank design prior to his work on the Security First National Bank. While he did design several more banks in the mid-to-late 1960s, all of Wong’s other bank projects were located in the Phoenix area. For example, he designed two branches of the First Federal Savings Bank, located at 4550 E. Thomas Road in Phoenix, and at 7505 E. McDowell Road in Scottsdale ( Phoenix Gazette 1965; Arizona Republic 1969). The Scottsdale bank was constructed in 1969 in the Los Arcos Shopping Center. The building was demolished in 2012. The Phoenix bank was opened in 1965 and is currently occupied by a dental office. Both buildings were designed in a Spanish Revival style with arcades and red tile roofs. Similar to the Security First National Bank, the building located at 4550 E. Thomas Road also included artwork in the bank’s design, incorporating a series of paintings by local artist Don Vanderlinden in the interior (Phoenix Gazette 1965). Joe B. Wong enjoyed a long career as an architect until his retirement in 1998. Wong died in 2011, at the age of 89 (Arizona Republic 2019).

Item 2C - Page 50
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 20

LAWRENCE TENNEY STEVENS
The artist Lawrence Tenney Stevens was born in Massachusetts in 1896. He first showed an interest in sculpture in his early adolescence. In 1917, Stevens began four years of study at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts. In 1922, he won the Rome Prize for sculpture and embarked on a fellowship to study sculpture at the American Academy in Rome (Figure 16). During his time in Rome, Stevens traveled extensively throughout Western Europe and Egypt, eventually developing a reputation as an authority on Roman, Greek, and Egyptian sculpture (Desert Sun 1959c).

Inspired by his colleague, Daniel Chester French, Stevens sought to use his sculpture as a means to promote American art. Following his return to the U.S. in 1926, he had several commissions in New York, then moved west to Santa Barbara, California. It was in Southern California that he first met Millard Sheets (1907-1989), an established artist and founding professor of the fine arts program at Scripps College. Sheets believed that art should be incorporated into the design of a building from the outset, rather than being tacked-on later. This concept would prove to have a huge influence on Stevens’ later work.

In 1929, Stevens visited Cody, Wyoming, where he first applied his signature simplified style to western motifs. While his art diverged from the rustic expectations of the American West established in the prints and sculptures of Remington and Russell, Stevens hoped that his work would forge a new way of romanticizing the West that would advance the international view of American art. Stevens eventually acquired the 2000-acre Double L Bar Ranch in Cody, Wyoming and used it as his part-time home and studio.

In October 1941, Stevens moved from the Double L Bar Ranch to winter in Palm Springs. While in Palm Springs, Herbert Samson, a friend of the Stevens’ family and future manager of Security First National Bank at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, helped the artist lease the Cornelia White Hous e as his home and studio. Stevens also established a studio at an Indian Avenue location where he worked and gave instruction. While living at the Cornelia White home, Stevens carved a 10-foot figure from the rare trunk of an Australian red eucalyptus as a monument for the City. The following year, Stevens also submitted a design for the seal for the City of Palm Springs, however, his design was ultimately not chosen as the final selection. In 1942, Stevens volunteered for the armed forces to fight in WWII. Prior to deployment to Africa in May 1942, he moved from Palm Springs back to his ranch in Cody, Wyoming.

After his service in the war, he moved briefly moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, before settling in Tempe, Arizona, where he established his internationally renowned studio.

In 1958, while living and working in Tempe, Stevens received his commission for the Security First National Bank panels. The panels represent Stevens’ only known work in Palm Springs. Soon after receiving the commission, Stevens returned to Palm Springs and gathered the research material for the project. He was assisted in his research by his old friend, Herbert Samson, now manager of the Security First Item 2C - Page 51
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 21 National Bank in Palm Springs, and member of the Palm Springs Historical Society.

The long process of creating the panels took more than a year and consisted of producing a series of rough sketches, scale models, full sized drawings, line tracings on the 32 slabs of specially prepared clay (shipped from California to his Tempe, Arizona studio), and submitting photographs of the panels for critique. In this painstaking effort, Stevens was ably assisted by his wife, Bea. Over the course of the year, each of the 22 terra cotta plaques was transformed through Stevens’ artistry. He devoted a week to ten days to the creation of each of the panel sections, followed by three months of slow drying. He next transferred the sections into the kiln for the long smoking, firing, and cooling process which gave the clay its permanence (Desert Sun 1959d). Each plaque was smoked at low temperature for a week, followed by three days at high firing. The kiln process alone required more than 2,000 hours.

Thirteen months after the initial step, all 22 sections for the two panels were ready to be individually crated and shipped. In Stevens’ words “Sculpture and Architecture are the most lasting of the Arts, and because of the
exactions demanded in their making are
considered the most perfect by many scholars.

These panels took over a year of constant
effort, with many years of experience as a
basis, and a willingness to work hard with a
time deadline” (Desert Sun 1959e). Stevens
accompanied the panel sections to Palm
Springs, and positioned each one at the site,
where they remained covered until the official
unveiling.

Stevens’ efforts were coordinated with his
friend and colleague, architect Joseph B.

Wong. Both men lived and practiced in the
Phoenix, Arizona area, and, therefore,
understood and appreciated the desert
environment. Stevens and Wong remained in
direct communication with their client, Security
First National Bank, throughout the design and
installation process. Following the Ramon
Road project, Lawrence Tenney Stevens
continued to live and sculpt at his studio in
Tempe, Arizona. Stevens died in 1972 while
on a return trip from Italy where he had been
working on his latest project ( Boston Globe
1972).

Figure 16.Lawrence Tenney
Stevens with winning entry
“Music” Prix de Rome (image
reprinted from Jensen 2021).

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BUILDING DESCRIPTION
The former Security First National Bank building at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive consists of a one- story commercial buildin g with an irregular plan consisting of an orthogonal masonry section with a raised roof in the center, slightly recessed on the east behind a drive-through canopy on the south, and an orthogonal section at the north end. The east (main) façade is notched to create a grand entrance recessed behind an expansive patio and landscape islands. The building is oriented north-south on lots 8, 9, and 10 at the southeast corner of S. Indian Canyon Drive and Ramon Road (Figure 17).

Figure 17. Aerial view showing the location of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, outlined in red (image courtesy of City of Palm Springs 2022).

A paved parking lot is located to the east of the Bank building on lots 18, 19, and 20.

An exit driveway is located at the south end of the building. The parking lot is accessible from Ramon Road and also S. Calle Ajo, which spans the east edge of the property. The north, west, and east sides of the building contain landscaped edges, and a landscape buffer is located at the south and east edges of the drive through and parking lot.

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Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 23 A concrete path composed of semi-circles set into the landscaped edge is located along the west side of the property. The path separates at the northwest corner, and ramps slightly upward toward the raised concrete deck where the north exit door and terra cotta bas relief panels are located. The ramp is edged by a low stone rubble wall that once lined a small water feature. It is possible that this ramp was installed as part of the landscape alterations in 1988, or as part of the ADA improvements noted in a building permit from 2008 (Riverside County Assessor’s Office 2020).

The north landscaped edge consists of desert landscaping located along the north façade of the Bank. The landscaping begins at the northwest corner of the building and wraps around the raised concrete deck to continue along the north façade. The landscaping is integrated into the sidewalk along Ramon Road with a meandering stone and rock edge (see Photograph 1). A mesquite tree at the northeast corner, original to the site, was retained to be incorporated into the bank’s landscaping by special permission of the city” ( Desert Sun 1959f). This edge follows the southern border of a winding concrete path that lead from a set of concrete steps at the raised concrete deck and bisected the landscaped area to connect with another set of concrete steps leading to the sidewalk along Ramon Drive and the east (main) entrance. A metal railing was placed on the eastern edge of the raised concrete deck to restrict access to the sidewalk through the landscaping. It is likely that the northern boundary of landscaping, as well as other alterations to the north landscaped edge, was removed in 1988 (see Developmental History of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive section for more detailed descriptions of alterations and historic photographs of the northern boundary). The landscaping wraps around to the north half of the east façade, terminating at a raised planter. The more formal semi-circular path with landscape islands is repeated on the east (main) side of the building (Photograph 2).

The Bank’s primary entrance is located on the east façade and faces the parking area.

A former entrance, now an emergency exit, is located at the west end of the north façade, facing Ramon Road (see Photograph 2; Photograph 4).

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Photograph 1. Landscaped area at north side of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive along Ramon Road, facing southwest. Note the original mesquite tree at right background (North Wind 2021).

Photograph 2. East (main) façade of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, showing the lobby entrance, landscaped edge, and parking lot to the east, facing west (North Wind 2021).

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Photograph 3. Lobby entrance door, segmented glass, and native stone walls on the east façade of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing northwest (North Wind 2021).

Photograph 4. Entrance and bas-relief panels at the northwest corner of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing east (North Wind 2021).

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Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 26 The north façade consists of the north-facing emergency exit door and terra cotta panels on the far west end of the façade, while the remaining façade consists of exposed aggregate, or “pebbled,” veneer masonry units laid in a stack-bond pattern.

A wide, flat canopy with painted fascia extends the length of the façade, wrapping around from the west façade at the northwest corner, continuing along the north façade, and extending past the corner of the building along the east elevation. 2 The
north exit is recessed between the panels and is composed of a single-lite, metal frame door with single-lite sidelites and a single-lite transom. The recessed area, as well as a small section of wall with single-lite window to the east of the recessed area, is finished with stucco. The presence of the terra cotta panels and elaborate desert landscaping indicate this former entran ce was a welcoming access to customers arriving on foot from the
north, west, and south.

Each of the 12-foot-high by
8-foot-wide panels weighs
4,000 pounds and consists
of 11 highly fired, unglazed
terra cotta plaques with
painted edges. The front
(westernmost) panel, more
commonly known as the
“Panel of the Present,”
features a central male
allegorical figure
surrounded by individual
panels depicting the
numerous leisure activities
of the newly minted resort
town (Photograph 5). The
rear (easternmost) panel, or
the “Panel of the Past,” has
a central female allegorical
figure surrounded by
individual plaques featuring
the trials and tribulations of
early pioneers, the plants
and animals of prehistoric
eras, and individuals
significant to Palm Springs
history, including explorer
Juan Batista de Anza and
founder of the Desert Inn
and “Mother of Palm
2 A 1959 Desert Sun article notes that the fascia was originally gold anodized aluminum “which provides a sharp color and texture contrast to the natural materials.” Photograph 5. View of the front (westernmost)
panel, or “Panel of the Present,” facing east. Panel
is one of two located at the northwest corner of 500
S. Indian Can
yon Drive (North Wind 2021).

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Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 27 Springs” Nellie N. Coffman (Desert Sun 1955) (Photograph 6). A detailed description of each of the 22 terra cotta plaques comprising the two panels, excerpted from Jensen 2021, is provided in Appendix D.

The building’s east façade
contains the Bank’s main
entrance. The entrance is
accessed by a set of
concrete steps with metal
pipe handrails. The
southernmost portion of the
façade is pebbled concrete
veneer with no fenestration.

A small, projecting utility
room, constructed in 1964,
with south-facing, single-leaf
metal door and louvered
vent, is located at the far
south end of the façade. The
utility room has a pebbled
concrete veneer finish. The
entrance is recessed into the
façade, underneath the
wide, flat, cantilevered,
wraparound canopy that
originates on the west
façade. The single-lite,
double-leaf entrance is
located at the south end of a
large expanse of glass
panels with transom
windows. A single-lite
sidelite and wide stone panel
are located to the south of
the entrance. The windows
briefly turn to the east at the
north end and terminate in a
stone pilaster (see
Photograph 3). The stone is reported to be Whitewater Canyon stone, specially quarried for the branch ( Desert Sun 1959f).
3 A stucco wall with horizonal scoring
features a north-facing ATM machine located to the south of the entrance (Photograph 7). It is believed this portion of wall, form erly all plate glass, was filled in to 3 The 1959 Desert Sun article also notes that the stone was used “in the rock plantings that provide a foundation for the landscaping and for the indoor-outdoor pool and rock wall.” It is not known how much of the original stone is extant in the current landscaping.

Photograph 6. View of the rear (easternmost) panel,
or “Panel of the Past,” facing east. Panel is one of
two located at the northwest corner of 500 S. Indian
Can
yon Drive (North Wind 2021).

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Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 28 accommodate the ATM in 1981. The parking lot is located to the west of the building.

Lush desert landscaping separates the Bank from the parking area.

Photograph 7. East (main) entrance of the 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing southwest (North Wind 2021).

A scored stucco wall and recessed patio is located to the north of the main entrance.

Two square multi-lite windows with wide mullions face southeast on the wall. The recessed patio is enclosed with a three-quarter height stucco wall (Photograph 8).

Beyond the wall is a single-leaf, single-lite entry and large single-lite window and transom. A skylight perforates the canopy above the enclosed patio. A low, landscaped, stucco planter is located in front of the wall. The northernmost portion of the east façade is a continuation of the north-facing stacked pebbled block. The wide cantilevered roof over the entry which also shades the east-facing glazing from the sun, continues southward and wraps or engages the edge of the pebble-faced masonry units at the southern end of the east façade.

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Photograph 8. South-facing wall and recessed patio area at main (east) entrance of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing north (North Wind 2021).

The former drive-through canopy is located at the south façade. The drive-through function has been abandoned and the canopy, supported by thin metal posts set into scored stucco posts, now shelters an exit drive. The façade is sheathed in the same stacked pebbled block masonry units found on the north and west facades. A single- leaf metal door, metal depository, and single-lite teller window are located at the far east of the façade, and two metal, louvered vents are located at the far west end (Photograph 9). The west façade is sheathed in stacked pebbled block. A screen, installed in 1972 to obscure the presence of mechanical equipment, is visible on the roof above the west façade. There is no fenestration on this façade (Photograph 10).

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Photograph 9. South (former drive-through teller facade) and east facades of 500 S.

Photograph 10. West and south (drive-through) facades of 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, facing northeast (North Wind 2021).

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Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 31 CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES OF 500 S. INDIAN CANYON DRIVE The National Park Service defines a building’s distinguishing character as, “all those visual aspects and physical features that comprise the appearance of every historic building. Character-defining elements include the overall shape of the building, its materials, craftsmanship, decorative details, interior spaces and features, as well as the various aspects of its site and environment” (Nelson 1988).

The period of significance for the Bank begins in 1959, the year of its completion, and ends in 1969, the final year of the Post-World War II period of significance as established by the Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings (Historic Resources Group 2018). Features not listed, including alterations occurring after the period of significance, are not considered character-defining be default.

Based on the building permit history information, as well as a visual evaluation of the Bank, it is North Wind’s opinion that the Bank has retained the following character- defining features:

1. Setting. Setting is the physical environment of a property that provides clues to how the building came to be in its location and why it appears the way it does.

Elements that make up a property’s setting can include its relationship to surrounding features, such as topographic features, vegetation, and open space, and manmade elements such as sidewalks, parking areas, roads, and other buildings. The most distinctive aspects of the Bank’s setting are the following:

x Siting close to the western edge of the parcel as this is consistent with buildings to the northwest and west along S. Palm Canyon Drive. The Bank honors the pedestrian edge common within the City’s downtown commercial core. This supports the Bank’s original intent of creating an inviting pedestrian entrance at the northwest corner.
x Undeveloped mountain backdrop is still a significant feature of the Bank’s setting.
x Despite the removal of the concrete steps at the northwest and northeast corner, the water feature at the northwest corner, and the northern landscape island, the landscape and hardscape areas associated with the Bank property, consisting of lush desert plants, gravel, and stone integrated in a seemingly organic way with a variety of hardscape materials including pavers, stone, and winding concrete pathways, continue to be character-defining features of the Bank. x Parking lot to the east of the building is considered a character-defining feature as it represents the embrace of post-war auto-centric designs for urban architecture.

2. Shape. Shape is defined as the overall massing, which includes the footprint, height, roof form, façade recessions or projections, and setbacks, of a building:

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x Irregular plan incorporating multiple angles and recessed areas.

Complimenting these features are a recessed, taller roof height in the center of the building, a three-quarter height stuccoed wall and low stuccoed planter at the east (main) facade, and a broad, horizontal cantilevered, wraparound canopy.
x Juxtaposition between the orthogonal masonry “cube” that projects strength and stability, and the angled glass entrance wall that projects transparency, as linked by the horizontal canopy. This juxtaposition of materials and massing is a mark of Mid-century Modern style and is considered significant.
x Auto-centric design with the main (east) entrance facing the parking lot as a modern convenience. The shape of the building and its relationship to the property as a whole.

3. Roof and related features. This can include the roof massing and form and projections such as canopies and porte cocheres, etc.:

x The recessed upper roof is significant as an element of the Mid-Century Modern style that favors asymmetrical facades and variations in façade planes.
x Cantilevered wraparound canopy.

4. Projections. Building projections are any component, member, or part that juts out from a building. The Bank’s distinctive projections include:

x Façade projections and original canopy as described above.

5. Openings. A building’s openings include not only windows and doors themselves, but also fenestration patterns and façade recessions. The Bank features the following distinctive openings:

x Vast expanse of plate glass associated with the Bank’s entrances representing the trend in transparency in architecture and banking when constructed.
x Broad expanse of full-height glass.
x Asymmetrical façade with recessed portions and angled walls that are key elements of the Mid-Century Modern style.

6. Materials and Craft Details. Building materials, such as construction materials and exterior sheathing, door and window materials, exterior sheathing treatments, and decorative treatments, are a few elements that can be included here. The most significant material and craft details associated with the Bank include the list below:

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Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 33 x The Lawrence Tenney Stevens terra cotta panels are significant examples of craftsmanship and use of desert materials and are considered character-defining features of the Bank. The panels solved the dilemma of how to make this entrance noticeable to pedestrians coming from the W. Ramon Road and Indian Canyon Drive.
x The exterior materials, as well as the combination of these materials, including the stacked pebbled veneer masonry units, stucco surfaces, 4 and stone piers, are representative of the Mid-century Modern style. The stone, a rough-cut field stone quarried from Whitewater Canyon especially for this project and stacked by hand, is the same as used in the property’s landscape. The stone piers, pebbled veneer wall surfaces, and rustic landscaping with curved and meandering concrete paths, serve to harmoniously integrate the building, circulation network, and landscape together.

EVALUATION OF ELIGIBILITY
The former Security First National Bank bu ilding, located at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive, was evaluated for eligibility as a Class I and Class II Historic Resource per the request of the City’s Department of Planning Services. In order for a building to be designated as a Class I historic resource by the Palm Springs City Council pursuant to PSMC Section 8.05.070(C,1), it must meet one or more of the following findings, as well as retain integrity as defined by National Register Bulletin “How to apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation” (NPS 1997):

Finding 1 : The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

(i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community:

500 S. Indian Canyon Drive was not found to be associated with any event or events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community.

(ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state, or local history:

The Bank is associated with Lawrence Tenney Stevens, a prolific sculptor who worked and studied abroad. Stevens’ work was heavily influenced by

4 Note that the scored stucco surfaces installed on the east (main) façade and at the drive through canopy column bases in 2008 are not significant in and of themselves; however, the scoring mimics the joints of the stacked pebble veneer, and stucco is compatible with the remaining original stucco surfaces.

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Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 34 ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art and culture, which is reflected in the Bank’s bas relief panels. He created several works abroad and in the United States, including New York, Wyoming, Arizona, and California. He strove to convey his ideals of a romantic American West in his work that would advance the international view of American art.

(iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state, or local history:

Despite the alterations to the east (main) façade and northern landscaped edge, 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive was found to reflect or exemplify the post- war period of Mid-century Modern branch banking design, as it retains the majority of the key elements of its original design, including the asymmetrical massing and façade, specifically, the juxtaposition of the smooth masonry cube with the angled glass and stone entrance wall carved into the cube and linked by the horizontal cantilevered canopy. The angled walls are seemingly comprised of random angles held in place by the stone piers. This mix of natural and manmade materials is also reflective of the Modern movement, as is the incorporation of public art into the architecture of the building.

(iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction:
500 S. Indian Canyon Drive is a steel frame building sheathed in a veneer consisting of stucco, pebble veneer, and stone. The light steel frame allowed for the expansive interior spaces, vast expanses of plate glass, as well as the thin profile of the cantilevered canopy on the west, north, and east facades, and drive-thru canopy on the south façade, all of which are distinctive characteristics of the Mid-century Modern style, period, and method of construction.
(v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possess high artistic value:

The terra cotta panels at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive represent the work of a master artist, Lawrence Tenney Stevens (1896–1972) whose design for the panels depicted Palm Spring’s numerous leisure activities, as well as the trials and tribulations of early pioneers, the plants and animals of prehistoric eras, and individuals signif icant to Palm Springs history. The panels’ themes, materials, and craftsmanship were heavily influenced by the desert environment and possess high artistic value.

(vi) The resource represents a signif icant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists:

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Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 35 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive is not part of a historic district evaluation.

(vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state, or local history or prehistory:

The information potential was exhausted by this current effort; therefore, it is anticipated that no additional information will be found to supplement 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive’s importance to national, state, or local history or prehistory as stated in this report.

Finding 2: The site, structure, building, or object retains one or more of the following aspects of integrity, as established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: Design; Materials; Workmanship; Location; Setting; Feeling; and Association.

Location: the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive is not known to have been moved to the site from other locations, and therefore retains integrity of location.

Design: the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive retains the majority of its integrity of design despite alterations that resulted in the removal of original Mid-century Modern architectural and landscape elements as described in detail in the developmental history section of this report, and the introduction of Postmodern style features such as the scored stucco and windows with faux grid muntins. The Bank retains its original asymmetrical massing with expanses of glass intersecting with the pebbled stone veneer and flanked by hand-stacked stone pilasters; thin horizontal elements such as the façade canopy and drive through canopy; and the combination of natural and manmade materials. The organic landscape design retains enough integrity to communicate the intent to integrate natural materials with manmade concrete pathways, planters, and exterior walls.

Setting: the physical environment of a historic property. Despite alterations to the landscaped area at its north façade, 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive retains integrity of setting. Additionally, although some of the original bank buildings located within the financial district have been converted to alternate uses, several are still extant and appear to have had few alterations. These existing banks and former banks contribute to the historic setting for 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive. And finally, the undeveloped mountain backdrop to the west of the Bank continues to frame the Bank when viewed from the east.

Materials: the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property. 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive retains the majority of its integrity of materials.

Workmanship: the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive retains integrity of workmanship, specifically, the stone pilasters and stone wall segments on Item 2C - Page 66
Historic Documentation of the Former Security First National Bank June 3, 2022 North Wind Cultural Resources Report No. 030482.003.01 36 the east (main) façade. The rough-cut field stone was quarried locally for this project and stacked by hand for use on the façade, and incorporated throughout the landscaping to integrate the building, circulation network, and landscape together.

Feeling: a property's expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive retains integrity of feeling, which is defined as the physical features that, when taken together, are able to convey the property’s historic character and function. Although the Bank’s drive-through canopy was altered in 1986, it is still able to attest to the building’s historic function as a post-war retail bank.

Additionally, the Bank continues to retain the majority of its other Mid-century Modern style elements, including the large expanses of glass meant to convey transparency, its native landscaping, and auto- and pedestrian-oriented circulation that was intended to foster community engagement.

Association: the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property. 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive retains its integrity of association with Mid- century Modern style post-war financial institutions designed to portray transparency and customer service with large expanses of glass, pedestrian and automobile accommodations, and inviting landscaping.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
North Wind, on behalf of the City of Palm Springs, completed the City’s application for Historic Resource Designation, of which this documentation is a part, to nominate 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive as a Class I historic resource.

North Wind conducted photo documentation of the former Security First National Bank Corporation at 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive on December 27, 2021, conducted research at the Palm Springs Historical Society, and reviewed multiple online sources to prepare a developmental history of the property. Brief historic contexts for Palm Springs and branch banking in the post-war era were also included as part of this report.

North Wind recommends that 500 S. Indian Canyon Drive be considered eligible for designation as a Class I Historic Resource within the City. Specifically, the Bank is found to be associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state, or local history, artist Lawrence Tenney Stevens (PSMC 8.05.070 C.1.a.(ii)); the Bank reflects a particular period of national, state, or local history, namely, the post-war period of Mid-century Modern design for branch banking and other commercial buildings (PSMC 8.05.070 C.1.a.(iii)); the Bank embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction (PSMC 8.05.070 C.1.a.(iv)); and, the Bank was found to represent the work of a master artist, Lawrence Tenney Stevens (1896–1972) (PSMC 8.05.070 C.1.a.(v)).

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REFERENCES
Architectural Resources Group
2004 City of Palm Springs Historic Resources Survey Summary Report. San Francisco, California.

Arenson, Adam
2018 Banking on Beauty: Millard Sheets and Midcentury Commercial Architecture in California. University of Texas Press, Austin.

The Arizona Republic
1969 “Los Arcos Target: Oct. 20 Opening”. The Phoenix Republic. Page 126.

Published 31 August 1969.
2019 “Architect Joe Wong left lasting mark on our city”. The Phoenix Republic.

Page A6. Published 6 April 2019.

The Boston Globe
1972 “L.T. Stevens, sculptor of wild animals”. The Boston Globe. Page 39.

Published 24 December 1972.

The Desert Sun
1955 The Life Story of Nellie N. Coffman. The Desert Sun, Page 4b. Published 16 June 1955.
1957 “Citizens Bank to Open Second Office in Village”. The Desert Sun, Page 1.

Published 11 June 1957.
1958 “Newest Banking Facility Grew Like Palm Springs”. The Desert Sun, Page 10.

Published 9 January 1958.
1959a “New Security Branch”. The Desert Sun, Page 2. Published 3 September 1959.
1959b “Scottsdale Man is Architect of New Bank”. The Desert Sun, Page 2.

Published 19 September 1959.
1959c “Bank’s Sculptor got early start”. The Desert Sun, Page 1. Published 4 November 1959
1959d “Sculpture Tells Story of Village—Past, Present”. The Desert Sun, Page 6.

Published 18 September 1959.
1959e “Sculptor Stevens’ Dream May Become Artistic Reality”. The Desert Sun,

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Palm Springs City CouncilMay 25, 2023

Palm Springs City Council
May 25, 2023