Figure 46. 71-431 Sahara Road.
It is an example of a local Tract Ranch style building in Magnesia Falls Cove. 284
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Custom Ranch
Custom Ranch homes were constructed throughout the early Rancho Mirage residential subdivisions including the Magnesia Falls Cove, Thunderbird Heights, and Tamarisk Heights tracts. Custom Ranch homes were also built throughout neighborhoods in private country clubs, like the Tamarisk and Thunderbird Country Clubs.
Custom Ranch homes were usually one story with elongated rectangular, L-shaped, U- shaped, or irregular -shaped plans, with the broad side facing the street and with wings occasionally extending to the rear. These homes were often much larger than Tract Ranch Houses with a much broader facade. The character defining features of the Custom Ranch Style are listed below.
• Asymmetrical facades
• Brick, concrete block, or wood frame construction materials, with exterior walls often clad in more than one material
• Strong horizontal emphasis/massing; occasionally bands of brick, wood, metal, glass, stone, or pierced block
• Many different roof types including gable, hip, intersecting gables, or multiple hips that were low pitched to very low pitched with broad overhanging eaves • Variety of roofing materials, including asphalt shingles, clay tiles, wood shakes, or metal
• Steel casement windows or aluminum framed windows
• Minimal extended eave porch, recessed entry, or a more prominent porch with a gabled or hipped extension
• Attached or detached carport or garage
• Diversity in plan, roof type, building materials, and ornamentation • High quality of artisanship in construction
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Figure 47. The Hedy Lamarr House at 72-424 Desert Drive.
It is an example of a local Custom Ranch style building in Magnesia Falls Cove.
Figure 48. The D.B. McDaniels Residence at 70-772 Fairway Drive.
It is an example of a local Custom Ranch style home in Thunderbird Country Club. 286
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Styled Ranch
Styled Ranch homes were constructed in the early Rancho Mirage residential neighborhoods including Magnesia Falls Cove, Green Acres, Thunderbird Villas, and Tamarisk Heights areas. Styled Ranch homes were also built throughout private country clubs, like the Tamarisk Country Club and Thunderbird Country Club. Most Styled Ranches in Rancho Mirage were constructed in a Spanish style.
Due to the nature of Styled Ranch homes, the character defining features vary based on the selected style. However, Styled Ranch homes generally followed the same form and massing of other Ranch style homes. The different character defining features of Styled Ranch homes based on their theme are included below.
• Spanish Ranch
o Clay tile roofs
o Brick or stucco clad walls
o Rounded or parabolic arched openings at porches, windows, or courtyards o Exposed rafters and beams
o Metal window grilles
o Inward -slanting chimneys or wing walls
• French Provincial Ranch
o Features include L-shaped or irregular plan
o Multiple hipped roofs with molded eaves
o Pairs of tall casement windows and corner casement windows o Segmental arches
o Paneled front doors
• Storybook Ranch
o Scalloped vergeboards on the front facade
o Window boxes with diamond -shaped windowpanes
o Decorative stone or brick chimneys
o Horizontal board siding
• American Colonial Ranch
o Side -gabled or hipped roofs
o Wood or brick siding
o Federal or Greek Revival door surrounds
o Classical moldings
o Louvered shutters
• Neoclassical Ranch
o Symmetrical form
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o Clad in brick or wood frame
o Multi -pane windows
o Roof dormers
o Porch supported by Classical columns
• Swiss Chalet Ranch
o Gabled roofs
o Chaletesque dormers
o Scrolled fascia board
o Wood and stucco siding
Figure 49. 72-204 Rancho Road.
It is an example of a local Spanish Styled Ranch residence in Rancho Mirage. 288
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Contemporary (1955-1965)
Contemporary style buildings are like the Ranch style homes in construction methods and materials but reflected in quite different forms. These styles included the front -gabled Contemporary style and a simple post-war version of the International style. Like the Ranch style, both had a strong horizontal emphasis, but Contemporary styles had a more massed plan.
Contemporary style homes featured a variety of subtypes with various roofing forms which included front -gabled, side -gabled, varied gable, flat, shed, and butterfly and slant roofing forms with broad overhanging eaves. The basic character defining features of the Contemporary Style are listed below.
• Symmetrical and asymmetrical plans
• Central entryways with no porch, but with an entry courtyard or recessed corner entry • Wing walls, short courtyard, or landscape, walls
• Heavy piers supporting the gable
• Exposed roof beams
• Broad expanses of uninterrupted wall surfaces
• Horizontal bands or tall vertical bands of windows, often present in gable ends • Carport or garage incorporated under the main roof
Property Types
In Rancho Mirage, Contemporary style single-family residences were constructed in Magnesia Falls Cove first and later spread to other neighborhoods closer to country clubs during the 1950s and 1960s. Larger Contemporary style homes were also constructed private neighborhoods like the Tamarisk and Thunderbird Country Clubs. There do not appear to be any multi -family residences constructed in the Contemporary style in Rancho Mirage. The current Consign Design shop at 71-550 Highway 111 was built as a Contemporary style grocery store completed in 1960. The store is the only known Contemporary style commercial building in the City.
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Figure 50. 36-567 Palomino Lane.
It is a significant example of a local Contemporary style building in the Valley of the Sun.
Figure 51. The Jeff Chandler Residence at 71-543 Tangier Road.
It is an example of a local Contemporary style building in Magnesia Falls Cove. 290
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Desert Modernism (1950-1980s)
Desert Modernism is a distinct subtype of International style of architecture that incorporated modern materials, techniques, and floor plans with the unique requirements of building within a desert environment. The typical characteristics of Desert Modernism included large expanses of floor -to -ceiling glass walls sheltered by deep overhangs extending from flat roofs and flowing interior floor plans that merged gracefully with the outdoors. Often oriented to the rear, where most decorative flourishes could be visible from the fairways of the country clubs, Desert Modernist houses were often built with a rear swimming pool, expansive views, and multiple points of outdoor access to a backyard. The front elevations were often constructed to be unassuming and often shielded for privacy, with only clerestories and obscured glass panels adjacent to the entries providing light. Most designs emphasized a strong interaction between the indoor and outdoor spaces and incorporated desert landscaping to further blend the design with the surrounding environment. Some Desert Modernist homes also incorporated Adobe, Pueblo, or Spanish styled elements to root the home with a sense of desert historicity and exploit the warm tones of these other styles.
The basic character defining features of Desert Modernism are listed below. • Direct expression of the structural system, usually wood or steel posts and beams • Horizontal massing
• Flat or shallow pitch roofs, often with deep overhangs • Floor -to -ceiling glass
• Minimal use or solid load bearing walls
• Strong interior/exterior connection
• Open interior floor plan
• Painted with natural tones
• Flat roofs floating above glass walls and clerestories • Exteriors clad in stucco, wood, slump stone, and coursed or uncoursed natural rock Property Types
Desert Modernist houses were generally constructed on large lots of land found within private country clubs, like the Thunderbird and Tamarisk Country Clubs. Buildings with Desert Modernist designs are almost exclusively regulated to single-family residences in Rancho Mirage. Some multi -family residences, commercial properties, and civic buildings like Tamarisk West, Provident Bank, and the Rancho Mirage City Hall are examples of the limited number of other types of properties also associated with the style. 291
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Figure 52. The Schwartz Residence at 37-319 Los Reyes Drive.
It is an example of a local Desert Modernist style residence in Tamarisk Country Club.
Figure 53. 7 Cody Court.
It is a significant example of a local Desert Modernist style residence in Tamarisk Country Club. 292
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Post and Beam (1950-1980s)
Post and Beam architecture was a method of construction in which structural framing consisted of load bearing steel or wood beams supported by steel or wood columns rather than solid load bearing walls. The use of structural framing allowed for more flexibility in wall and window design including more expansive use of glass, a character defining feature of the style. Post and Beam style houses were defined by the large sections of floor -to -ceiling glass windows and doors and clerestory windows. The predominant roof style for Post and Beam houses utilized flat roofs or low-pitched gable rooflines. Some examples exhibited simplified aspects of Japanese and Ranch design. The open, rectilinear floor plans of Post and Beam houses were created by the structural framing and lack of dividing load bearing walls. The houses tended to be laid out in a grid with standardized beam length.
The basic character defining features of the Post and Beam style are listed below. • Direct expression of the structural system, usually wood or steel frames • Horizontal massing
• Flat or shallow pitch roofs, often with deep overhangs • Floor -to -ceiling glass
• Repetitive facade geometry
• Minimal use or solid load bearing walls
• Absence of applied decoration
• Strong interior/exterior connection
• Open interior floor plan
• Exterior finish materials usually wood, steel, and glass Property Types
Post and Beam houses were generally constructed on large lots of land found within private country clubs, like the Thunderbird and Tamarisk Country Clubs. Post and Beam style buildings are almost exclusively regulated to single-family residences in Rancho Mirage. The circular Noel F. Birns building is one of the only unique examples of a Post and Beam style commercial property.
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Figure 54. 71-136 La Paz Road.
It is an example of a local Post and Beam style building in Tamarisk Country Club.
Figure 55. The Noel F. Birns Building at 72-067 Highway 111.
It is an example of a local Post and Beam style commercial property. 294
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Shed (1965-1985)
The Shed style came into popularity following the publicity of the Sea Ranch development project in San Francisco. The overall effect of the Shed style emphasized bold diagonals, counterpointed shapes, and multiple massing. The form of the house imparts its overall style, not the smaller elements. The shed roof is often multi -directional and used in ways that give the effect of colliding geometric shapes. The front door and entry area may be obscured.
There is little added exterior detail, and elaborations are primary simple window variations.
There are few window openings on wall that face public areas and those that occur are generally quite varied and asymmetrically placed. As in the Contemporary style, large, fixed panes of plate glass are typically used on the private, or rear, facades. Ribbons of clerestory windows are found high on facades or above lower roof forms. The basic character defining features of the Shed style are listed below.
• Shed roof forms, generally multi -directional
• Smooth roof -wall junction, commonly with little or no overhang • Wood wall cladding (vertical, diagonal, horizontal boards, or shingles) Property Types
Shed style properties are almost exclusively residential and are represented in Rancho Mirage as both single-family and multi -family properties. A notable representation of the Shed style in Rancho Mirage with Desert Modern elements is the Riback Residence, designed by Patrick Sheehy and William Cody. There are no known commercial or civic properties constructed in the Shed style within the City limits.
Figure 56. The Riback Residence at 70-843 Tamarisk Lane.
It is an example of a local Shed style residential property. 295
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Organic Geometric (1955-1970s)
Organic Geometric architecture was a philosophy of design which promoted a harmonious relationship between buildings and nature. The father of Organic Geometric architecture in the United States was Frank Lloyd Wright, who in 1939, coined the phrase "Organic Architecture" in his speech, An Organic Architecture. Designers of this modern sub -style employed natural building materials, such as wood and stone, and designed buildings that were respectful to the site. Glass was also used to minimize the separation between interior and exterior encouraging the indoor/outdoor living concept. Buildings were thoughtfully sited to take advantage of views, often built on steep slopes with large balconies. Form was based on rectilinear geometry, designs are characterized by asymmetrical facades, unusual rooflines, and angular shapes.
The basic character defining features of the Organic Geometric Style are listed below. • Exposed structure and materials
• Square, diamond, and polygon design motifs
• Natural materials (wood, stone, glass)
• Sharp angular massing
• Asymmetrical facades
• Complex roof forms
• Site specific design
Property Types
Two known examples of Organic Geometric style buildings have been documented in Rancho Mirage, the now demolished Chart House at 69-934 Highway 111 designed by Kendrick Bangs Kellogg in 1978, and the Annenberg Health Sciences Building in the Eisenhower Medical Center. The Chart House was a significant example of the style in a prominent location on 'Restaurant Row' of the City. In 2013, the restaurant was damaged by a fire and subsequently demolished. The Annenberg Health Sciences Building is a round structure housing an auditorium. The building utilizes distinct geometric motifs throughout the exterior and interior to complement its curved open circular floor plan. 296
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Figure 57. The Chart House at 69-934 Highway 111.
It is a significant local example of an Organic Geometric building. (Photograph Courtesy of Leslie Heumann and Associates, ca. 2002) Figure 58. The Annenberg Health Sciences Building.
It is an example of a local Organic Geometric building. 297
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Brutalism (1950-1980s)
The name "Brutalism" originated from the French beton brut which means "raw concrete." The style was largely inspired by Swiss architect Le Corbusier. Brutalist buildings were generally strikingly blockish, geometric, and composed of repetitive shapes. The predominant building material was concrete, frequently revealing the intentional textures of the wood formwork.
The concrete was intended to be fully expressed as both the primary structural material and finish. Critics of the style argued that it disregarded the social environment, making such structures inhuman, stark, and out of place. Character defining features of the Brutalist Style are listed below.
• Exposed and expressive structural system
• Monumental massing
• Angular and rectilinear forms
• Exposed concrete as building finish
• Repetitive patterns
• Intentional avoidance of traditional elements or ornament Property Types
Only one known example of Brutalist style building has been recorded in Rancho Mirage, Fire Station #1 (Riverside Country Fire Station 50) designed by Robert H. Ricciardi and built in 1975. Other Brutalist buildings have been evaluated within other nearby Coachella Valley communities and future evaluations within Rancho Mirage may locate further instances of this architectural style.
Figure 59. Fire Station #1 at 70-801 Highway 111.
It is an example of a local Brutalist building in Rancho Mirage. 298
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Postmodern (1960s -Present)
Postmodern buildings appropriate and imitate elements of more traditional styles, while incorporating them with new forms and materials. It is common for Postmodern properties to reference several different styles within one design, creating a blend of period and regional elements. Advocates of the style believed it was important to absorb and reformulate traditional components that to continue designing glass boxes void of heritage or character.
While paying homage to the past, many Postmodern buildings feature playful designs and ironic combinations. Elements of buildings can be exaggerated, manipulated, and distorted, often to subvert expectations. The character defining features of the Postmodern style are listed below.
• An eclectic mix of other architectural styles and periods, blending historical and contemporary elements
• Playful, whimsical, or ironic details
• An emphasis on ornamentation, often utilizing classical motifs or vibrant colors • Asymmetrical facades
• Variety of materials and shapes
• Classical references
Property Types
Postmodern style properties in Rancho Mirage are exclusively residential. While there are likely more examples, the only recorded occurrence of the Postmodern style is the Klein Residence in the Tamarisk Country Club.
Figure 60. The Klein Residence at 37-101 Los Reyes Drive.
It is an example of a local Postmodern style house.
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Known Architects and Builders in Rancho Mirage
Below are short summaries of the known architects and builders who worked in Rancho Mirage during the historic -era and who may be associated with properties evaluated as part of the current survey effort. This list is not intended to be fully comprehensive and chiefly represents architects and builders associated with newly identified properties or previously evaluated properties that have not been designated at this time.
William F. Cody, Architect
William Francis Cody (1916-1978) was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1916, Cody's family relocated to California in 1930. While attending Beverly Hills High School, Cody designed and built stages for school plays prior to his graduation in 1932. Following high school, he graduated from Santa Monica Junior College in 1939 and enrolled in the College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of Southern California. He graduated from USC in 1942. During his time at Santa Monica Junior College and USC, Cody worked for architects, Heath Wharton and Asa Hudson. Following his graduation, Cody worked for several engineering and architecture firms in California, including Cliff May whom he worked for in 1944. In 1945, Cody's firm was hired to alter the Desert Inn in Palm Springs. Following the Desert Inn project, Cody began working independently in California and Arizona by 1946.
In 1946, William F. Cody moved to Palm Springs permanently and received his first independent commission to design the Del Marcos Hotel, which earned him an award in 1949 from the California chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 1947, he was hired to convert the Thunderbird Dude Ranch, originally constructed in 1936, to the Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage. His work at Thunderbird led to future commissions at other clubhouses, recreational facilities, and residential developments, at locations throughout Rancho Mirage and the wider Coachella Valley, such as the Eldorado Country Club, Tamarisk Country Club, the Racquet Club, the Tennis Club, and the Seven Lakes Clubhouse.
In Palm Springs, Cody was one of the architects, with Wexler & Harrison and Philip Koenig, to design the Spa Bathhouse and Spa Hotel. In 1952, Cody designed the Horizon Hotel.
In the Coachella Valley, he was responsible for several notable Modernist style residential designs including the Perlberg, Shamel, and Abernathy residences in Palm Springs and the Cody Court homes in Rancho Mirage. Throughout his career, he designed commercial and residential properties throughout California, Arizona, Texas, Cub, and Mexico. He was inducted into the College of Fellows of the AIA in 1965. Some of his final projects included St.
Theresa's Catholic Church in 1968 and the Palm Springs Library Center in 1972. In 1973, he suffered a severe stroke which caused him to end his architectural career. He died in 1978 300
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and today is considered one of the most important architects in the Desert Modernism movement.15
S. Charles Lee, Architect
S. Charles Lee (1899 - 1990) was the architect of the Desert Club clubhouse in La Quinta which began construction in 1937 and was open by 1940. Born Simeon Charles Levi in Chicago in 1899, Lee attended Chicago Technical College and graduated with honors in 1918. He was influenced by the early (and nearby) Modernism of pioneers Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. After serving in the Navy during World War I, Lee earned an architecture degree from Armor Institute of Technology in 1921. He moved to Los Angeles in 1922 and received his first theatre design commission within a few years.
Completed in 1927, Following the construction of the Tower Theatre on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles in 1927, Lee's career expanded and commissions for further theaters followed. His theaters blended all types of architectural styles and decorative motifs and were designed as striking advertisements, to both garner attention from passing automobile traffic and draw in pedestrians by using the sidewalk itself. By 1950, Lee had designed around 400 theatres -250 in the L.A. area alone. After World War II, Lee recognized the emerging requirement for more practical, modular structures. In addition to theatres, Lee also built dozens of small factories throughout post-war Los Angeles. In Rancho Mirage, S. Charles Lee was the primary architect behind the development of the Tamarisk West community.
Lee received numerous awards throughout his lifetime, including the Society of Registered Architects' Synergy Award in 1975. In 1986, the UCLA School of Architecture and Urban Planning established a chair in his honor. The Conservancy was honored to have Lee attend the first season of our Last Remaining Seats series of classic films in historic theatres in 1987.16 Walter S. White, Architect
Walter S. White (1917-2002) designed residences in the Coachella Valley during the post-war period, including a few buildings in Rancho Mirage. In 1953, he designed the Desert View Animal Hospital which served as a residence and business for Dr. James R. Ketchersid. White was born in San Bernardino, California and attended San Bernardino High School from 1933 to 1936. Growing up, White learned construction from his father who was a builder in the San Bernardino area. After one semester at San Bernardino Valley Junior College in 1936, White spent the next decade working for various architects, builders, and engineers in the Los Angeles area. During that time, he worked for Harwell Hamilton Harris, Rudolf Schindler, and Allen Ruoff. During WWII, he worked for Douglas Aircraft as a machine tool designer. 301
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After the war in 1947, White returned to architecture and worked for over a year for the Palm Spring architects, John Porter Clark and Albert Frey. In 1948, White moved to La Quinta and designed his first office building on Highway 1 1 1 to work as a self-employed designer. In the Coachella Valley, White focused on designing affordable homes that mitigated the summer heat and provided ample mountain views for residents. Throughout the course of his career, White designed at least 48 homes in the Palm Desert area.
During the 1960s, after he obtained his Colorado architecture license, White developed modestly sized and standardized mountain cabins in Colorado Springs with limited building materials. In 1967, he returned to California where he focused his work during the 1970s and 1980s. In Southern California, White designed various sized residential buildings (from single- family homes to multi -unit dwellings), recreational complexes, commercial buildings, churches, and clubhouses. He died in 2002 at the age of 85 and Walter S. White is widely remembered as a notable modernist architect who focused on industrial and energy efficient designs throughout Southern California.
Donald A. Wexler, Architect
Born in Sioux Falls SD but raised in Minneapolis MN, Donald Allen Wexler served in the Navy during WWII and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1950. He moved to Los Angeles to work for Richard Neutra then moved to Palm Springs in 1952 to work for William Cody. Later that year in 1952, Wexler, along with Richard Harrison from Cody's firm, set up Wexler & Harrison. In 1960, the George Alexander Construction Company hired them to design a neighborhood of prefab all -steel homes in Palm Springs. Due to high steel costs, the project was halted after just seven homes were built, but those that were completed became widely acclaimed. Wexler & Harrison dissolved in 1961, and Donald Wexler began to work independently. At the same time, he owned Wexler and Perrin-Boggio Architects and Engineers. From 1969 to 2000 he worked again as an independent architect. WWCOT (Widom, Wein, Cohen, O'Leary, and Terasawa) which became DLR acquired Wexler's firm in 2000. Wexler practiced in Palm Springs for almost six decades designing houses, schools, hotels, banks and among many other projects, including the 1966 main terminal building for the Palm Springs International Airport. In Rancho Mirage, Wexler & Harrison or Donald Wexler designed several homes including those at 71-049 Early Times Road, 71-048 Country Club Drive, and 70-170 Sonora Road. He died in 2015.'77
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Hugh Kaptur, Architect
Hugh Kaptur was born in Detroit Michigan where his father was a designer in the Packard and General Motors studios. He studied architecture at the Lawrence Institute of Technology.
He joined the Marines and while stationed at Camp Pendleton, he met his first wife and designed a real estate office for her family in San Clemente, his first built project. In 1954, Kaptur returned to Detroit where he worked with his Dad in GM's styling division. He moved to Palm Springs in 1956 and apprenticed with Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison. After being let go during a recession, Kaptur went to work independently making renderings for other architects and was hired by contractors to draw building plans. In 1962 he formed a partnership with licensed architect Robert Ricciardi to get the commission for Palm Springs Fire Station #3 and the Palm Springs Golf Course Clubhouse. After that partnership ended, he formed a new firm with Larry Lapham, Kaptur & Lapham, who was the son of the noted architect Howard Lapham. That partnership lasted ten years during which they designed homes in the Thunderbird and Eldorado Country Clubs in Rancho Mirage, including the Cramer Residence at 41-910 Tonopah Road. After another partnership with James Cioffi, he semi -retired in 1992.178
William Krisel, Architect
William Krisel was born in 1924 in Shanghai with his American parents working overseas for the U.S. State Department. Krisel lived in China until age 13, when his family returned to the US, where he attended Beverly Hills High. During WWII, Krisel was assigned to General Joe Stilwell as a Chinese interpreter. Following the war, he attended the USC School of Architecture and graduated in 1949. He also earned a license as a landscape architect in 1954. Designing more than 30,000 living units throughout Southern California, Krisel's career spanned over 51 years. A close personal friend of developer Bob Alexander and his family, Krisel came to the Coachella Valley at his request to design a tract of modernist houses dubbed Smoke Tree Valley. Other Palmer & Krisel projects included the Ocotillo Lodge, Las Palmas Estates (Vista Las Palmas), Kings Point and Canyon View Estates, Racquet Club Estates, the "Valley of the Sun" homes in Rancho Mirage and the Sandpiper condo complex in Palm Desert (which garnered an AIA merit award for Landscape Architecture). The "House of Tomorrow," conceived as an experiment in modern living, so impressed Alexander's wife Helene that they made it their personal residence. The house later gained fame as the honeymoon home of Elvis and Priscilla Presley. Krisel is one of the few mid-century modern architects who lived to participate in the resurgence of modernism. In his final years, he contributed to the restoration of many of his original designs. Beginning in 2008, Krisel collaborated with Maxx Livingstone on exact replicas of his mid-century designs, constructed with all new materials and aimed towards LEED certification. He died in June 2017.'79 303
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William Pereira, Architect
William Pereira was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1909. He is known for his corporate, industrial, and institutional architecture, such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Master Plan of the University of California at Irvine, and the Transamerica Pyramid office building in San Francisco. Pereira designed the impressive Firestone offices in Los Angeles in the same year, 1958, as Firestone's Thunderbird Country Club house, both in the International Style.
Pereira was in partnership with Charles Luckman, former president of the Lever Brothers Company, New York, from 1950 - 1958. Their work was frequently published in professional journals, especially Arts and Architecture by John Entenza. Until 1959, Pereira held a teaching position at the University of Southern California School of Architecture, Los Angeles. In 1958, Charles Luckman left the practice, leaving Pereira as the sole principal of the firm. Pereira died in 1985.180
Edward Durell Stone, Architect
Edward Durell Stone was born in 1902 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He attended the University of Arkansas before moving to Boston in 1922. Though he did not earn a degree, Stone attended courses at the Boston Architectural Club (now Boston Architectural College), Harvard University's School of Architecture, and MIT. He moved to New York in 1929 and joined the firm of Schultze & Weaver. While there, he designed the main lobby, grand ballroom, and private dining rooms of the Waldorf-Astoria. Stone became an early adopter of the New Formalist style, drawing inspiration from his visits to Europe. Stone achieved success nationally and internationally. He lived in New York for the rest of his life but designed many important buildings throughout the country. Notable works by Stone include the Radio City Music Hall, the US Pavilion at the Brussels World's Fair, the Kennedy Center in DC, the Mandel House in Bedford Hills, NY, and the original Eisenhower Medical Center building in Rancho Mirage.
Stone retired in 1974 and passed away in 1978.181
Pau/ Williams, Architect
Paul Williams was a noted architect based in Los Angeles. He began designing homes and commercial buildings in the early 1920s. Williams was considered a trailblazer in the architecture field as the first black architect to become a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1923, and the AIA's first black fellow in 1957. He was born in Los Angeles in 1894 and studied architecture at the University of Southern California. He went on to design approximately 2,500 buildings throughout Southern California, and around the world.
Williams designed homes for many celebrity clients including Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant.182 304
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In Rancho Mirage, Williams designed the Thunderbird Country Club home for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The buildings designed by Williams varied greatly in style and type. His most notable works include the Tudor style Leistikow House in Los Angeles (1923), William's International style home in Los Angeles (early 1950s), the Spanish Colonial Revival style 28th Street YMCA (1926), and the Late Moderne style Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building in Los Angeles (1949). Trained in the Beaux-Arts architecture, Williams excelled at interpreting period styles. He was noted for his attention to detail and personalized elements. Williams passed away in 1980.183
Charles Du Bois, Architect
Charles Du Bois was born in Rochester, New York. He was raised, with his sister, by his uncle in Glendale, California. He attended UCLA for a year and then transferred to MIT, where he attended school intermittently from 1922 to 1930. During this time, he was also working as a draftsman for several prominent architecture firms, including Walker & Eisen (1923-1931), Gogerty & Weyl (1926-1929), and Horatio W. Bishop (1929). Du Bois was exposed to many Spanish Baroque, Spanish Colonial, and Mediterranean Revival styles in these early years. In 1938, he opened his office in Hollywood. When housing construction slowed during WWII, he worked as a Senior Set Designer for MGM. After the war, he lived in Encino and returned to designing and working with developers across southern California. Some of his works include the Hollywood Riviera Estates, Palos Verdes Riviera Beach Estates, Fairwood Estates in Granada Hills, Santa Anita Estates in Pasadena, and Woodland West in Woodland Hills. In particular, Woodland West offers a glimpse of several Du Bois design hallmarks, namely Palos Verdes stone cladding, double entry doors, and "casket -pull" door handles. His Palm Springs homes possess many classic mid-century modern traits, such as post -and -beam construction, vaulted ceilings, walls of glass, and an emphasis on blending indoor and outdoor living. Du Bois is well known for the Swiss Miss Houses in Palm Springs, featuring dramatic A -frame entries as well as the Las Palmas Summit and Canyon Estates developments. In Rancho Mirage, Du Bois designed the Armstrong Residence at 40-516 Tonopah Road. Du Bois died in 1996.184
E. Stewart Williams, Architect
Emerson Stewart Williams studied architecture at Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, taught for a few years at Columbia University, and then worked for designer Raymond Loewy. He came to Palm Springs in 1946 to work with his father Harry and brother Roger in their architectural office. Stewart Williams was greatly influenced by the Scandinavian Modernists Alvar Aalto and E.G. Asplund, particularly their use of wood and other natural materials in the creation of a 'warmer' Modernism. Williams' first Palm Springs commission 305
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was for the 1947 Frank Sinatra residence, a modern building of glass, natural stone, redwood siding, and an upswept roof that, according to author and critic Alan Hess, "set a tone for postwar glamour as Hollywood stars continued to move to Palm Springs - to large homes, often on country clubs, favoring a sleek but warm Modernism rather than cool minimalism." Stewart Williams' own home in Palm Springs was built in 1956. His career was long and varied including custom homes, offices, banks, civic buildings, Palm Springs' upper tramway station, and many schools throughout the Coachella Valley and high desert. One of his later works, the Desert Museum, a concrete building lifted above the street, surrounded by a sunken sculpture garden, and sheathed in volcanic cinder was completed in 1970. In Rancho Mirage, Williams designed four houses in the Thunderbird Country Club: the Kiner Residence (1951), Bligh Residence (1952), Christie Residence (1955), and Scott Residence (1957). The Roderick W. Kenaston Residence just outside of Thunderbird was built in 1956.185 Patrick E. Sheehy, Architect
Patrick Evan Sheehy was born in Los Angeles in 1940. Sheehy was a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Architectural Engineering. According to AIA historical records, Sheehy joined William Cody's practice in 1967. By 1969, Cody had made both Patrick Evan Sheehy and Laszlo Sandor associates and renamed his practice: William F. Cody & Associates, Inc. Cody's brother Jay was also made an associate in 1970. Cody retained the controlling interest in the partnership. The practice later became known as Cody/Sheehy Architects. Sheehy worked closely with William Cody on several major projects from the early 1970s including the Tennis Club hotel in downtown Palm Springs, completed in 1973. Sheehy and Cody also worked together on the new Palm Springs Library, designed in a Brutalist style.
Following Cody's stroke in 1973, projects already on the boards in the office were seen through to completion, including the Riback Residence.
The firm was dissolved in 1976, when Jay Cody and Patrick Sheehy went their separate ways.
William F. Cody later died in 1978. Following Cody's death, Ted Riback was still interested in following Cody's earlier designs and Sheehy's input, so he commissioned Sheehy in 1977 to finish the home. During his years of individual practice, Sheehy specialized in designing custom residences and designs for tract home developments across the Coachella Valley.
He won several AIA awards in 1981 for the Inland California Chapter of the AIA: a citation for the Initial Cafeteria at Cal State Bakersfield in 1981 - which shared the same Brutalist style as the Palm Springs Library. He was also awarded for a 137 -condominium project in Indian Wells for Vintage Properties and received an interiors award for the Robert McCulloch residence at Lake Havasu, Arizona. In Rancho Mirage, Sheehy finished the design of the Riback Residence in 1978, based on William F. Cody's designs from 1973. Sheehy moved from the 306
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desert to Laguna Beach in or around 1990, having remarried. He died in 1996, at the age of
55.186
Wallace Neff, Architect
Edwin Wallace Neff was born in 1895 to Edwin Neff and Nannie McNally, daughter of printing mogul Andrew McNally of Rand -McNally Corp. When he was nine years old, the family moved to Europe, but later returned following the outbreak of World War I. Once back in the United States, Neff grew up on "Millionaire's Row" in Altadena, California, where he earned an appreciation for intricate custom architectural designs. He first began to hone his architectural drafting skills while working under Ralph Adams Cram in Massachusetts. He later returned to live in Altadena and work as a shipyard draftsman in Wilmington. One of his first projects was designing the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church in Altadena.
Neff designed the building as a gift to the community and the church was officially dedicated in 1926. In most of his designs over the course of his career, Neff combined Spanish, Tuscan, Mediterranean, Islamic, and other design elements to form what he called the "California Style." His influential clientele included Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. In Rancho Mirage, Wallace Neff designed the Red Skelton Residence at 37-715 Thompson Road in 1955. Today, Wallace Neff homes often continue to be desired by the Southern California elite.
William Beckett, Architect
William Sutherland Beckett was born June 14, 1921 in Kansas City, Missouri. He attended Yale University and graduated in 1943. Beckett moved to California after graduating and worked for Douglas Aircraft for a short time during World War I I . He later went to work for the firm Spaulding and Rex from 1944 to 1949, eventually achieving the title Chief Designer. Beckett married fellow Kansas Citian and socialite, Julianne Kemper in 1948. She was the daughter of James Madison Kemper, Sr. and part of a prominent banking family and patrons of the arts in Kansas City. In late 1949, Beckett went out on his own, and by 1950, he had completed his own offices, located at 9026 Melrose Avenue. The building garnered him an AIA National Honor First Award in 1952, one of only three given nationwide that year. This prestigious award set his reputation as an architect for stars like Charlton Heston, setting him off on a career designing many celebrity homes and businesses in Beverly Hills and throughout LA. In Rancho Mirage, Beckett designed the Schwartz Residence in 1969 within the Tamarisk Country Club.
William Beckett died at the early age of 56 in 1977 due to issues resulting from chronic alcoholism.187
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Howard Lapham, Architect
Howard Lapham was born in 1914 in Stamford, Connecticut. In 1954 at age 40, he arrived in the Coachella Valley. Although he was a registered designer, Lapham intended on becoming a builder in his new desert home. Within a year, however, he was designing residences for wealthy and influential members of the Thunderbird Country Club along the Club's fairways and up the slopes of what became known as Thunderbird Heights. Several of Lapham's buildings appeared in "Architectural Digest", including the Hyatt von Dehn Residence (1960, Thunderbird Heights), the Kiewit Residence (1960, Thunderbird Country Club), the Clarke Swanson Residence (1961, Thunderbird Country Club), the Morrow Residence (1961, Silver Spur Ranch, Palm Desert), and the 1961 remodel of the Thunderbird Country Club clubhouse. He remodeled the famous Chi Chi nightclub in 1959, giving it an ultra -modern new facade. Lapham also designed Lord Fletcher's English Pub in 1966 on what became known as 'restaurant row' on Highway 1 1 1 in Rancho Mirage. One of Lapham's largest residential projects was the Mayan-themed Cook House, known as Ichpa Mayapan, built atop Thunderbird Heights in 1970. Lapham also drew the initial plans for the Eisenhower Medical Center, although Edward D. Stone obtained the commission. Lapham officially retired in the 1980s although he maintained an office in Palm Springs for many years. He died in 2008:88
Lawrence Lapham, Architect
Lawrence "Larry" Lapham, born in 1935, was an Oklahoma native. He spent two years at Oklahoma City University before he was drafted in 1954 to serve in the Korean War. In 1956, he returned to the United States and moved to Palm Springs in 1959 to work with his father, Howard Lapham as an architect and developer of both homes and commercial properties.
In the early 1970s, Lapham partnered with Bill Bachwick to develop Desert Dorado, a 500 - unit housing development. He is known for both Modernist and Mediterranean Revival style properties. Lapham is particularly known for the Alan Ladd building on Palm Springs Canyon Drive and many other notable properties across the Coachella Valley. He partnered with Hugh Kaptur to design the Cramer Residence in Thunderbird Heights, which was completed in 1971. In later years, he became a member of the Palm Spring Planning Commission and a part of the Tribal Planning Commission. He died in 2004 at the age of 68 from cancer at the Desert Regional Medical Center.189
James H. McNaughton, Architect
James H. McNaughton was born in 1912 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Carnegie Tech (Carnegie Mellon University) in 1935 with a degree in architecture. During the 308
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late 1930s, he was briefly employed as a designer for Steuben Glass Works, fashioning very detailed pieces, some of which are displayed at the Smithsonian. After graduation he left for New York City, where he hoped to design sets for Broadway productions. Instead, he found himself in the television business. Due to his innovative use of perspective, designing static one-dimensional backgrounds with the illusion of height and distance, McNaughton quickly gained acclaim as TV's first official art director. During the peak of his career in the 1950s, McNaughton earned many honors and awards. By the end of the decade, he felt that he'd accomplished all he wanted to in the field and made a clean break, leaving television and moving to the west coast.
McNaughton came to Palm Springs in 1959, when he was 47 years old with the ambition to design homes. In 1961, he received his first commission when Harry R. & Willa Morrill employed him to design a new mansion for themselves on Panorama Road in Little Tuscany, Palm Springs. Upon its completion, the Morrill House became an instant sensation, garnering praise and coverage in Palm Springs Life, The Desert Sun, and later The Architectural Digest. In 1963, he completed the Allan & Middy Kramer Residence in the Caballeros Estates, which also earned him more acclaim. He designed a second house for them in Tamarisk Country Club, which they moved into in 1974. Other project attributed to McNaughton include the George Arnold Residence in Palm Springs, the 1973 Petunia House in Phoenix, and a group of spec homes in Andreas and Murray Canyons.
He had many other talents which he practiced throughout his life. He was an accomplished painter, muralist, and pianist. He played the pipe organ and designed prestigious concert venues, including the Pittsburgh Organ Academy, Boston Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Music Center. He died in 1979, only creating plans for about two dozen projects that were actually completed. However, the quality of these few designs makes McNaughton a noteworthy architect, particularly in the Coachella Valley.'9° Gin Wong, Architect
Gin Wong was born in Guangzhou, China in 1922 and immigrated to Los Angeles as a young child. After serving as a radar bombardier for the U.S. Army in World War II, he attended USC's School of Architecture, graduating in 1950. After graduation, he worked for Pereira and Luckman, eventually becoming vice president of design. When William Pereira and Charles Luckman established their own firms, Wong helped found William L. Pereira & Associates in 1958, where he ultimately became a partner and the firm's president. Wong was instrumental in creating some of Los Angeles' greatest Modern structures. He served as design director for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Other projects included CBS 309
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Television City and downtown's Union Oil Center (now Los Angeles Center Studios). Wong also designed what many consider the most iconic gas station in the world —the Union 76 station (1965) in Beverly Hills, originally designed as part of the LAX master plan. It was under Wong's leadership that Pereira & Associates was commissioned to design the landmark Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.191 In Rancho Mirage, Gin Wong Associates designed the Provident Bank building, which was completed in 1982.
Welton Becket Associates, Architect
Born in Seattle in 1902, Welton Becket studied architecture at the University of Washington.
He moved with his schoolmate Walter Wurdeman to Los Angeles in 1933. Together with Charles Plummer, they formed Plummer, Wurdeman and Becket, a firm that largely designed restaurants and shops. In 1935 they designed the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles in a striking Streamline Moderne design. After Plummer's death in 1939, the duo continued as Wurdeman and Becket. They worked largely on defense and housing projects until the end of World War II. When large-scale projects were green -lit across the country, Becket and Plummer were well positioned to receive a sizable share of the new commissions. Their first major post war building was the 1947 Bullock's Pasadena, one of the first department stores to open after the war. The same year, their General Petroleum building became the first major post war office building to rise in downtown Los Angeles. After Wurdeman died unexpectedly in 1949, Becket renamed the firm Welton Becket and Associates. He continued to design several iconic buildings including Capitol Records (Hollywood, 1956), Parker Center (Civic Center, 1955), Los Angeles International Airport (with William Pereira, Charles Luckman, and Paul R. Williams; Inglewood, 1959), and The Music Center (Civic Center, 1964-67). Becket's firm also completed master plans for Panorama City (1947) and Century City (1960), UCLA Medical Center (Westwood, 1948-70), and the civic cores of Pomona (1962-69) and the City of Orange (1963). In 1955, Welton Becket designed the McCulloch Residence within Thunderbird Country Club. Welton "Welt" Becket oversaw the construction of more than a hundred projects before his passing in 1969.192 MacDonald Becket, Architect
MacDonald Becket graduated from the USC School of Architecture in 1952. Like his uncle, MacDonald was a driving force in the development of architecture in Los Angeles. Two of his major roles in California were coordinating architect for the master planning and architectural implementations of the 260 -acre Century City project and in the successful renovation of the state capitol building in Sacramento. Becket became president of Welton Becket and Associates in 1969, after Welton's death, and under his leadership, the firm became significant for its corporate and institutional architecture with multiple offices in the 310
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United States and around the world. He was instrumental in the design of projects such as the Washington, D.C. Convention Center, Terminal One at the Los Angeles International Airport, Barclays Bank International in New York City, the Federal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles, the redevelopment of the Boston Commons, Xerox Square in Rochester, New York, the Reunion Hyatt Regency in Dallas, and the Valley National Bank (now Chase Bank) in downtown Phoenix, which is still the tallest building in Arizona.
MacDonald Becket also expanded the firm's development, investment, and international roles. In China, His firm designed the Great Wall Hotel in Beijing, and the firm later developed the World Trade Center in Moscow, Russia. He was the first American architect to do a major building in China. Five large projects for the Samsung Corporation in Seoul, South Korea, were also accomplished under his direction. The firm merged in 1987 with Ellerbe Inc. to form Ellerbe Becket, once the largest architectural firm in the United States. In 2009, AECOM Technology purchased Ellerbe Becket. Prior to the merger, Becket oversaw a staff of 300 architects, planners, engineers, interior designers, space planners and programmers, and allied specialists offering comprehensive total design services on a worldwide basis. In addition, Becket designed and completed personal homes for former United States presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Gerald Ford, as well as for J.C. Hall, owner and president of Hallmark Cards. He died in 2017 at the age of 89 years old in Phoenix, Arizona.193 John Randal McDonald, Architect
John Randal McDonald was an American architect, born in 1922, who worked in the 1950s and 1960s. McDonald was born in Milwaukee in 1922 and served in World War II as an officer in the U.S. Navy before pursuing a degree in architecture. After a brief stint in the fine arts program at the State Teacher's College, McDonald decided to pursue his interest in architecture at Yale University. His work has often been compared to Frank Lloyd Wright's because nature was a continuous theme in his design, emphasizing the importance of a natural setting and the use of natural materials. McDonald also encouraged homeowners to be aware of the elegance of the natural environment, thereby making them more sensitive to nature. McDonald designed unique homes that appealed to the public and were often affordable. Initially, McDonald's designs were predominantly for private residences; however, as years passed and his success and reputation increased, he was commissioned to design monasteries, hotels, factories, dormitories, schools, and churches across the country and abroad. McDonald constructed his first house, located at 801 Lathrop Avenue, Racine, Wisconsin in 1949. With his continued success, McDonald expanded his business and moved to Florida in the late 1950s. McDonald was successful throughout his life as he designed hotels, banks, churches, and marinas throughout the 311
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world, as well as homes for various celebrities, such as Bjorn Borg, Mickey Mantle, Perry Como, Jimmy Connors, James Garner and Maureen O'Hara. He designed the Penrith-Taubman House in Thunderbird Heights, which was completed in 1965. He died in 2003.194 Buff & Hensman & Associates, Architect
One of the more prolific developers of Contemporary style homes and custom Modernistic style residences in Southern California during the postwar era, Buff, Straub & Hensman was a Pasadena based firm born out of the USC School of Architecture. Between 1958 and 1963, the partners, Conrad Buff, Donald Hensman, and Calvin Straub, became award winning designers, creating Modern style dwellings, including the Poppy Peak Historic District in Pasadena. In 1963, Straub relocated to Arizona and the firm changed names to Buff & Hensman & Associates (1964-1988). During this time, they designed the Meade Residence in 1972, within Tamarisk Country Club, and the governor's mansion for Ronald Reagan the following year in 1973.195
Barry Berkus, Architect
Barry Berkus was an American modernist architect known for his contributions to mid-century modern architecture, particularly in Southern California. He was born in 1935 in Santa Barbara, California, and graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in architecture. He began his career as an intern with William Cody in Palm Springs and later founded his firm, B3 Architects. Throughout his career, Berkus designed numerous residential and commercial buildings. He designed more than 600,000 houses and helped write building codes and develop new towns in Japan. He designed the Chalet Palms community within Magnesia Falls Cove in 1964. He died in 2012 at the age of 77.196 Henry Eggers, Architect
Henry Eggers was born in Denver, Colorado on May 12, 1911. Earning his bachelor's degree in architecture from Cornell in 1933 and the Sands Medal that same year, Henry Eggers lived much of his life in the Los Angeles area where he died at the age of 75. Eggers joined the Southern California Chapter of the AIA in 1943 and served as the Chapter Secretary between 1947-48. During the years 1946-48 he was a partner in the firm Kaufmann, Lippincott & Eggers. Partnering with Walter W. Wilkman in the firm Eggers and Wilkman, Architects (1956- 66) he ran the business from his home office in Pasadena.197 Together they designed the Davis Residence "White Shadows" in Thunderbird Heights, which was completed in 1957. 312
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Michael Allan Black, Architect
A 1961 graduate of the USC School of Architecture, Michael Allan Black established his architectural practice in 1968 after working for Master Architect E. Stewart Williams, whose portfolio included the Santa Fe Savings Bank and the Upper Mountain Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, as well as the Frank Sinatra House. In 1969, Michael Allan Black prepared designs for the second group of homes within the Tamarisk West community, Tamarisk West II.
Walter W. Wilkman, Architect
Walter W. Wilkman was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1917. He attended Wentworth Institute from 1935 to 1937. Afterwards, he became a draftsman at Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn, Architects, Boston, Massachusetts from 1937 to 1938. He took classes at the Boston Architectural Center from 1937 to 1940, and additional coursework at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1940 to 1941. He became a designer at the Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation from 1941 to 1942. After WWII, he became a designer for Kauffmann, Lippincott, and Eggers, Architects from 1946 to 1948. In 1952 he partnered with Henry Eggers to form Eggers and Wilkman, Architects in Los Angeles. He stayed with Eggers until 1966. Together, Eggers and Wilkman designed the Davis Residence "White Shadows" in Thunderbird Heights. He died in 1992 in Ventura Country, California.198 Harold Warren Levitt, Architect
Harold "Hal" Warren Levitt was born on July 26, 1921, in San Francisco, California. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Arts from Stanford University and an architecture degree from USC. After his graduation, he worked for Roland Coate and Burton Schutt before he founded his own architectural company, Levitt, LeDuc & Farwell, in the 1950s. The company was headquartered in Beverly Hills. He designed homes for Walter Mirisch, Steven Spielberg, Lew Wasserman, Olivia Newton -John, Ross Hunter, Quincy Jones, Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Debbie Reynolds, Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers and Hal Wallis. He also designed the Riviera Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills. His designs reflected modernist philosophies of mid-century Los Angeles which emphasized intermixing and re -interpreting indoor and outdoor spaces with large glass surfaces, interior courtyards, and surprising entry sequences. Many Levitt homes featured large-scale doors that instead of leading indoors, opened into interior protected courtyards. He designed the Morton Residence within Tamarisk Country Club in 1986. He retired to Reno, Nevada, in 2001 and died at his holiday home in Las Vegas at the age of 79 in 2003.'99
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Crombie Tay/or, Architect
Crombie Taylor was an architect, professor, and preservationist. He was born in Pennsylvania and earned architectural degrees at Penn State and Princeton University. He began teaching at Georgia Tech. In 1944, he began teaching at the Institute of Design in Chicago, with a focus on expanding the European Bauhaus school of modern architecture and design. He was the acting director of the program from 1951 to 1954. In 1954, Taylor left the school to practice architecture. Most of his design work was in Chicago, the most notable being the Hull House Uptown Center. His designs were known for being simple and elegant.
In the 1950s, Taylor rediscovered and reproduced stencil designs by 19th century designer Louis H. Sullivan. Taylor was a champion of Sullivan's work, working throughout his career to restore several Sullivan designed buildings, and to recover and exhibit Sullivan's trademark stencil designs. Taylor began teaching at the University of Southern California in 1962, working there until his retirement in 1985. While he taught, Taylor designed the Rosenbaum Residence at 37-084 Palm View Road. He passed away in 1999.2°0
Ted Grenzbach, Architect
Ted Grenzbach was born in New York City but grew up in 1930s Hollywood. After serving in the Navy during World War II, Grenzbach earned a degree in architecture from U.C.
Berkeley. Following graduation, he built homes in Modernist styles for stars such as Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Cher, Gene Kelly, Herb Alpert, Rock Hudson, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand and Johnny Carson.201 In 1983, Grenzbach designed the Postmodern style Klien Residence in the Tamarisk Country Club.
Richard Arnett Harrison, Architect
Richard Arnett Harrison was born in Los Angeles on June 5, 1924. Richard "Rick" attended University High School in Los Angeles. He went on to graduate from University of Southern California in 1951 with a degree in Architecture. After travel to Mexico and Canada, Harrison began work at William F. Cody's firm in Palm Springs from July 1951 to February 1953, where he worked side by side with his soon to be partner Donald Wexler (who previously began his career in the office of Richard Neutra). Harrison went on to design homes throughout Southern California including Seven Lakes, and enclaves of homes in Nevada.202 Wexler & Harrison designed several notable homes in Rancho Mirage including the Skutt Residence and the Charney Residence.
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Stan Alan Sackley, Architect/Builder
Stan Alan Sackley was a prolific Modernist architect in the Coachella Valley. He was born in Los Angeles County and graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in architecture in 1961. In the early 1960s, prior to forming his own firm, Sackley partnered with Herman Charles Light. Sackley was never licensed as an architect but maintained a successful design firm in Palm Springs. He received national fame when his house for James Hollowell was featured in Playboy in April 1966. Sackley is best known for mid-century Modern homes along Caliente Drive. He designed the Spare Residence at Tamarisk Country Club in 1974. By 1986, Sackley had retired. He died in 2001.203 Albert Belden Crist, Builder
Albert Belden Crist was born in Hollywood in 1923, but he grew up and resided for much of his life in Palm Springs. His father was a builder but at age 19 in 1942, Crist was working at a Safeway in Arizona. After the war, from 1947 to 1951, Crist was listed as a carpenter in the Palm Springs Directory. Like his father, he continued to work as a builder for the rest of his career, which lasted through the 1970s. He constructed the Ben Gale Residence in 1961 within the Thunderbird Country Club. He died in 1986.204 Rancho Mirage Realty Company, Builder
A. Ronald Button created the Rancho Mirage Realty Company in 1954. While he sold property in Rancho Mirage throughout the late -1940s and early -1950s, homes Button's homes built by the Rancho Mirage Realty Company were unique in their design and marketing.
From the 1940s, Button's plan was to build a new city, and he required investors. To that end, he partnered briefly with his brother-in-law, the radio and TV personality Art Linkletter, from 1956 to 1958, to develop modern Contemporary style homes within the Magnesia Falls Cove area. During this timeframe, the Rancho Mirage Realty Company developed several Contemporary style tract houses using similar plans and marketed them as 'Linkletter Homes', to capitalize on name recognition and put the community on the map. Most 'Linkletter Homes' had stucco -clad exterior walls, semi-detached garages connected by patio roofs, floor -to -ceiling windows on the front and rear elevations, front -facing gables with large overhangs, and exposed roofing components.
Marva) Construction Company, Builder
Robert "Bob" Marx was the son of Gummo Marx (of the Marx Brothers), born in 1930. He was a building contractor in the Coachella Valley. He partnered with architect designer Val Powelson under the firm Marval Construction Company which operated from 1957 to 1964. 315
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"Marval" is a combination of the Marx and Val names. Marx built many custom homes in the Rancho Mirage Tamarisk area, best known being the Gullwing House/Leo Maranz residence, the Sputnik House/Gummo Marx residence, and the Da Vall Estates ("Robert 'Bob' Marx Collection," Palm Springs Art Museum, Online Archive of California). The many residences constructed by the Marval Construction firm and designed by Powelson under the Marval firm are noted for their eye-catching Modern designs. This included dramatic winged roofs, sharply pointed exposed beams, unique shapes and angles, prominent center beams, and dramatic architectural features.
Other Architects and Builders
Other builders that appeared in building records or permits during the current survey effort are listed below. Limited information was available regarding these companies and individuals associated with historic -era properties in Rancho Mirage. Further research in the future may result in additional information regarding the location, operation, and activity of these architects and builders in the region.
• Jack McCallum & Robert "Bob" Pitchford
• Robert H. Ricciardi
• Ross Patten and Albert Wild
• Trenton Dunphy & John Fincher
• Jack McCallum and Robert "Bob" Pitchford
• Bill Foster
• Ernst Off
• Cobble & Wessman Construction Company
• Arthur Valdes
• K. Sande Senness
• Peter Kiewit Sons' Company
• Great West Contractors, Inc.
• George M. Holstein & Sons
• David Freedman
• Millard Archuleta
Associated Property Types
Property types associated with different local and regional architectural styles are included in the Historic Context Statement, with character defining features detailed for each style.
The architectural styles encompass residential, commercial, civic, and institutional property types. Below are the significance thresholds and integrity considerations for a property in 316
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Rancho Mirage to be listed on the NRHP, CRHR, or Local Register for representation of a specific architectural style, type, period, or method of construction.
Significance Thresholds
To be eligible for listing in the NRHP, CRHR, or Local Register, a property in Rancho Mirage that displays the character defining features of one or more of the listed architectural styles and exhibits sufficient levels of integrity must be significant under at least one of the following criteria.
NRHP Criterion A/CRHR Criterion 1
An architecturally significant property in Rancho Mirage may be eligible under Criterion A/1 for its association with one or more of the other identified themes in the Historic Context Statement related to the board patterns of national, state, or local history. A historic property may also be significant under A/1 as a representation of one or more of the themes identified in the Historic Context Statement.
NRHP Criterion B/CRHR Criterion 2
An architecturally significant property in Rancho Mirage may be significant under Criterion B/2 for its association with life and/or work of a person, or persons, important to national, state, or local Rancho Mirage history. Prominent individuals may include the persons discussed in one or more of the themes outlined throughout the Historic Context Statement.
Additional significant individuals may be discovered through future research.
NRHP Criterion C/CRHR Criterion 3
A historic era building in Rancho Mirage displaying Period Revival, Early Modern, or Late Modern architectural styles may be eligible under Criterion C/3 for embodying distinctive characteristics of a style, type, period, or method of construction. A notable work of a master builder, architect, or designer in Rancho Mirage would also be significant under Criterion C/3.
NRHP Criterion D/CRHR Criterion 4
A building related to a specific architectural style in Rancho Mirage may be significant under Criterion D/4 if the building has the potential to yield important information of scientific value. 317
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Local Register Criteria
An architecturally significant property built post -1973 may be significant under Local Register Criterion 1 if it is representative of a mid -to -late 20th century architectural style or reflects special elements of a type, style or way of life important to the City; under Local Register Criterion 2 if it is associated with a business or use which was once common but is now rare or non-existent within the City; under Local Register Criterion 3 if it is representative of the evolution or development or associated with the cultural, religious, educational, political, social or economic growth of the city, county, state or nation; under Local Register Criterion 4 if it represents the work of a master builder, engineer, designer, artist or architect whose individual genius influenced any of the themes outlined in the Historic Context Statement; under Local Register Criterion 5 for an association with a historic event person(s) that have made a meaningful contribution to the city, state or nation; under Local Register Criterion 6 if it has a high potential for yielding information of archaeological interest; under Local Register Criterion 7 if it embodies elements of outstanding or innovative attention to architectural or engineering design, detail, craftsmanship or use of materials; or under Local Register Criterion 8 if it contains an unusual natural feature.
Integrity Considerations
To be eligible for listing in the NRHP, CRHR, or Local Register, an architecturally significant property must retain sufficient integrity to convey its significance. A property nominated under NRHP Criteria A/CRHR Criteria 1 should retain integrity of location, setting, feeling, and association. A property nominated under NRHP Criterion B/CRHR Criterion 2 should retain integrity of location, design, feeling, and association, as the physical condition of a site is directly related to connection between a property and a significant individual. A property nominated under NRHP Criterion C/CRHR Criterion 3 should retain integrity of design, materials, workmanship, and feeling, as these are critical for a property to embody distinctive characteristics of a style. Some alterations may be acceptable if the property retains its essential features and overall original form. A property nominated under NRHP Criterion D/CRHR Criterion 4 should retain integrity of location, materials, and association.
Regarding integrity considerations for sites potentially eligible for listing in the Local Register, a property nominated under Criteria 1, 4, or 7 should retain integrity of design, materials, workmanship, and feeling. A property nominated under Criteria 2, 3, or 5 should retain integrity of location, setting, feeling, and association. A property nominated under Criteria 6 or 8 should retain integrity location, materials, and association. 318
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VI. Bibliography
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. "Our Story" Accessed November 3, 2025, https://www.aguacaliente.org/ .
ArchEyes. "Barry Berkus." Timeless Architecture. Accessed March 2025, https://archeyes.com/tag/Barry-Berkus/ .
Ancestry.com "Verna N. Smith." Accessed March 2025.
Avery, Laura. "Oh, No, It's Happening Again!" Accessed March 2025. http://www.smmirror.com/volume3/issue51/ .
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Works Cited/Endnotes
1 California Office of Historic Preservation, "What is the California Register and What Does It Have to Do With CEQA?" htto://oh e.oarks.ca.gov/?page_id=21724 Accessed August 2019. 2 Herbert E. Bolton, Anza's California Expeditions (Cleveland: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1920). 3 Leslie Heumann, Teresa Grimes, and Peter Moruzzi, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey (Leslie Neumann and Associates, 2003), 8.
4 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 9. 5 Lowell John Bean and Lisa Bourgeault, Indians of North America: The Cahuilla (New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989); City of La Quinta, City of La Quinta General Plan (1992), 5-17; City Of La Quinta. Historic Context Statement (La Quinta Historic Planning Department, 201 1). 6 James J. Rawls, Indians of California: The Changing Image (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1984). 7 Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Reports of Explorations and Surveys to Ascertain the Most Practical and Economical Route for a Railroad From the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean Made Under the Direction of the Secretary of War in 1853-4, Volume V. ( https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/williamson1853.htm ); Wikipedia Foundation, Pacific Railroad Surveys ( https://en.wikiDedia.org/wiki/Pacific Railroad Surveys) 8 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 9. 9 Wikipedia Foundation, "Leland Stanford," (httos://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leland Stanford), "Collis P.
Huntington," ( https://en.wikioedia.org/wiki/Collis Potter Huntington), "Central Pacific Railroad," (httos://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central Pacific Railroad). 10 L.B. Lesley, "A Southern Transcontinental Railroad to California: Texas and Pacific versus Southern Pacific, 1865- 1885," Pacific Historical Review 5(1): 1936, 52 -60. 11 City Of La Quinta Historic Context Statement (201 1). 12 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 10. 13 City Of La Quinta Historic Context Statement (201 1); Rawls, Indians of California: The Changing Image, 109- 110.
14 Nordland, Coachella Valley's Golden Years, 111.
15 "Our History," Mission Hills Country Club, https://www.invitedclubs.com/clubs/mission-hills-country-club/who- we-are/our-history
16 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 9; "Our Story," Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, accessed November 3, 2025, httDs:// www.aguacaliente.org/ . 17 California Department of Transportation, A Historical Context and Archaeological Research Design for Agricultural Properties in California (Division of Environmental Analysis, California Department of Transportation, Sacramento, CA 2007), 40-45.
18 The definitive work on land laws including homesteading is Paul W. Gates, History of Public Land Law Development (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1968). 19 Caltrans, Context for Agricultural Properties, 42.
20 City Of La Quinta Historic Context Statement (201 1); W. D. Robinson, Land in California (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1948), 147-161.
21 Ibid., 45.
22 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 10. 23 Robert Marcell, World War I and the Homestead Act of 1862: When Farmers Fought and Soldiers Farmed for America's Homestead States (Nebraska: Homestead National Park, 2020) available electronically at:
httos:// www.nos.gov/articles/upload/World-War-I-and-the-Homestead-Act-of-1862.pdf 24 Laura Avery, "Oh, No, It's Happening Again!" http://www.smmirror.com/volume3/issue51/ 330
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25 "Winning Converts to Dates." http://www.seasonalchef.com/dates.htm 26 "Welcome Wonder Palms Hotel and Guest Ranch," The Desert Sun, October 31, 1947, 26. 27 City of Rancho Mirage, "The Early Years," httos://rm50th.com/history/the earlyyears.php 28 Mellon and Associates, City of La Quinta Historic Resources Survey (1997). 29 Tracy Conrad, "History: From experiment to celebrated product, dates find a home in the Coachella Valley," Desert Sun, September 6, 2020.
3° Mellon and Associates, City of La Quinta Historic Resources Survey (1997). 31 The best description of the public domain is found in Paul W. Gates, History of Public Land Law Development (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1968). 32 Ibid.
33 Helen Dykema Dengler, White Sun: Memoirs of a Desert Guest Ranch (Maryland: Gateway Press, 2002). 34 City of Rancho Mirage, "Early Year".
35 "White Sun Sold," The Desert Sun, September 8, 1980, 4. 36 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 1 1. 37 "White Sun Sold," The Desert Sun (Palm Springs), September 8, 1980, 4. 38 The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert, (September 7, 2022) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=615820670042071 &id=104118687878941 &set=a. 120428636247946 39 City of Rancho Mirage, "The Early Years," https://rm50th.com/history/the_early_years.php 4° City of Rancho Mirage. A Look Back In Time. 1993, reprinted 1997. Pages 4-5. 41 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 10. 42 "Verna N. Smith," Ancestry.com
43 Rancho Mirage, "The Early Years."
44 Ibid.
45 Windeler, Robert. Thunderbird Country Club 50th: From Desert to Oasis. 2002. Page 5. 46 Bogert, Frank. Palm Springs First Hundred Years. 1987. Page 181. 47 Thunderbird Country Club, "Thunderbird Ranch," 2022, https://www.thunderbirdcc.org/story/thunderbird- ranch/
48 Rancho Mirage, "The Early Years."
49 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 1 1 . 50 Rancho Mirage, "The Early Years."
51 Ibid.
52 Ibid.
53 Ibid.
54 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 13. ss Ibid, 14
56 Holland, David R. "Rancho Las Palmas."
http://www.travelgolf.com/departments/resortfeatures/california/rancho-las-palmas.htm 57 Ibid.
58 "Desert Air Hotel Sold, Multi -Million Plan Told," The Desert Sun, May 1, 1968, 1; "Desert Air Course Dream of Hines," The Desert Sun, January 2, 1968, 1.
59 "Rancho Las Palmas CC Begun In Rancho Mirage," The Desert Sun, August 18, 1976. 60 "Marriott To Break Ground," The Desert Sun, November 9, 1977. 61 Thunderbird Country Club, " Story Chapter 01: Thunderbird Ranch," https://www.thunderbirdcc.org/story/thunderbird-ranch/
62 Bogert, 246-249.
63 Robert Windeler, Thunderbird Country Club 50th: From Desert to Oasis, (2002), 10-15. 331
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64 Thunderbird Country Club, " Story Chapter 02: Golf Cart Inventor," https://www.thunderbirdcc.org/story/golf- cart-inventor/; Thunderbird Country Club, " Story Chapter 03: The Ryder Cup," https://www.thunderbirdcc.org/story/the-ryder-cup/; Thunderbird Country Club, " Story Chapter 04: The Ford Thunderbird," https://www.thunderbirdcc.org/story/the-ford-thunderbird/ 65 Melissa Riche, Mod Mirage: The Midcentury Architecture of Rancho Mirage, (Layton: Gibbs Smith, 2018), 190. 66 Thunderbird Country Club, " Story Chapter 05: Club of Presidents," httos:// www.thunderbirdcc.org/story/club- of-presidents/
67 "Thunderbird CC Starts Work On $700,000 Building Project," The Desert Sun (Palm Springs), May 1 1 , 1960; "RM OKs changes," The Desert Sun, May 29, 1982.
68 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 13. 69 Stanley Fonseca, "Whiteness on the Green: Golf, the Coachella Valley, and the Leisure -Industrial Complex," Pacific Historical Review (2021) 90 (4): 448-474.
70 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 13. 71 Preservation Mirage, "Rancho Mirage History," accessed February 2025, https://www.preservationmirage.org/rancho-mirage-
history?srsltid=AfmBOopgYf4rxEjU HKMjwfZwy0TKI2ATIt212dfJ0yW_WfZeEyyoS9Kz 72 Dara Mead, "Tamarisk Country Club: Harnessing a Significant and Inclusive History for a New Era," accessed February 2025, https://thedesertmag.com/desert-style/places/tamarisk-country-club-harnessing-significant- inclusive-history-new-era/..
73 Darya Mead, "Tamarisk Country Club: Harnessing a Significant and Inclusive History for a New Era," Desert Magazine (April 27 2022). https://thedesertmag.com/desert-style/places/tamarisk-country-club-harnessing- significant-inclusive-history-new-era/
74 City of Rancho Mirage, "Pre -Incorporation," httos://rm50th.com/history/ore-incorporation .ph o. 75Adele Cygelman (Palm Springs Modern, 1999, pages 180-186. 76 Cultural Landscape Foundation, "The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands Golf Course," https://www.tclf.org/landscapes/annenberg-retreat-sunnylands-golf-course 77 Walter Annenberg obituary ( www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/10/01/obit.annenberg.ap/) 78 Rancho Mirage, "Pre -Incorporation."
79 "It's Desert Island Now," Desert Sun, April 9 1971; "Clubhouse Building Begins," Desert Sun, November 8 1971, page 11
80 "Our History," Mission Hills Country Club.
81 Ibid.
82 Ibid.
83 Ibid.
84 "Offering Homes & Estates in the Thunderbird - Tamarisk Area," Desert Sun, February 28 1952, 18. 85 Randy Garner, "Architects Who Built Palm Springs: Dan Palmer & William Krisel," Visit Palm Springs California, April 1 2024, https://visitpalmsprings.com/blog/post/dan-palmer-william-krisel/ 86 Riche, Mod Mirage, 172.
87 Riche, Mod Mirage, 172.
88Ibid, 180.
89 Ibid, 184.
9° 'bid, 164.
91 Ibid, 191.
92 Ibid, 168-170.
93 Ibid, 170.
94 'bid, 195.
95 'bid, 175-176.
332
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96 bid, 175-176.
97 Ibid, 180.
98 It remains unclear why the `Da Vaal' Estates differs in spelling from the `Da Vall' family, though it is clear that the two are closely related.
99 'bid, 178-179.
loo Ibid, 184-185.
101 Ibid, 184-185.
102 Ibid, 186-187.
1°3 Ibid, 186-187.
1°4 Ibid, 199.
1°5 'bid, 188.
106 Ibid, 192-194; "New Desert Community Established, Settled by Ten Golfing Families," Desert Sun, November 20 1956, 4.
107 Riche, Mod Mirage, 181.
1°8lbid, 182.
1°9 Ibid, 196.
Ho "Louis Krupp 1888-1978," Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery, accessed March 2025, httD://bodegabayheritagegallery.com/KrupDLouis.htm; "Louis Krupp Studio," Desert Sun, March 23 1948, 4. 11 1 "Agenda Regular Planning Commission Meeting," Desert Sun, July 13 1988, A11. 112 "Everyone Invited to Rancho Mirage Potluck" Palm Desert Post, Volume 4, Number 27, 7 July 1966 113 "Elmer's Minute Market," Desert Sun, November 24 1964. 114 Tracy Conrad, "History: The Road to First -Class — The Story of Rancho Mirage's Post Office," Desert Sun, May 1 2022, https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2022/05/01 /palm-springs-history-road-rancho-mirages-post- office/9591344002/.
115 "Ceremonies Open Rancho Mirage P.O.," Desert Sun, February 2 1951.
H6 "Sidney Greenleaf," Desert Sun, June 11 1974, A2.
117 Hon Beath, "Rancho Mirage is a Community with Plenty of Ambition and Room to Grow," Desert Sun, November 23, 1968, 4.
118 "Hollywood Stars Once Owned Whispering Waters Hotel," Desert Sun, (April 23, 2016) https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2016/04/23/whispering-waters-hotel-rancho-mirage-aaron-spelling- c a ro l y n -j o n e s -I l o y d -bridges / 83426 480 / 119 Ibid.
120 "Golfers Wives Visit at Casbah," Desert Sun, April 26 1957. 121 "Huge New Development Set for Rancho Mirage," Desert Sun, August 21, 1958, 1. 122 Erik's Furniture, "About Erik's," accessed February 2025, https://www.eriksfurniture.com/about . 123 City of Rancho Mirage, "Becoming a City," accessed February 2025, https://rm50th.com/history/becoming_a_city.php
124 "Rancho Super Car Wash Open," Desert Sun, April 8, 1967. 125 "Authentic Mexican Foods," Desert Sun, March 4 1958. 126 "The Spirit of Mexico in the Heart of Rancho Mirage," https://www.lascasuelasnuevas.com/our-history . 127 "Building Casuelas Nuevas," Desert Sun, September 16 1972. 128 Heumann, Grimes, and Moruzzi, Rancho Mirage Historic Resources Survey, 18. 129 "Rancho Mirage Gets New School," Desert Sun, August 9 1963. 13° Palm Valley School, "A Short History on Palm Valley Private School (1952 - 2005)," accessed February 2025, https://www.pvs.org/about/our-history
131 Tom Watson, "Rancho Mirage Elementary Nears Escrow," Desert Sun, November 5 1965, 1. 132 "Newest School Dedicated," Desert Sun, May 27, 1968, 1. 333
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
December 2025 I Page 194
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Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
133 City of Rancho Mirage, "Shaping the Future," accessed February 2025, https://rm50th.com/history/shaping_the_future.php
'34 Desert Sun, Volume 39, Number 156, 3 February 1966, pg. 3. '35 Rancho Mirage, "Pre -Incorporation."
136 Ibid.
137 Ibid.
138 Ibid.
139 City of Rancho Mirage. A Look Back In Time. 1993, reprinted 1997. pg. 19. 14° Ibid, 21.
141 "History." http://www.ci.rancho-mirage.ca.us/residents/history.html 142 ibid.
143 Rancho Mirage, "Shaping the Future."
144 "$75 Million Golf, Housing Project Set," Desert Sun, May 11 1973, A1. 145 "Springs $1.8 Million Clubhouse," Desert Sun, May 16 1975, C1. 146 The Springs, "A Legacy of Excellence in the Heart of Rancho Mirage," accessed February 2025, httos:// www.thespringsrm.com/club/history .
147 Sunrise Country Club, "Our History," accessed February 2025, https://www.sunrisecountryclub.com/About/OurHistory.aspx . 148 Ibid.
149 "Rancho Las Palmas CC Begun In Rancho Mirage," The Desert Sun, August 18, 1976. 15° The Club at Morningside, "About Us," https://www.clubatmorningside.com/about . '51 "Rancho Mirage Country Club Construction is Under Way," Desert Sun, January 13 1984. 152 Rancho Mirage, "Becoming a City."
153 P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann, "Chart House Restaurant," Leslie Heumann and Associates, September 23 2002.
154 Ibid.
155 Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, "Chart House Restaurant - 69-934 on Hwy 1 1 1, Rancho Mirage - Setback," accessed February 2025, https://www.pspreservationfoundation.org/chart-house-restaurant/ . 156 Rancho Mirage, "Becoming a City."
157 Ibid.
158 "Tickets are Now On Sale For 'Collectors Corner'," Desert Sun, March 26 1971. 159 "Collectors' Corner Opens," Desert Sun, January 9 1973. 160 "Medical Center Shop Dedicated," Desert Sun, November 23 1973. 161 "Noel F. Birns," Desert Sun, February 5 1974.
162 "S&L nears completion," Desert Sun, March 5 1982, B2. 163 Rancho Mirage, "Becoming a City."; "Station Will Be Dedicated," Desert Sun, January 14 1976. 164 City of Rancho Mirage, "Fire," accessed February 2025, https://ranchomirageca.gov/our_city/public_safety/fire.php 165 Rancho Mirage, "Becoming a City."
166 Martin Hill, "City Hall cost skyrockets," Desert Sun, December 7 1978. Al -A4. 167 Rancho Mirage, "Becoming a City."
168 Ibid.
169 Ibid.
170 Mark Henry, "First park for Rancho Mirage now named Whitewater Park," Desert Sun, September 19 1981. 171 Rancho Mirage, "Pre -Incorporation."; Rancho Mirage, "Early Years." 172 Palm Valley School, "A Short History."
173 Rancho Mirage High School, "History," accessed February 2025, https://www.rmhs.us/history.html .
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
December 2025 I Page 195
334
City of Rancho Mirage
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
174 Rancho Mirage, "Becoming a City."
175 "William F. Cody (1916-1978).," Palm Springs Modern Committee, accessed March 2025, httDs://psmodcom.org/william-f-cody/.
176 "S. Charles Lee," Architects, Los Angeles Conservancy, accessed January 11, 2023, https://www.laconservancy.org/architects/s-charles-lee . 17 "Donald Allen Wexler," US Modernist, accessed March 2025, https://usmodernist.org/wexler.htm . 178 "Hugh Michael Kaptur (1931-)," US Modernist, accessed March 2025, https://usmodernist.org/kaotur.htm . 179 "William Krisel," Palm Spring Modern Committee, accessed March 2025, https://psmodcom.org/william-krisel/ . 180 "William Pereira," Los Angeles Conservancy, accessed March 2025, https://www.laconservancy.org/learn/architect-biographies/william-oereira/ . 181 "Edward Durell Stone," Los Angeles Conservancy, accessed March 2025, httos:// www.laconservancy.org/learn/architect-biographies/edward-durell-stone/ . 182 Karen Grigsby Bates, "A Trailblazing Black Architect Who Helped Shape LA.," last modified June 22, 2012, https://www . n pr.org/2012/06/22/ 155442524/a-tra ilblazing-blac k-architect-who-hel oed-shape-I-a. 183 Lydia Lee, Nine Places that Illustrate the Life of Trailblazing Black Architect Paul R. Williams, Preservation Magazine, National Trust for Historic Preservation.
184 Randy Garner, "Architects Who Built Palm Springs: Charles Du Bois," Visit Palm Springs California, August 16 2022, accessed March 2025, https://visitpalmsprings.com/blog/post/palm-springs-architect-charles-du-bois/ . 185 Adele Cygelman, "Palm Springs Modern", New York, Rizzoli International Publications, 1999. pp. 94-99. 186 Melissa Riche, "Riback Residence: Historic Site Nomination for 70843 Tamarisk Lane Tamarisk Country Club - Rancho Mirage, CA 92270," 2021.
187 "William Sutherland Beckett," KCmodern, accessed March 2025, https://www.kcmodern.com/william- sutherland-beckett.
188 Alex Dethier, "Famous Palm Springs architects," Palm Springs: Homes by Alex Detthier, accessed March 2025, https://www.pshomes.com/palm-springs-architects/ .
189 Michelle Woo, "Lawrence Lapham, architect, dies," Desert Sun, April 17 2004, 33. 190 Steve Vaught, "Renaissance Man," Palm Springs Life, February 4 2020, accessed March 2025, httos:// www.Dalmspringslife.comfames-h-mcnaughton-architect/ . 191 "Gin Wong," Los Angeles Conservancy, accessed March 2025, https://www.laconservancy.org/learn/architect-biographies/gin-wong/ . 192 "Welton Becket & Associates," Los Angeles Conservancy, accessed March 2025, https://www.laconservancy.org/learn/architect-biographies/welton-becket-associates/ . 193 "In Memoriam: Architect MacDonald Becket, 89," USC Architecture, January 7 2017, accessed March 2025, https://arch.usc.edu/news/in-memoriam-architect-macdonald-becket-89 . 194 "John Randal McDonald Collection, 1949-2001 (bulk 1949-1958)," Wisconsin Historical Society, accessed March 2025, https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid- idx?c=wiarchives;cc=wiarchives;view=text;rgn=main;didno=uw-whs-ph06616. 195 "Buff, Straub & Hensman," Los Angeles Conservancy, accessed March 2025, https://www.laconservancy.org/learn/architect-biographies/buff-straub-hensman/ . 196 "Barry Berkus," ArchEyes - Timeless Architecture, accessed March 2025, https://archeyes.com/tag/Barry- Berkus/; "Barry Alan Berkus: 1935-2012," Santa Barbara Independent, last modified December 2 2012, https://www.independent.com/2012/ 12/02/barry-alan-berkus-1935-2012/. 197 "Henry Lawrence Eggers," Modern San Diego, accessed March 2025, httos:// www.modernsandiego.com/people/henry-lawrence-eggers . 198 "Walter William Wilkman (Architect)," PCAD, accessed March 2025, https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/person/87/ .
199 "Harold W. Levitt Archive," Levitt and Moss Architects, accessed March 2025, httos:// www.levittmoss.com/archive/z4zoxyu5z9ikm0zi0s4zkfkkkx15dh . 200 Myrna Oliver, "Crombie Taylor; Preservationist, USC Design Educator," Los Angeles Times, June 1, 1999. 201 "Edward (Ted) Grenzbach; Designed Stars' Homes," L.A. Times Archives, June 11, 1994, accessed March 2025, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-x Dm -1994-06-1 1-mn-2839-story. html. 202 "And the Star Goes to Richard Harrison," Modernism Weekly, accessed March 2025, httos://mwkly.com/architecture/and-the-star-goes-to-architect-richard-harrison/. 203 "Stan Alan Sackley, FAIA (1937-2001)," US Modernist, accessed March 2025, httos://usmodernist.org/sackley.htm.
204 "Albert Belden Crist (Designer)," PCAD, accessed March 2025, https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/person/7831/ .
335
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
December 2025 I Page 196
City of Rancho Mirage
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
Appendix A. Updated DPR Forms for
Previously Recorded Properties
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
December 2025 I Appendixes. ted DPR Forms for Previously Recorded Properties
City of Rancho Mirage
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
Table 1. Updates to Previously Recorded Properties
Previously Recorded Properties
Urbana
Survey
No.
Address
Resource Name
CRHR Status
Code
63 37-115 Palm View Road
DeLue Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
64 37-361 Marx Road
Borwick-Emrich Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
65 40-241 Club View Drive
Ball-Arnaz Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
66 40-555 Sand Dune Road
Firestone Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
67 41-915 Tonopah Road
Dennis Residence II
3S/3CS/5S2
68 70-151 Sonora Road
Simon Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
69 70-200 Mirage Cove Drive
Mirage Cove Drive Apartments
3S/3CS/5S2
70 71-087 Fairway Drive
Hanson Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
71 71-1 1 1 Tamarisk Lane
Stein Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
72 71-391 Mirage Road
Organ Residence
3S/3CS/5S3
73 71-781 Sahara Road
71-781 Sahara Road
3S/3CS/5S2
74 70-612 Highway 1 11
Thunderbird Country Club
Cottages
3S/3CS/5S2
75 42-457 Rancho Las Palmas
Drive
Casbah Apartment Hotel
3S/3CS/5S2
76 40-253 Club View Drive
Jorgensen/Mavis Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
77 71-076 Country Club Drive
Pollard Simons Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
78 70-801 Highway 1 1 1
Fire Station #1/Riverside County
Fire Station 50
3S/3CS/5S2
79 40-281 Sand Dune Road
Johnson Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
80 71-490 Highway 11 1
Rancho Super Car Wash
(Building)
3S/3CS/5S2
81 39-000 Bob Hope Drive
Eisenhower Medical Center
Original Building
3S/3CS/5S2
82 72-010 Clancy Lane
Clancy Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
83 36-468 Sandsu Circle
Nestor Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
84 37-174 Palm View Road
McMillan Residence
3S/3CS/5S3
85 37-500 Palm View Road
37-500 Palm View Road
3S/3CS/5S2
86 70-753 Fairway Drive
Hilliard Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
87 70-731 Fairway Drive
Feicht Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
88 70-754 Fairway Drive
Singer Residence
6Z
89 70-381 Placerville Road
Dennis Residence I
6Z
90 70-927 Fairway Drive
Hayden Residence
6Z
91 71-024 Cypress Drive
Miller Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
92 71-274 Mirage Road
Knox Residence
6Z
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
December 2025 I Appendix1. ted DPR Forms for Previously Recorded Properties
City of Rancho Mirage
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
93 71-365 Sahara Road
Garvey Residence
6Z
94 71-431 Sahara Road
Van Pelt and Lind Spec House
3S/3CS/5S2
95 71-533 Sahara Road
Goode Residence
6Z
96 69-850 Highway 1 1 1
Desert Braemar Apartments
3S/3CS/5S2
97 71-785 Sahara Road
71-785 Sahara Road
6Z
98 71-995 Vista Del Rio
Boscacci Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
99 72-026 Clancy Lane
Tower Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
100
72-551 Clancy Lane
Rancho Manana Stables
3S/3CS/5S2
101
37-084 Palm View Road
Rosenbaum Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
102
40-105 Sand Dune Road
Dyer Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
103
70-889 Tamarisk Lane
Goldstein Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
104
71-284 San Gorgonio Road
Grafton Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
105
71-312 San Gorgonio Road
Whittle Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
106
70-770 Frank Sinatra Drive
Elman Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
107
37-845 Thompson Drive
Holub Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
108
71-125 Country Club Drive
Cruttenden Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
109
71-317 Country Club Drive
Dolton Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
110
70-375 Calico Road
Bing Crosby Residence
6Z
1 1 1
70-260 Highway 111
Blue Skies Village
3S/3CS/5S2
112
70-588 Frank Sinatra Drive
Frank Sinatra Compound
3S/3CS/5S2
113
71-308 Cypress Drive
McCulloch Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
114
71-388 Country Club Drive
Stevens Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
115
72-116 Clancy Lane
Nittinger Residence (Demolished)
6Z
116
71-459 San Gorgonio Road
71-459 San Gorgonio Road
6Z
117
71-552 Sahara Road
Unnamed (Demolished)
6Z
118
71-022 Country Club Drive
Moncrief Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
119
37-690 Golf Circle
Fallick Residence
3S/3CS/5S2
120
69-934 Highway 111
Chart Residence (Demolished)
6Z
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
December 2025 I Appendi . c ted DPR Forms for Previously Recorded Properties
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: DeLue Residence
Page J. of 4
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 63
❑D Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City
Address: 37-115 Palm View Road
UTM Zone: 115 552552.56 m E
APN: 674193017
Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000
City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270
3737789.32 m N
Date Constructed: 1961
Ownership and Address: Zimmerman Family Trust, Mary A Zimmerman; 37115 Palm View Road, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025.
Description:
The 37-115 Palm View Road property, known as the DeLue Residence, was constructed in 1961 in the Green Acres neighborhood. The prior survey described the property as a Modern one-story rectangular house with a medium -pitched front -gabled roof in 2002. The residence most closely falls under the Contemporary architecture style. The single-family residence has an asymmetrical facade, clad in concrete block and medium -smooth stucco siding. The front elevation features an offset front entrance with an opaque glass sidelight, with clerestory windows above that extend to the southeast corner. The residence has a low pitch, front gable roof with an attached covered carport. There does not appear to have been any significant alterations to the residence since the previous survey effort.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Mechanical/HVAC work in 2010 (Permit No. 81000282)
- Mechanical/HVAC work in 2023 (Permit No. B2300731)
See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
View of east (front) elevation. (37-115 Palm View Road_4) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: DeLue Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 63
❑x Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View southeast of the front elevation. (37-115 Palm View Road_i) View northeast of the front elevation. (37-115 Palm View Road_2) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: DeLue Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 63
El Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The 2002 survey evaluated the property as status code 553 - appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. This prior survey evaluation found the property was noteworthy as a representative example of the Modern Ranch architecture style within the Country Club Era (1951-1973) theme. The current 2024 survey found that the dwelling is more specifically associated with the new theme of Residential Subdivisions and Cooperatives (1951-1973), but it does not possess individual documented significance in relation to this theme. It is also associated with the new Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934-198os) theme and is considered a significant representative example of a known architectural style in the community. The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 552 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 3S status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
The dwelling was previously identified as part of the Tamarisk Country Club neighborhood. Further research indicates that the home is in the Green Acres subdivision, located adjacent to the country club (The Desert Sun, April 13, 1963, Page 2). Green Acres had opened model homes by 1962 and advertised as a planned community adjacent to the Tamarisk Country Club (The Desert Sun, March 03, 1962, Page 14). It appears that the DeLue Residence was one of the model homes, constructed by local contractor Robert "Bob" Marx.
Marx was the son of Gummo Marx (of the Marx Brothers), born in 1930. He was a building contractor in the Coachella Valley. He partnered with architect designer Val Powelson under the firm Marval Construction Company which operated from 1957 to 1964. "Marval" is a combination of the Marx and Val names. Marx built many custom homes in the Rancho Mirage Tamarisk area, best known being the Gullwing House/Leo Maranz residence, the Sputnik House/Gummo Marx residence, and the Da Vaal Estates ("Robert 'Bob' Marx Collection," Palm Springs Art Museum, Online Archive of California). The many residences constructed by the Marval Construction firm and designed by Powelson under the Marval firm are noted for their eye-catching Modern designs. This included dramatic winged roofs, sharply pointed exposed beams, unique shapes and angles, prominent center beams, and dramatic architectural features. The DeLue Residence has been identified as being constructed by Marx, however, the architect was not identified. Based on other residences attributed to Marx, the DeLue Residence is a modest example of his work. The residence features Modern details that are typical of Marx's work, including the dramatic roofline, which extends across a wide carport, fixed windows that extend to the roofline within the roof gable, and geometric, square blocks along the front elevation.
The dwelling has not been found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1, as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of events in local, regional, state, or national history; not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the dwelling would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state or national history. The residence is not considered eligible under Local Criteria 2-6 and 8.
The single-family residence is considered eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 as property individually embodies the distinctive characteristics of a Contemporary style home constructed within Rancho Mirage in the 1960s. The property is also eligible under Local Register Criteria 1 and 7 as it is representative of a Contemporary style home that embodies an outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, craftsmanship, and use of materials. As the dwelling has not been substantially altered, it maintains adequate integrity from the historic period to convey its significance.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: DeLue Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/5S2
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 63
*Map Name: Cathedral City
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
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DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 37-115 Palm View Drive City Rancho Mirage
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) DeLue Residence Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) Erected in 1961, this Modern one-story rectangular house is capped with a medium -pitched front -gabled roof. Exposed beam -ends are visible beneath the deep roof overhangs of the east -facing residence. The house, located in the Tamarisk Country Club area, is 1, 815 square feet with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and is set on .24 acres. Square concrete block and medium -smooth stucco clad the exteriors. Windows are a combination of fixed, jalousie, sliding, and clerestory.
The offset front entrance, with its opaque glass sidelight, is topped with clerestory windows that extend to the southeast corner. An adjacent sconce is probably not original. To the north and south of the front gable peak, fixed bedroom windows are paired with narrow jalousies and topped with broad clerestories. The rear (west) elevation is mostly glass, and opens onto a patio and swimming pool. A double carport is attached to the north side of the house. Low shrubs and a front lawn border a circular concrete driveway. Mature palms, pine and other trees provide shade. The building appears original and in excellent condition.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
East elevation
August 2002
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
1961/ Source: Metroscan
*P7. Owner and Address:
Gilbert G. and Mary A. Zimmerman
37115 Palm View Road
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
September 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey .
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map ❑Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95)
343
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 5S3
*Resource Name or #: DeLue Residence
B1. Historic Name: DeLue Residence
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1961.
Note: No building permits exist prior to incorporation of the City of Rancho Mirage in 1973.
No building permits for exterior alterations were found.
B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:
None.
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Robert Marx
*B10. Significance: Theme Country Club Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1951-1973 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) The Leonard and Nina DeLue Residence is architecturally noteworthy as a representative example of tract style Modern home. It was constructed by Robert "Bob" Marx, a local general contractor and son of entertainer Gummo Marx (who lived on the east side of Palm View Road). It is not known whether an architect was used in the design. The property typifies the simple, unadorned Modern house that grew out of the Palmer and Krisel-designed Alexander tract developments in Palm Springs. These modest, Modern houses made seasonal desert resort living possible for the upper middle class. The DeLue Residence was a `spec' house in the same tradition as the Alexander homes, but located in the more prestigious Tamarisk Country Club area. Although the resource does not appear eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or for designation under an existing or proposed local ordinance, it is of local interest (a "5S3" National Register Status Code).
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend, Chronicle Books, 2001. 1965 Palm Springs "Yellow Book" Directory.
Interview with Dr. Henry L. Jaffe, October 22, 2002.
City of Rancho Mirage Building Permits
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Heumann *Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
(This space reserved for official comments.)
DPR 523B (1/95)
Sketch Map
*Required information
344
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Borwick-Emrich Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 64
❑x Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City
Address: 37-361 Marx Road
UTM Zone: 115 552767.99 m E
APN: 674292006
Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000
City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270
3737611.39 m N
Date Constructed: 1962
Ownership and Address: Robert M Larinto, Tracy L Larinto; 3170 Mesalona Lane, Pasadena, CA 91107 Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The 37-361 Marx Road residence, designed by Robert Marx, was constructed in 1962. The home is located within the Tamarisk Country Club neighborhood, with the rear elevation opening onto the 7th fairway of the golf course. In 2002, Leslie Neumann and Associates described the residence as a Modern style, symmetrical home with a flat roof, with the exterior clad in medium -smooth stucco with beige -colored brick accents. The architecture style most closely resembles a Desert Modernist style. The residence features non -original smoked sliding glass and fixed windows with black anodized aluminum mullions. The rear (north) elevation features wings at either side of the center section. Previous reporting based on plans and building permits, indicate that the center section was originally an open patio that was enclosed circa 1984. There does not appear to have been any significant alterations to the property since the 2002 survey.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Mechanical/HVAC work in 2018 (Permit No. B1800087)
- Construction of a block wall in 2023 (Permit No. B2301349) See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
View of the rear elevation. (37-361 Marx Road_4)
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Borwick-Emrich Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 64
❑x Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of the rear elevation. (37-363. Marx Road_3)
View of south and west elevations. (37-363. Marx Road_3.) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Borwick-Emrich Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 64
❑x Update El Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The 2002 survey evaluated the property as status code 553 - appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. This prior evaluation found the property is a noteworthy example of a modern style home. The current survey found that the dwelling is associated with the theme of the Country Club Era (1951-1973), but it does not possess individual documented significance in relation to this theme. It is also associated with the new Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934- 1980s) theme and is considered a significant representative example of a known architectural style in the community. The home's architecture style, previously identified as "Modern," most closely resembles the Desert Modernist style. The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 552 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 35 status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
The home is a good example of a Desert Modernist style home. The residence maintains character defining features of the style including a flat roof, broad expanses of uninterrupted wall surfaces, attached garage, a recessed corner entry with no porch, and an asymmetrical plan.
The residence was constructed in 1962 for Charles and Maureen Borwich-Emrich. The architect was identified as Robert Marx, with his company, Marval Construction Company, as the builder. While the Marval Construction Company often worked with architect Val Powelson, Marx was credited with the design of the subject building.
Marx was the son of Gummo Marx (of the Marx Brothers), born in 1930. He was a building contractor in the Coachella Valley. He partnered with architect designer Val Powelson under the firm Marval Construction Company which operated from 1957 to 1964. "Marval" is a combination of the Marx and Val names. Marx built many custom homes in the Rancho Mirage Tamarisk area, best known being the Gullwing House/Leo Maranz residence, the Sputnik House/Gummo Marx residence, and the Da Vaal Estates - these three are identified as being designed by Powelson ("Robert 'Bob' Marx Collection," Palm Springs Art Museum, Online Archive of California).
The dwelling has not been found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1, as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of events inn local, regional, or national history; not individually eligible under Criterion B/2, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the dwelling would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history. The residence is not considered eligible under Local Criterion 2-6 and 8.
The single-family residence is considered eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 as property individually embodies the distinctive characteristics of a Desert Modernist style home constructed within Rancho Mirage in the 1960s. The property is also eligible under Local Register Criteria 1 and 7 as it is representative of a Desert Modernist style home that embodies an outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, craftsmanship, and use of materials. As the dwelling has not been substantially altered, it maintains adequate integrity from the historic period to convey its significance.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: Borwick-Emrich Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/552
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 64
*Map Name: Cathedral City
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 37-361 Marx Road City Rancho Mirage
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) Borwick-Emrich Residence Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) Designed and built by Robert Marx in 1962, this Modern residence has a flat roof covering 5, 694 square feet and contains five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Set on .53 acres, the symmetrical building faces south. The primary (rear) elevation opens onto the 7th fairway of the Tamarisk Country Club golf course. Exteriors are primarily sheathed in medium -smooth stucco, with some elevations featuring a veneer of flattened beige -colored brick. Smoked sliding glass and fixed windows with black anodized aluminum mullions are not original. Mature fan palms grow through square openings formed from the intersection of extended roof beams. The rear (north) elevation features wings on either side of a center section that projects towards the fairway. Original plans and building permits indicate that the center section was once an open patio; it was enclosed in the 1980s. An abstract metal sculpture is set in a reflecting pond with low concrete and mosaic tile walls. The grounds are lushly landscaped with a variety of palms, shrubs, boulders, and manicured lawns. It appears that, in addition to the non -original windows, the stucco finish has been updated. The building is in excellent condition. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
East elevation
August 2002
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
1962/ Source: Metroscan
*P7. Owner and Address:
Lawrence W. and Carol B. Putnam
PO Box 2728
Seal Beach, CA 90740
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Neumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
September 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey .
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map ❑Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95)
349
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 5S3
*Resource Name or #: Borwick-Emrich Residence
B1. Historic Name: Borwick-Emrich Residence
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1962.
Note: No building permits exist prior to incorporation of the City of Rancho Mirage in 1973.
May 25, 1984. Demolition of overhang.
June 27, 1984. Alter dwelling. Value: $20,000.
March 13, 1990. Reroof.
B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:
None.
B9a. Architect: Robert Marx b. Builder: Marval Construction Company *B10. Significance: Theme Country Club Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1951-1973 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) This house is architecturally noteworthy for its use of modern design and association with architect Robert Marx and his Marval Construction Company. Constructed in 1962, the house was built for Charles and Maureen Borwick-Emrich and was featured in the Fall 1962 issue of Architectural Digest. The Marval Construction Company was a partnership between contractor Robert Marx and architect Val Powelson. For this residence, Robert Marx claims design as well as building credit.
The Marval Company designed and built a number of residences in the Tamarisk, Thunderbird Country Club, and Thunderbird Heights areas of Rancho Mirage. The residence is a good example of modern design and technique with its flat roof and walls of floor to ceiling glass. Although the house has been altered, it continues to convey its original style. While it does not appear eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or designation under an existing or proposed local ordinance, it is of local interest (a "5S3" National Register Status Code).
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend, Chronicle Books, 2001. 1965 Palm Springs "Yellow Book" Directory.
Architectural Digest, XIX, Fall 1962, pp. 84-88.
Interview with Robert Marx, October 30, 2002.
City of Rancho Mirage Building Permits.
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Neumann *Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
(This space reserved for official comments.)
Sketch Map
DPR 523B (1/95)
350
*Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Ball-Arnaz Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 65
❑x Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000 Address: 40-241 Club View Drive City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270 UTM Zone: 115 553119.65 m E 3735167.42 m N
APN: 684034005
Date Constructed: 1954
Ownership and Address: Susie Morton McAllister; 40241 Clubview Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The 40-241 Club View Drive residence, designed by architect Paul Williams, was constructed in 1954. The home is located within the Thunderbird Country Club neighborhood. In 2002, Leslie Neumann and Associates described the residence as a one-story Ranch Modern house with a medium -pitched hipped roof. The current survey classifies the home as a Custom Ranch style residence. The home has a symmetrical, U-shaped form. The residence is clad in the original board and batten sheathing, with stucco covering at the two -car garage addition. At the front facade, the front entry door is centered with large sidelight windows at either side and surrounded with natural stone wall cladding. The 2002 survey documented several alterations to the original residence including:
alterations to the board and batten siding, the two -car garage replacing the double carport at the west end of the house, the removal of a concrete block wall, removal of several wood grid sunscreens, roof replacement, removal of the interior natural rock chimney, and window replacement. Permits provided by the City (see below) and aerial images, show that there have been significant alterations to the rear elevation including several large additions. However, a majority of these alterations appear to be constrained to the rear elevation.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Construction of an addition or remodel in z000 (Permit No. 80001358) - Construction of an addition or remodel in z000 (Permit No. B0001567) - Construction of a pool & spa in 200o (Permit No. 60001641) - Construction of a block wall in 2001(Permit No. Bo1oo644) - Construction of a patio in 2001 (Permit No. Bo1oo272) - Construction of a pool & spa in 2004 (Permit No. B0401849) - Construction of an addition or remodel in 2004 (Permit No. B0401597) - Construction of a block wall in 2004 (Permit No. Bo4o1983) - Construction of a block wall in 2005 (Permit No. Bo5o1326) - Construction of a patio in 2005 (Permit No. Bo5o1638) - Construction of a pool in 2009 (Permit No. Bo9o1215)
- A demolition permit in 2011 (Permit No. 61100978)
- Construction of an addition or remodel in 2012 (Permit No. 81100919) - Construction to the pool in 2020 (Permit No. B2001010) See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Ball-Arnaz Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 65
❑x Update CI Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of east (front) elevation. (4o-241 Club View Drive_3) View of east (front) elevation. (40-241 Club View Drive_i) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Ball-Arnaz Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 65
❑x Update ❑D Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of west (rear) elevation. (40-241 Club View Drive_6) Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The 2002 survey evaluated the property as status code 553 - appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. The prior survey found this home eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion B for its association with original owners, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The home was the Ball and Arnaz family's second home in the Palm Springs area. It was built for them in 1954, and they owned the home until their divorce in 1960 (Eric G Meeks, Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Palm Springs Home in Rancho Mirage, CA, Flickr). The current survey found that the dwelling is associated with the theme of the Country Club Era (1951-1973), but it does not possess individual documented significance in relation to this theme. It is also associated with the new Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934-198os) theme and but it is not considered a significant representative example of a known architectural style in the community. The current survey finds the residence most closely resembles the Custom Ranch architectural style. The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 5S2 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 3S status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Ball-Arnaz Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 65
❑x Update CI Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The home was designed by architect Paul Williams, and constructed in 3.954. Paul Williams was a noted architect based in Los Angeles. He began designing homes and commercial buildings in the early 19205. Williams was considered a trailblazer in the architecture field as the first black architect to become a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1923, and the AIA's first black fellow in 1957. He was born in Los Angeles in 1894, and studied architecture at the University of Southern California. He went on to design approximately 2,50o buildings throughout Southern California, and around the world. Williams designed homes for many celebrity clients including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and Cary Grant (Karen Grigsby Bates, A Trailblazing Black Architect Who Helped Shape L.A., NPR). The buildings designed Williams varied greatly in style and type. His most notable works include the Tudor style Leistikow House in Los Angeles (1923), William's International style home in Los Angeles (early 19505), the Spanish Colonial Revival style 28th Street YMCA (1926), and the Late Moderne style Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building in Los Angeles (1949). Trained in the Beaux-Arts architecture, Williams excelled at interpreting period styles. He was noted for his attention to detail and personalized elements. Williams passed away in 1980 (Lydia Lee, Nine Places that Illustrate the Life of Trailblazing Black Architect Paul R. Williams, Preservation Magazine, National Trust for Historic Preservation).
The home is associated with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The couple, best know for the television show, I Love Lucy, were the original owners of the residence. It was their second home in the Palm Springs area, and was not their primary residence. They owned the residence until their divorce in 196o.
The dwelling has not been found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/3., as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of events inn local, regional, or national history; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the dwelling would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history. The residence is not considered eligible under Local Criterion 2, 3, 6, or 8.
The property individually embodies the characteristics of a Custom Ranch style home constructed in Rancho Mirage in the 1960s.
The home maintains several character defining features of the style, including broad horizontal massing, wood siding with stone accents, and a recessed entry. However, many of the original features of the home have been removed during subsequent redevelopment efforts. The home was designed by notable architect Paul Williams, however, it no longer reflects his original design.
The residence does not appear to retain sufficient integrity to convey its significance under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3. Due to alterations, it is not eligible under Local Criterion 3., 4, or7, as it no longer reflects the original architectural design.
The residence is considered eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2 and Local Criterion 5 for its association with original owners, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Ball and Arnaz were nationally, and internationally, well known at the time of their residence at the subject property. During the period of ownership, I Love Lucy, was one of the most popular television shows in the country. Home ownership in Rancho Mirage by well known celebrities, such as Ball and Arnaz, helped to elevate the city's status. The dwelling has been altered over the years, but maintains adequate integrity from the historic period to convey its significance as the Ball/Arnaz residence.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: BaII-Arnaz Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/552
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 65
*Map Name: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 40-241 Club View Drive City Rancho Mirage
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) Ball-Arnaz Residence Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) Architect Paul Williams designed the 5, 824 square foot Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz Residence in 1954 on .80 acres within the gates of the Thunderbird Country Club. The north -facing, one-story Ranch Modern house has three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms and is capped with a medium -pitched hipped roof. Although the basic floor plan appears intact, the house has been substantially altered. Some of the original board and batten sheathing remains, but stucco covers the new double -car garage that replaced the double carport located on the west end of the house. A concrete block supporting wall with offset, projecting squares was removed for the expansion. Several wood grid sunscreens are gone, one located in a cutout over the entrance, and the other a vertical screen west of the entrance. The rock roof was replaced by thick roof shingles. Also not original are new aluminum slider windows and wood shutters. The interior natural rock chimney that once projected from the ridgeline has also been removed. Landscaping consists of lawns, trimmed hedges and varieties of palms. The house appears to be well maintained.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
Northeast elevation
Postcard image circa 1955.
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
1954/ Source: Palm Springs Villager
*P7. Owner and Address:
Mary McAllister Morton Trustee
40241 Club View Drive
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Neumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
September 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey .
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map •Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95)
356
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 5S3
*Resource Name or #: Ball-Arnaz Residence
B1. Historic Name: Ball-Arnaz Residence
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Ranch Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1954.
Note: No building permits exist prior to incorporation of the City of Rancho Mirage in 1973.
May 13, 1975. Remodel bath.
July 20, 1993. 826 square foot addition to living room.
March 6, 1997. Great room addition 140 square feet.
April 28, 1997. Reroof with clay roof tiles.
January 27, 1998. Addition of 45 square plus interior remodel.
October 3, 2000. Enclose carport to garage.
November 6, 2000. Golf cart garage.
November 20, 2000. Water feature.
B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: None.
B9a. Architect: Paul Williams b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Country Club Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1951 - 1973 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: B (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) Due to substantial alterations of the character defining features of the house, designed by renowned architect Paul Williams and constructed in 1954, the significance of this property is derived primarily from the property's identity as the original residence built for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in Rancho Mirage in 1954. Architecturally, the house is a Modern Ranch style building with a one-story, horizontal profile, open floor plan, and extensive indoor -outdoor access along the rear elevations. (See Continuation Sheet 3 of 3.)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
City of Rancho Mirage Building Permits
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend, San Francisco, Chronicle Books, 2001.
Original color postcard circa 1955.
Palm Springs Villager, November 1954. p. 28.
Karen Hudson, Paul R. Williams, Architect: A Legacy of Style, New York, Rizzoli, 1993. pp. 184-185.
Robert Windeler, Thunderbird Country Club 50th, 2002.
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Heumann (This space reserved for official comments.)
*Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
Sketch Map
DPR 523B (1/95)
357
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
*Recorded by P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann *Date September 23, 2002 O Continuation ❑ Update *B10. Significance (continued):
Lucille BaII and Desi Arnaz were America's most popular television stars in the early 1950s. After spending several seasons in Palm Springs, the famous couple began a highly public association with Rancho Mirage that greatly increased the popular awareness of the area and significantly boosted its image during the early postwar years. They were also among the first members of the Thunderbird Country Club. After her 1960 divorce from Desi Arnaz and subsequent marriage to Gary Morton, Lucille Ball maintained ownership of and residence in the house until her death in 1989. The property is still associated with the Morton family.
Paul Williams FAIA was one of the most prolific architects designing custom residences for many Hollywood celebrities, particularly in the Los Angeles area, from the late 1920s through the 1950s. He worked in a variety of genres, but was primarily associated with the Hollywood Regency style, a combination of French Eclectic, Colonial Revival, and Neoclassical design elements blended with Modern materials and floor plans. The Ball-Arnaz house, however, was primarily Ranch Modern in its design, befitting its desert location and the informality inherent in second -home living. Williams went with an open floor plan and limited decoration. A massive, curving natural rock wall in the living room was the most notable interior feature. The Ball-Arnaz residence was one of a small number of Williams' commissions in the Palm Springs area. He collaborated with architect A. Quincy Jones in the enlargement and remodeling of both the Tennis Club and the Town and Country Restaurant and provided the interior design of the Milton J. Kreiss drug store on Palm Canyon Drive. The Ball-Arnaz Residence is the only known house Williams designed in the Coachella Valley.
The Ball-Arnaz Residence is significant for its association with the lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and their considerable contributions to publicizing the Rancho Mirage area. Although it does not appear eligible for designation under a local ordinance or for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, the house is of local interest (a "5S3" National Register Status Code).
DPR 523L
358
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Firestone Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 66
❑D Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000 Address: 40-555 Sand Dune Road City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270 UTM Zone: 553925.01 m E 3735007.19 m N
APN: 684050008
Date Constructed: 1957
Ownership and Address: PJ Boschetto 3 LLC; 655 Mariners Island Blvd # 304, San Mateo, CA 94404 Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The 40-555 Sand Dune Road residence, designed by architect William Pereira, was constructed in 1958. The home is located in the Thunderbird Country Club neighborhood. In 2002, Leslie Neumann and Associates described the property as a one-story, flat roofed residence constructed in the International Style. In 2002, the residence was described as having a steel and glass design with flat room planes, bands of windows, and rectilinear form. The exterior was mostly glass with stucco, concrete, and slumpstone sheathing.
During the 2024 survey effort, the residence was under construction. At the time of the survey, most of the exterior walls and roof cladding were removed. Portions of concrete block and concrete walls were visible, however, much of the exterior material was in the process of being replaced. In its current state, the home no longer resembles the original form.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Encroachment Construction in 2004 (Permit No. E0400212) - Plumbing work in 2006 (Permit No. B0600233)
- Construction of an addition or remodel in 2013 (Permit No. B13o1114) - Sewer work in 2013 (Permit No. 81300413)
- Construction at the pool/spa in 2014 (Permit No. B1400123) - Grading work in 2023 (Permit No. E2200306)
- Construction of an addition or remodel in 2023 (Permit No. B220731) - Construction of an addition or remodel in 2024 (Permit No. 82400096) - Construction at the pool/spa in 2024 (Permit No. 82400007) - Construction of an ADU in 2024 (Permit No. B2401171)
See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Firestone Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 66
❑x Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of north (front) elevation. (Redfin 2022 40-555 Sand Dune Roads) View of north (front) elevation. (Redfin 2022 40-555 Sand Dune Road_2) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Firestone Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 66
❑x Update x❑ Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of north (front) elevation. (4o-555 Sand Dune Road_1) Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The prior 2002 survey evaluated the property as status code 35. The prior survey asserted that the home was eligible under NRHP Criterion B and C for its association with prominent citizen Leonard K. Firestone, and as a significant example of an International style home. Since the 2002 survey, the home has been significantly altered with extensive renovation efforts. The current survey found that the dwelling is associated with the theme of the Country Club Era (1951-1973), but it does not possess individual documented significance in relation to this theme. It is also associated with the new Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934- 1980s) theme and is considered a significant representative example of a known architectural style in the community. During the 2024 survey, most of the exterior facades had been removed, as well as the interior walls, roof facia, and exterior landscaping.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Firestone Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 66
❑x Update El Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The dwelling is not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1, as it is not directly associated with significant events or patterns of events in local, regional, state, or national history. The property is potentially individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, as the property is significantly associated with the life of Leonard Firestone, a significant local figure in the history of Rancho Mirage. The property is potentially eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 as a representative example of an International style residence by master architect William Pereira. Current remodeling work appears to be replacing many of the original design elements and materials. The extensive changes may alter existing character -defining features of the property. As such, it is unclear if the Firestone Residence still individually embodies the distinctive characteristics of a mid-century International style home constructed in Rancho Mirage during the 19505. However, limited information from the current owner suggests that they are utilizing the original plans from master architect William Pereira as a guide for construction efforts, which suggests that the historic look and feel of the exterior will be restored. If the current remodeling campaign replaces exterior design elements with in -kind or with materials that match the original design, color, and texture, then the property will retain adequate historic integrity to convey its significance under this criterion. It is not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the dwelling would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state or national history.
The single-family residence is not considered eligible under Local Criteria 2-3 and 6-8. At the time of this survey, the Firestone Residence appears to still be considered eligible under Local Register Criterion 1 as the residence is representative of a mid -20th century International style home in Rancho Mirage. Once the current renovation efforts are finished, it should also still be eligible under Local Register Criterion 4, if it can be determined that the property still represents the work of master architect William Pereira in terms of design and material integrity. The property also appears to still be considered eligible under Local Register Criterion 5 for its association with Leonard Firestone. As of this survey, the dwelling has not been substantially altered and it maintains adequate integrity from the historic period to convey its significance. As such, the property is assigned the 552 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3C5 status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 35 status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation. If the results of current remodeling campaign are not restorative and not faithful to the original designs from William Pereira, by adding extensive additions and inappropriate replacement materials, the property may be reevaluated and assigned a different status code.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: Firestone Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 6Z
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 66
*Map Name: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
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DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 40-555 Sand Dune Road City Rancho Mirage
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) Firestone Residence Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) Architect William Pereira designed this one-story, flat -roofed residence in 1958. Located along the greens of the Thunderbird Country Club golf course, the "U" -shaped house is 5, 961 square feet and sits on 2.97 acres. The steel and glass design is International Style Modern with the flat roof planes, bands of windows, and overall rectilinearity associated with the style. Exteriors are mostly glass with additional sheathing of stucco, concrete, and slumpstone. Most windows are steel -framed ceiling -to -floor glass with narrow mullions. Large sliding glass doors open to patios on the north, south, and east elevations. Exceptionally deep overhangs, some cantilevered and others supported by square or rectangular steel posts, create large exterior rooms. Flagstone paves patios, the pool deck, and walkways. Interior floors are primarily terrazzo. The central living room roof plane overlaps the bedroom and guest wings. Low concrete walls adjacent to the bedroom wings serve as planters for tightly trimmed hedges. The swimming pool is surrounded on three sides by the house. The dining room consists of glass walls on two sides facing the swimming pool. Located on the east elevation, the main entrance consists of a long walkway leading to a double door. Extensive landscaping of lawns, citrus and olive trees, palms, clipped shrubs and hedges enhance the property, which also contains a tennis court and parking area. The vast north lawn merges unimpeded with the golf course greens. The house is original and in excellent condition.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
West and north elevations
November 2002
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
1958/ Source: Metroscan
*P7. Owner and Address:
Paul A. Legvold
PO Box 951
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Neumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
September 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey.
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map •Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (Iist)
DPR 523A (1/95)
364
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 3S
*Resource Name or #: Firestone Residence
B1. Historic Name: Firestone Residence
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: International Style
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1958.
Note: No building permits exist prior to incorporation of the City of Rancho Mirage in 1973.
June 23, 1999. Alteration. Value: $75, 000.
B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:
None.
B9a. Architect: William Pereira b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Country Club Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1951-1973 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: B, C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) This impressive home is architecturally significant for its elegant International Style design and historically significant for its association with a prominent citizen. William Pereira and Associates designed the house for Leonard K. Firestone in 1958 within the gates of the prestigious Thunderbird Country Club. Leonard K. Firestone (1907 — 1996) was the last surviving son of Harvey S. Firestone, founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. Leonard Firestone became President of the company, was involved in Republican politics, and was Ambassador to Belgium from 1974-1977. In the Coachella Valley, Leonard Firestone was active in civic and philanthropic organizations and was influential in the establishment of Palm Desert after World War II.
(See Continuation Sheet 3 of 3.)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend, Chronicle Books, 2001.
Pierluigi Serraino and Julius Shulman, Modernism Rediscovered, Taschen, Cologne, 2000.
Frank M. Bogert, Palm Springs, the First Hundred Years, 1986.
Interview with William Krisel, November 15, 2002.
City of Rancho Mirage Building Permits.
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Heumann *Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
(This space reserved for official comments.)
Sketch Map
DPR 523B (1/95)
365
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
*Recorded by P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann *Date September 23, 2002 O Continuation ❑ Update *B10. Significance (continued):
William Pereira was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1909. He is known for his corporate, industrial, and institutional architecture, such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Master Plan of the University of California at Irvine, and the Transamerica Pyramid office building in San Francisco. Pereira designed the impressive Firestone offices in Los Angeles in the same year, 1958, as Firestone's Thunderbird house, both in the International Style. Pereira was in partnership with Charles Luckman, former president of the Lever Brothers Company, New York, from 1950 - 1958. Their work was frequently published in the professional journals, especially Arts and Architecture by John Entenza. Until 1959, Pereira held a teaching position at the University of Southern California School of Architecture, Los Angeles. In 1958, Charles Luckman left the practice, leaving Pereira as the sole principal of the firm. Pereira died in 1985.
The Firestone residence is International Style in its rectilinearity, flat roof, steel construction, glass curtain walls, and unadorned surfaces. The exceptionally deep overhangs are Pereira's response to the extremes of the desert sun. Situated on an enormous lot surrounded by lawns, the house makes a monumental statement. The exteriors are essentially original and the house has been meticulously maintained. Many of the custom houses commissioned in the country club areas were designed by local architects in the Desert Modern style using a broader assortment of surface materials. By hiring Los Angeles architect William Pereira, not known as a residential architect, to design his Thunderbird home, Firestone was indicating a desire for something akin to the offices Pereira was concurrently building for him in Los Angeles. Firestone wanted a rational building with clean lines and glass walls, which is exactly what Pereira produced.
Pure International Style residences are rare in Rancho Mirage. In fact, the house designed by Crombie Taylor circa 1970 located at 37-084 Palm View Drive along the Tamarisk Country Club golf course is the only other pure, unmodified International Style house in the city. Pereira and Luckman's only other major Coachella Valley commission was the 1958 Robinson's Department Store in Palm Springs.
The Firestone Residence appears eligible for separate listing in the National Register of Historic Places for its exceptional architectural significance (a "3S" National Register Status Code). In addition, the property would be eligible for designation under an existing or proposed local ordinance.
DPR 523L
366
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
*Recorded by P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann *Date September 23, 2002 O Continuation ❑ Update P5b. Description/Date of Photo: View of living room and guest wing looking south at north elevation, November 2002.
P5b. Description/Date of Photo: View of pool area looking west at east and south elevations, November 2002. 367
DPR 523L
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Dennis Residence II
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3CS/552
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 67
❑D Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000 Address: 41-915 Tonopah Road City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270 UTM Zone: 115 551766.21 m E 3734795.34 m N
APN: 690082006
Date Constructed: 1970
Ownership and Address: Michael K Boone Living Trust, Michael K Boone; 167 Cypress Drive, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The 41-915 Tonopah Road residence was constructed in 1970. The home is in the Thunderbird Heights neighborhood. In 2002, Leslie Neumann and Associates described the residence as a flat -roofed Modern residence that is entirely round with floor -to -ceiling glass.
The home was described as having a flat raised center roof section with clerestory windows for interior light. The house is sited on a raised concrete slab with medium -smooth stucco and quartz rock wall exteriors. The residence has sturdy posts widely spaced around the perimeter. The residence was re -roofed in 1983. During the 2024 survey, the residence was under construction. Based on survey images, it appears that the floor -to -ceiling glass windows that surround the residence have been replaced. Portions of the exterior walls have been removed during the construction process. The roof is under construction.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Construction of an addition or remodel in 2000 (Permit No. 60001287) - Pool & spa work in 2000 (Permit No. B0001555)
- Miscellaneous work in 2000 (Permit No. 80001730)
- Pool & spa work in 2001 (Permit No. Boloo417)
- Reroof of the dwelling in 2019 (Permit No. B19o1747)
- Electrical work in 2020 (Permit No. B202012)
- Construction of a block wall in 2021(Permit No. B2101431) - Construction of a block wall in 2021 (Permit No. B2101749) - Grading work in 2021 (Permit No. E2000200)
- Construction of an addition and remodel in 2021 (Permit No.
B2o2o570)
- Septic work in 2022 (Permit No. B2201102)
- Pool & spa work in 2022 (Permit No. 2202105)
- Construction of a block wall in 2022 (Permit No. B2202303) - Installation of roof mounted solar in 2023 (Permit No. 62302258) - Miscellaneous work in 2024 (Permit No. 62400221)
See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Dennis Residence II
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 67
❑x Update CI Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of south elevation. (Zillow 2018 41-915 Tonopah Road_1) View of north elevation. (Zillow 2018 41-915 Tonopah Road_2) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Dennis Residence II
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 67
❑x Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of south elevation. (41-915 Tonopah Road_z)
View of south elevation. (41-915 Tonopah Road_2)
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Dennis Residence II
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 67
❑x Update ❑D Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of east elevation. (41-915 Tonopah Road_3)
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The prior 2002 survey evaluated the property as status code 551: Individual property that is listed or designated locally. The correct status code that should have been assigned in 2002 is 5S3: appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. The prior survey identified the residence as architecturally significant for its Modern design. The home most closely resembles a Post and Beam style home, though it is unique for its circular form. The current survey found that the dwelling is associated with the theme of Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934-198os) and Residential Subdivisions and Cooperatives (1951- 1973). At the time of the current survey, the residence was undergoing significant renovations. The roof was in the process of being replaced, the walls had been removed during the process of the renovations, and some of the floor to ceiling windows had been replaced.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Dennis Residence II
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 67
❑x Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The dwelling is not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/s, as it is not directly associated with significant events or patterns of events in local, regional, state, or national history. The property is not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, as the property is not significantly associated with the lives of persons significant to national, state, or local history. The property is potentially eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 as a representative example of a Post and Beam style residence. Current remodeling work appears to be replacing many of the original design elements and materials. The extensive changes may alter existing character -defining features of the property. As such, it is unclear if the Dennis Residence II still individually embodies the distinctive characteristics of a mid-century Post and Beam style home constructed in Rancho Mirage. However, limited visual information suggests that the owner is maintaining the general massing of the original residence, which suggests that the historic look and feel of the exterior will be restored. If the current remodeling campaign replaces exterior design elements with in -kind or with materials that match the original design, color, and texture, then the property will retain adequate historic integrity to convey its significance under this criterion. Therefore, at the time of this survey, the home still retains integrity of design, materials, or feeling. It is not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the dwelling would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state or national history.
The single-family residence is not considered eligible under Local Criteria 2-8. At the time of this survey, the Dennis Residence II appears to still be considered eligible under Local Register Criterion i as the residence is representative of a mid -20th century Post and Beam style home in Rancho Mirage. Once the current renovation efforts are finished, it should still be eligible under this criterion, if it can be determined that the property has restored its exterior design and material integrity. As of this survey, the dwelling maintains adequate integrity from the historic period to convey its significance. As such, the property is assigned the 552 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 35 status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation. If the results of current remodeling campaign are not restorative and not faithful to the original designs from William Pereira, by adding extensive additions and inappropriate replacement materials, the property may be reevaluated and assigned a different status code.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: Dennis Residence II
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 6Z
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 67
*Map Name: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
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DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 41-915 Tonopah Road City Rancho Mirage
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) Dennis Residence ll Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) Constructed in 1970, the most character -defining feature of this flat -roofed Modern residence is that it is entirely round with floor -to -ceiling glass providing 270 -degree views of the desert valley floor. A flat raised center roof section has clerestory windows providing interior light. Located in the Thunderbird Heights area, the house sits on a raised concrete slab and is 6,431 square feet, with three bedrooms and 4.25 bathrooms, and is set on 1.17 acres. Medium -smooth stucco and quartz rock walls clad the exteriors. Sturdy posts widely spaced around the perimeter support projecting roof beams and deep, cantilevered overhangs. A curving concrete driveway leads to the full -height double entrance doors that open to a vast living room. Away from the street along the west side of the property, a shallow pond borders the covered patio and surrounds an "island" pavilion that is reached via a terrazzo walkway. The pavilion (another dining room or perhaps a card room) is circular, flat -roofed, with glass walls. A swimming pool is nearby. A low quartz rock wall forms a planter containing a clipped hedge north of the entrance. Given the large size of the property, the grounds are lushly landscaped with lawns, gravel, boulders, mature citrus and palm trees, bougainvillea, trimmed hedges, and other vegetation. The house appears original and in excellent condition.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
Looking southwest.
November 2002
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
1970/ Source: Metroscan
*P7. Owner and Address:
John H. Cummings
41915 Tonopah Road
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Neumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
September 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey.
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95)
374
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 5S1
*Resource Name or #: Dennis Residence ll
B1. Historic Name: Dennis Residence ll
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1970.
Note: No building permits exist prior to incorporation of the City of Rancho Mirage in 1973.
February 17, 1983. Reroof.
B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:
None.
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Country Club Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1951-1973 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) This property is architecturally significant for its innovative Modern design. Joseph Knowlton Dennis, an insurance executive, commissioned the residence, having previously occupied a nearby house located at 70-381 Placerville Road which, like this house, has a round living room with spectacular views. Dennis Residence II, built in 1970 by an unknown architect, is a dynamic, circular Modern house with a flat roof, glass walls, concrete posts, and sits above ground level in the manner of a classical temple. The unique design is perfectly suited to its Thunderbird Heights location where dramatic views encircle the house. The smaller pavilion, a miniature version of the main house, is surrounded by water for an exotic, `desert island' feel.
The green lawns fronting the street -facing elevation reinforce the powerful symbolism of an isolated temple in the desert. The residence appears to be the only entirely round house constructed in Rancho Mirage and is in excellent, original condition.
The property appears eligible for designation under an existing or proposed local ordinance, but does not appear eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (a "5S1" National Register Status Code).
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend, Chronicle Books, 2001. 1972 Palm Springs "Yellow Book" Directory.
City of Rancho Mirage Buiilding Permits.
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Heumann *Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
(This space reserved for official comments.)
Sketch Map
DPR 523B (1/95)
375
*Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Simon Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/552
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 68
❑D Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000 Address: 70-151 Sonora Road City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270 UTM Zone: 115 551835.41 m E 3734896.31 m N
APN: 690091olo
Date Constructed: 1971
Ownership and Address: Susan Hofheinz, Nicholson Hofheinz, Susan Rev Inter Vivos Trust; 70151 Sonora Road, Rancho Mirage, CA 9227o
Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The 70-151 Sonora Road property was constructed in 1971. The home is located in the Thunderbird Heights neighborhood. In 2002, Leslie Heumann and Associates described the property as a one-story, irregularly shaped, Modern residence with a flat and front - gabled roof. The home most specifically resembles a Desert Modernist style residence. The exterior is clad in light-colored natural rock and medium -smooth stucco. The residence features large, floor -to -ceiling windows with anodized aluminum frames. The entrance door has an opaque sidelight. The residence as a large exterior, smooth stone chimney. The 2002 survey indicated that the residence had been re -roofed twice (in 1981 and 1994), in addition to a remodeling campaign in 1974 and a change to the skylight in 1981. There does not appear to have been any significant alterations to the residence since the 2002 survey.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Construction of addition or remodel in 2016 (Permit No. B1601393) - Mechanical/HVAC work in 2017 (Permit No. B1700837)
- Mechanical/HVAC work in 2017 (Permit No. B17o1196)
- Mechanical/HVAC work in 2019 (Permit No. B1900900)
- Mechanical/HVAC work in 2022 (Permit No. B2200427)
See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Simon Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 68
❑x Update x❑ Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of east and south elevations. (70-151 Sonora Road_a) View of south elevation. (70-151 Sonora Road_2)
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Simon Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 68
❑x Update El Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of south elevation. (70-151 Sonora Road_3)
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The prior 2002 survey assigned the subject property a status code 553. The prior survey indicated that the home was a noteworthy example of a Modern design located within the Thunderbird Heights neighborhood. The architect or builder of the home could not be identified. The current survey finds the residence most closely resembles a Desert Modernist style home, and is associated with the theme of Residential Subdivisions and Cooperatives (1951-1973), though it is not considered eligible under this theme. It is also associated with the new Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934-198os) theme and is considered a significant representative example of a known architectural style in the community. The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 552 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 35 status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
The dwelling has not been found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1, as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of events in local, regional, state, or national history; not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the dwelling would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state or national history. The residence is not considered eligible under Local Criteria 2-6 and 8.
The single-family residence is considered eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 as property individually embodies the distinctive characteristics of a Desert Modernist style home constructed within Rancho Mirage in the 1970s. The home features several character defining features of the style including a rectilinear form, a flat and gable roof, deep, square overhangs above the entrances, a mix of stucco and natural rock walls, and large fixed windows. The property is also eligible under Local Register Criteria 1 and 7 as it is representative of a Desert Modernist style home that embodies an outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, craftsmanship, and use of materials. As the dwelling has not been substantially altered, it maintains adequate integrity from the historic period to convey its significance.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: Simon Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/5S2
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 68
*Map Name: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
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1.71 DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 70-151 Sonora Road City Rancho Mirage
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) Simon Residence Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) Constructed in 1971, this one-story, irregularly shaped, Modern residence has both a flat and front -gabled roof. Elevated substantially above grade in Thunderbird Heights, the 9, 808 square foot house has eight bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms and sits on .87 acres. Light-colored natural rock and medium -smooth stucco sheathe the exteriors. Windows are mostly floor -to - ceiling with anodized aluminum frames. The terrazzo entry path on the southeast side of the house is flanked on the north by a reflecting pond and fountain. The entrance door has an opaque sidelight. A square volume with plate glass windows is cantilevered over a pond, with its flat overhang supported by square posts. Low concrete walls create planters filled with sculpted hedges and palms around southeast and northeast elevations. A battered, rock clad exterior chimney rises to the front gable peak along the projecting northeast wing. An enclosed three -car garage is south of the entrance. The swimming pool is located on the northwest side of the property. The residence appears original and in excellent condition. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
Southeast elevation
November 2002
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
1971/ Source: Metroscan
*P7. Owner and Address:
Roy M. and Susan Hofheinz
PO Box 2325
Palm Desert, CA 92261
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
September 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey.
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (fist)
DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
380
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 5S3
*Resource Name or #: Simon Residence
B1. Historic Name: Simon Residence
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1971.
Note: No building permits exist prior to incorporation of the City of Rancho Mirage in 1973.
December 16, 1974. Remodel. Value: $4,500.
January 20, 1981, Reroof.
April 1, 1981. Change skylight.
January 13, 1994. Reroof.
B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: None.
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Country Club Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1951-1973 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) This house is architecturally noteworthy as an intact and representative example of Modern design in the Thunderbird Heights area. Constructed in 1971 by an unknown architect and/or builder, the house was apparently built for M. J. Simon. The residence is characterized by mostly rectilinear surfaces, floor -to -ceiling glass, deep overhangs, square posts, terrazzo, natural rock walls, and water features. These are all Desert Modern design elements utilized by renowned local architect William Cody, particularly in the late 1960s and early 1970s, although there is no evidence that Cody had any involvement with this house. Although the property does not appear eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or for designation under an existing or proposed local ordinance, it is of local interest (a "5S3" National Register Status Code).
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend, Chronicle Books, 2001. 1972 Palm Springs "Yellow Book" Directory.
City of Rancho Mirage Building Permits.
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Neumann *Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
(This space reserved for official comments.)
DPR 523B (1/95)
Sketch Map
*Required information
381
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Mirage Cove Drive Apartments
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 69
❑x Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000 Address: 70-200 Mirage Cove Drive City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270 UTM Zone: 11S 55i657.40 m E 3736255.05 m N
APN: 689140006
Date Constructed: 1964
Ownership and Address: Grant Bayme; 7020o Mirage Cove Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The Mirage Cove Drive Apartments, addressed as 70-200 Mirage Cove Drive, designed by architect William Cody, was constructed in 1963. In 2002, Leslie Neumann and Associates described the property as a Modern style four -unit, two-story apartment building with a flat roof. The building is rectangular and symmetrical, constructed of concrete block and vertical boards. The residence has aluminum -framed fixed and sliding windows. The building has five decorative right-angled wooden spider leg posts that project away from the north elevation roofline. Since the 2002 survey, it appears there have been some alterations to the building including: the installation of large vinyl sun shades, exterior paint, large air units installed on the roof, and new cement block wall surrounding the property.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Construction of a block wall in 2003 (Permit No. 80302502) - Construction of an addition or remodel in 2003 (Permit No. 80302545) - Construction of an addition or remodel in zoos (Permit No. 80501186) - Construction of a block wall in 2007 (Permit No. 80700399) - Construction of a block wall in 2008 (Permit No. B0800243) - Mechanical/HVAC work in 2010 (Permit No. Ba00o585)
- Mechanical/HVAC work in 2011 (Permit No. 81100719)
- Mechanical/HVAC work in 2011 (Permit No. B1100765)
- Miscellaneous work (fire inspection) in 2023 (Permit No. F2300150) See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Mirage Cove Drive Apartments
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 69
❑D Update ❑D Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of north elevation. (70-200 Mirage Cove Drive_1)
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The prior 2002 survey assigned the subject property a status code 553. The prior survey indicated that the subject property was notable as the only known apartment building designed by architect William Cody in the City of Rancho Mirage. The current survey finds the building most closely resembles an International style apartment building, and is associated with the theme of Residential Subdivisions and Cooperatives (1951-1973), but it does not possess individual documented significance in relation to this theme. It is also associated with the new Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934-198os) theme and is considered a significant representative example of a known architectural style in the community. The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 552 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 35 status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Mirage Cove Drive Apartments
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 69
I Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
William Francis Cody (1916-1978) is designed the subject property in 1963. Born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1916, Cody's family relocated to California in 1930. While attending Beverly Hills High School, Cody designed and built stages for school plays prior to his graduation in 1932. Following high school, he graduated from Santa Monica Junior College in 1939 and enrolled in the College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of Southern California. He graduated from USC in 1942. During his time at Santa Monica Junior College and USC, Cody worked for architects, Heath Wharton and Asa Hudson. Following his graduation, Cody worked for several engineering and architecture firms in California, including Cliff May whom he worked for in 1944. In 1945, Cody's firm was hired to alter the Desert Inn in Palm Springs. Following the Desert Inn project, Cody began working independently in California and Arizona by 1946.
In 1946, William F. Cody moved to Palm Springs permanently and received his first independent commission to design the Del Marcos Hotel, which earned him an award in 1949 from the California chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 1947, he was hired to convert the Thunderbird Dude Ranch, originally constructed in 1936, to the Thunderbird Country Club. His work at Thunderbird led to future commissions at other clubhouses, recreational facilities, and residential developments, at locations throughout Palm Desert, such as the Eldorado Country Club, Tamarisk Country Club, the Racquet Club, the Tennis Club, and the Seven Lakes Clubhouse. In Palm Springs, Cody was one of the architects, with Wexler & Harrison and Philip Koenig, to design the Spa Bathhouse and Spa Hotel. In 1952, Cody designed the Horizon Hotel.
In the Coachella Valley, he was responsible for several notable Modernist style residential designs including the Perlberg, Shamel, and Abernathy residences in Palm Springs. Throughout his career, he designed commercial and residential properties throughout California, Arizona, Texas, Cub, and Mexico. He was inducted into the College of Fellows of the AIA in 1965. Some of his final projects included St. Theresa's Catholic Church in 1968 and the Palm Springs Library Center in 1972. In 1973, he suffered a severe stroke which caused him to end his architectural career. He died in 1978 and today is considered one of the most important architects in the Desert Modernism movement.
The building has not been found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1, as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of events in local, regional, or national history; not individually eligible under Criterion B/2, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the building would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history. The building is not considered eligible under Local Criterion 1-3, 5-8.
The building is notable for its association with the architect William Cody. The subject property is the only known apartment building designed by Cody within Rancho Mirage. Cody had a notable impact within Rancho Mirage, having worked on the design, or redesign, of the Thunderbird, Tamarisk, and Eldorado Country Clubs, in addition to numerous residences within the country club areas. Cody is considered one of the most important architects in the Desert Modernism movement. The building is relatively simple in design, with the most notable architectural feature being the large wooden spider leg posts that extend from the building. The single-family residence is considered eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3, and Local Criterion 4 for being the work of a noted architect whose work influenced the era; the building is a rare example of a multi -family residence constructed by Cody. As the dwelling has not been substantially altered, this dwelling maintains integrity from the historic period.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: Mirage Cove Drive Apartments
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/552
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 69
*Map Name: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 70-200 Mirage Cove Drive (orig. 39th Ave.) City Rancho Mirage *e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) 70-200 Mirage Cove Drive Apartments Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) Architect William Cody designed this four -unit, two-story apartment building circa 1963. A flat roof without overhangs caps the south -facing apartments. Rectangular and symmetrical, the building is constructed of concrete block and vertical boards (T-111 plywood). Windows are aluminum -framed fixed and sliding. South -facing windows are tall and narrow, separated by large expanses of solid wall, while windows on the west and east elevations are wider. Conversely, a continuous window band of fixed and aluminum sliders characterizes the second floor north elevation. The most distinctive design element of the complex is the row of five right-angled wood spider legs that project away from the north elevation roofline, intersecting with the one-story carport wall on the north side of the property. The spider legs surmount small, rear exterior patios between each unit and the carports. Behind a concrete block perimeter wall, concrete decking surrounds the front swimming pool and apartment entrances. Unadorned wood entrance doors are adjacent to the narrow windows of the facade. Landscaping of lawns, shrubs, mature palms, and other trees surrounds the building. The apartment building appears mostly original and in fair condition.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP3. Multiple -family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
West elevation
October 2002
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
Circa 1963
*P7. Owner and Address:
Michael and Josephine Yuskis
3419 Via Lido, #208
Newport Beach, CA 92663
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
October 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey.
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map •Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95)
386
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 5S1
*Resource Name or #: 70-200 Mirage Cove Drive Apartments B1. Historic Name: Unknown
B2. Common Name: 70-200 Mirage Cove Drive Apartments
B3. Original Use: Multiple -family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed circa 1963.
Note: No building permits exist prior to incorporation of the City of Rancho Mirage in 1973.
December 16, 1996. Reroof.
B4. Present Use: Multiple -family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:
None.
B9a. Architect: William Cody b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Country Club Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1951-1973 Property Type: Multiple -family Residence Applicable Criteria: C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) This property is architecturally significant as the only known apartment building architect William Cody designed in the City of Rancho Mirage. It is a highly unusual design for Cody, because the building does not employ the deep overhangs that are a Cody trademark. The building clearly exhibits the rationality and minimalism of his better designs, including the requisite flat roof and north -facing expanse of windows. Cody's most expressive design element is surely the five Neutra-like spider legs that extend far beyond any obvious utilitarian requirement. (See Continuation Sheet 3 of 3.)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend, Chronicle Books, 2001.
Interview with Frank Urrutia October 4, 2002.
1960 Palm Springs "Yellow Book" Directory.
City of Rancho Mirage Building Permits
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Heumann *Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
(This space reserved for official comments.)
Sketch Map
DPR 523B (1/95)
387
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
*Recorded by P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann *Date September 23, 2002 O Continuation ❑ Update *B10. Significance (continued):
William F. Cody FAIA (1916-1978) was born in Dayton, Ohio and raised in Los Angeles. While attending architecture school at the University of Southern California in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Cody was also working for architect Cliff May, gaining experience in the adaptation of ranch and hacienda style houses to modern floor plans and construction techniques.
Suffering from asthma, and believing that the Palm Springs area offered opportunity and prominent clients, Cody moved to Palm Springs in 1944-45 and set up practice. One of his first projects, the Del Marcos Hotel of 1946, won an AIA "creditable mention" award as an example of new resort hotel architecture for its "ingenious plan, which appears complicated but is actually orderly and thoughtful." Author and critic Alan Hess writes, "Greater thinness and more striking elegance became the single-minded focus of his ongoing design." Despite a reputation for carousing, Cody was exceptionally focused on the details of his designs and pushing the boundaries of his materials. His well-known and innovative early buildings, along with friendships with influential members of the Thunderbird, Tamarisk, and Eldorado Country Clubs, resulted in commissions to design (or in the case of Thunderbird, remodel) the clubhouses of all three locations. In addition, Cody designed a large number of residences in the country club areas, many along the fairways of the new resort concept of golf course living, a concept that Cody himself helped devise.
Author Adele Cygelman writes, "Joints and door frames seemingly disappeared into walls. He merged living rooms into terraces and gardens. Roofs jutted out twelve feet to shield the walls of glass. Pattern and texture came from tile floors, carved wood panels, and concrete -block screens with geometric motifs, all of which were meticulously designed by Cody to match each other precisely at the seams and angles where the planes met." Like other Coachella Valley architects, Cody designed churches, gas stations, motels, restaurants, offices, a mobile home park, shopping centers, even a carwash. "Yet a distinct character can be seen in all of them," says Hess. "It is a restless energy that brings a liveliness to his plans, elevations and details. The radical thinness of Cody roofs or the daring reach of a cantilever are clearly the result of a wrestling match between the architect and the materials and the laws of physics; that energy and striving remains in the building." Hess concludes, "The fact that Cody could take an established vocabulary and style and reinterpret it so vividly ranks him among the best of mid-century California designers." This property appears eligible for designation under an existing or proposed local ordinance, but does not appear eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (a "5S1" National Register Status Code). The building is one of William Cody's most unusual Modern buildings and, as a two-story apartment building, one of his most rare.
DPR 523L
388
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Hanson Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 7o
❑x Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City
Address: 71-087 Fairway Drive
UTM Zone: 11S 553532.76 m E
APN: 674300013
Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000
City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270
3737646.64 m N
Date Constructed: 1967
Ownership and Address: Lewis S Baskerville; 708 N aST Street # 632, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The 71-087 Fairway Drive residence, designed by architect William Cody, was constructed in 1967. The residence is located within the Tamarisk Country Club. In 2002, Leslie Heumann and Associates described the residence as a Ranch Modern, one-story, post and beam house with an intersecting front and side -gabled roof. The home most closely resembles the Custom Ranch style. The exterior is clad in medium -rough stucco, plywood, and brick. The projecting cornice ends are notched, which is a signature element of Cody's work, with rafters visible beneath deep eaves. The residence has floor -to -ceiling steel -framed fixed and sliding windows. The primary elevation of the home faces the 14th and 15th fairways of the Tamarisk Country Club golf course. There is a large attached carport extending from the residence across the rounded driveway. The 2002 survey indicated that there was an addition in 1977, however, the property largely appeared to be in original condition. There does not appear to have been any significant alterations since the 2002 survey.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Construction of a block wall in 2007 (Permit No. 80700526) - Construction of a block wall in 2007 (Permit No. Bo7o1413) - Construction of an addition or remodel in 2010 (Permit No. B1000224) - Reroof of dwelling in 2010 (Permit No. Ba0008o9)
- Construction of a block wall in 2023 (Permit No. B2300453) - Construction of an addition or remodel in 2021 (Permit No. 2000419) See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Hanson Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 70
❑x Update El Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of rear elevation. (71-087 Fairway Drives)
View of front elevation. (71-087 Fairway Drive_4)
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Hanson Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 70
❑x Update ❑D Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of rear elevation. (71-087 Fairway Drive_3)
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The prior 2002 survey assigned the subject property a status code Si:S Individual property that is listed or designated locally. The correct status code that should have been assigned in 2002 is 5S3: appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. The current survey found that the dwelling is associated with the theme of the Country Club Era (1951- 1973), but it does not possess individual documented significance in relation to this theme. It is also associated with the new Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934-198os) theme and is considered a significant representative example of a known architectural style in the community. The prior survey found the residence eligible under NRHP Criteria C as an excellent example of the work of architect William Cody. The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 5S2 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 35 status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Hanson Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 70
x❑ Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
William Francis Cody (1916-1978) is designed the subject property in 1967. Born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1916, Cody's family relocated to California in 1930. While attending Beverly Hills High School, Cody designed and built stages for school plays prior to his graduation in 1932. Following high school, he graduated from Santa Monica Junior College in 1939 and enrolled in the College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of Southern California. He graduated from USC in 1942. During his time at Santa Monica Junior College and USC, Cody worked for architects, Heath Wharton and Asa Hudson. Following his graduation, Cody worked for several engineering and architecture firms in California, including Cliff May whom he worked for in 1944. In 1945, Cody's firm was hired to alter the Desert Inn in Palm Springs. Following the Desert Inn project, Cody began working independently in California and Arizona by 1946.
In 1946, William F. Cody moved to Palm Springs permanently and received his first independent commission to design the Del Marcos Hotel, which earned him an award in 1949 from the California chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 1947, he was hired to convert the Thunderbird Dude Ranch, originally constructed in 1936, to the Thunderbird Country Club. His work at Thunderbird led to future commissions at other clubhouses, recreational facilities, and residential developments, at locations throughout Palm Desert, such as the Eldorado Country Club, Tamarisk Country Club, the Racquet Club, the Tennis Club, and the Seven Lakes Clubhouse. In Palm Springs, Cody was one of the architects, with Wexler & Harrison and Philip Koenig, to design the Spa Bathhouse and Spa Hotel. In 1952, Cody designed the Horizon Hotel.
In the Coachella Valley, he was responsible for several notable Modernist style residential designs including the Perlberg, Shamel, and Abernathy residences in Palm Springs. Throughout his career, he designed commercial and residential properties throughout California, Arizona, Texas, Cub, and Mexico. He was inducted into the College of Fellows of the AIA in 1965. Some of his final projects included St. Theresa's Catholic Church in 1968 and the Palm Springs Library Center in 1972. In 1973, he suffered a severe stroke which caused him to end his architectural career. He died in 1978 and today is considered one of the most important architects in the Desert Modernism movement.
The subject property is a notable example of the Custom Ranch architecture style. It features several architectural features that are typical of Cody's work including deep overhangs with projecting beam ends, notched rafters, and expansive glass walls. The home additionally features character defining features of a Custom Ranch home including:
- an asymmetrical facade, exterior walls clad in more than one material, including brick, stucco, and vertical board siding; - strong horizontal massing with sections offloor-to-ceiling glass windows; - multiple, intersecting roof types, including gable and flat; - deep roof overhangs;
- a recessed entry with a prominent gabled porch roof;
- an attached carport;
- and high quality of artisanship as seen in the projecting beam ends, notched rafters, and variety of building materials and forms utilized.
The building has not been found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1, as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of events in local, regional, or national history; not individually eligible under Criterion B/2, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the building would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history. The building is not considered eligible under Local Criterion 2,3, 5, 6 and 8.
The subject property is found eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 for embodying the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction. Relately the subject property is eligible under Local Criterion 4 as representative of a particular architectural style and as representative of the work of William Cody, and Local Criterion i and 7 as it is representative of a Custom Ranch style home that embodies an outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, craftsmanship, and use of materials. As the dwelling has not been substantially altered, it maintains adequate integrity from the historic period to convey its significance.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: Hanson Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/5S2
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 7o
*Map Name: Cathedral City
PP['c{ PLAN ING
DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Stein Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 71
❑x Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City
Address: 71-111 Tamarisk Lane
UTM Zone: 115 553556.56 m E
APN: 674281025
Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000
City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270
3737846.69 m N
Date Constructed: 1970
Ownership and Address: Don Marital Maltzman Non -Exempt Trust, Dean Stuart Maltzman, Joan Maltzman; 932o Wilshire Blvd, Ste 208, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The 71-111 Tamarisk Lane residence, designed by architect William Cody, was constructed in 1970. The property is located in the Tamarisk Country Club. In 2002, Leslie Neumann and Associates described the residence as a one-story, flat -roofed, Desert Modernist style home. Urbana concurs with this finding. The primary (rear) elevation faces south towards the 13th fairway of the Tamarisk Country Club golf course. The exterior of the residence is clad in artificial stone block, board -and -batten, and medium -smooth stucco.
There are five right-angled projecting wood posts and beams, a signature of Cody's work, that support the deep patio roof of the east wing. The 2002 survey detailed ten permitted alterations to the residence including: a 5o sq ft addition to the dwelling (1977), remodel of the residence (1978), the addition of a tennis court (1978), the addition of a gazebo (1979), a 865 sq ft addition to the residence and 236 sq ft addition to the porch (1981), demolition of walls in the dwelling (1984), addition and remodel of dwelling (1984), addition and remodel of the dwelling (1984), a 1214 sq ft addition (1997), the demolition of a bedroom and bathroom (1997), and the addition of a 133 sq ft kitchen and 48 sqft exercise room (2000). There does not appear to have been any significant alterations to the residence since the 2002 survey.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Construction of an addition or remodel in 2000 (Permit No. B0001o27) - Encroachment Construction in 2000 (Permit No. E0000549) - block wall construction in 2000 (Permit No. 80001422) - Installation of solar in 2019 (Permit No. B19o1274)
- Electrical work in 2023 (Permit No. B23o2o18)
See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Stein Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 71
❑x Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of south (rear) elevation. (71-111 Tamarisk Lane_8) View of south (rear) elevation. (71-111 Tamarisk Lane_9) DPR 523L (0912013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Stein Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 71
❑x Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of south (rear) elevation. (71-111 Tamarisk Lane_aa) View of north (front) elevation. (71 -iii Tamarisk Lane_3) DPR 523L (0912013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Stein Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 71
❑x Update ❑D Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of north elevation. (71-111 Tamarisk Lane_a)
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The prior 2002 survey assigned the subject property a status code 553: appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. The prior survey found the residence eligible under NRHP Criteria C as a noteworthy example of the work of architect William Cody. The home is associated with the theme of the Country Club Era (1951-1973), but it does not possess individual documented significance in relation to this theme. It is also associated with the new Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934-198os) theme and is considered a significant representative example of a known architectural style in the community. The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 5S2 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 3S status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Stein Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 71
x❑ Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
William Francis Cody (1916-1978) designed the subject property in 1970. Born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1916, Cody's family relocated to California in 1930. While attending Beverly Hills High School, Cody designed and built stages for school plays prior to his graduation in 1932. Following high school, he graduated from Santa Monica Junior College in 1939 and enrolled in the College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of Southern California. He graduated from USC in 1942. During his time at Santa Monica Junior College and USC, Cody worked for architects, Heath Wharton and Asa Hudson. Following his graduation, Cody worked for several engineering and architecture firms in California, including Cliff May whom he worked for in 1944. In 1945, Cody's firm was hired to alter the Desert Inn in Palm Springs. Following the Desert Inn project, Cody began working independently in California and Arizona by 1946.
In 1946, William F. Cody moved to Palm Springs permanently and received his first independent commission to design the Del Marcos Hotel, which earned him an award in 1949 from the California chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 1947, he was hired to convert the Thunderbird Dude Ranch, originally constructed in 1936, to the Thunderbird Country Club. His work at Thunderbird led to future commissions at other clubhouses, recreational facilities, and residential developments, at locations throughout Palm Desert, such as the Eldorado Country Club, Tamarisk Country Club, the Racquet Club, the Tennis Club, and the Seven Lakes Clubhouse. In Palm Springs, Cody was one of the architects, with Wexler & Harrison and Philip Koenig, to design the Spa Bathhouse and Spa Hotel. In 1952, Cody designed the Horizon Hotel.
In the Coachella Valley, he was responsible for several notable Modernist style residential designs including the Perlberg, Shamel, and Abernathy residences in Palm Springs. Throughout his career, he designed commercial and residential properties throughout California, Arizona, Texas, Cub, and Mexico. He was inducted into the College of Fellows of the AIA in 1965. Some of his final projects included St. Theresa's Catholic Church in 1968 and the Palm Springs Library Center in 1972. In 1973, he suffered a severe stroke which caused him to end his architectural career. He died in 1978 and today is considered one of the most important architects in the Desert Modernism movement.
The subject property is an example of a Desert Modernist style building designed by Cody. The home features several of Cody's trademark features, as well as character defining features of the Desert Modernist style. The flat roof, floor -to -ceiling glass walls, deep overhangs, and prominent support posts are all typical of Cody's work. The home features character defining features of the Desert Modernist style including: horizontal massing, a flat roof with deep overhangs, floor -to -ceiling glass walls, and prominent wood support beams. The home maintains many original features.
The dwelling has not been found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1, as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of events in local, regional, state, or national history; not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the dwelling would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state or national history. The residence is not considered eligible under Local Criteria 2-6 and 8.
The single-family residence is considered eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 as the property individually embodies the distinctive characteristics of a Desert Modernist style residence and as an example of the work of architect William Cody. The property is also eligible under Local Register Criteria i and 7 as it is representative of a Post and Beam home that embodies an outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, craftsmanship, and use of materials. The home is also eligible under Local Criterion 4 as it represents the work of architect William Cody. As the dwelling has not been substantially altered, it maintains adequate integrity from the historic period to convey its significance.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: Stein Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/5S2
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 71
*Map Name: Cathedral City
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
-111 Tamarisk Lan
r ;
i', i5ll J.a'
,,,444 yy y1.6R
DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 71-111 Tamarisk Lane City Rancho Mirage
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) Stein Residence Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) Architect William Cody designed the Stein Residence in 1970. The Desert Modern, one-story, flat -roofed house is set on .40 acres. Currently containing 7,893 square feet, with five bedrooms and 4.25 bathrooms, the house originally was 4,450 square feet. The primary (rear) elevation looks south toward the 13th fairway of the Tamarisk Country Club golf course.
Exteriors are sheathed in artificial stone block, board -and -batten, and medium -smooth stucco. The flat roof of the irregularly - shaped house is raised in some sections. Projecting glued and laminated (glue -lam) beams that support the roof along most elevations are notable. The north driveway leads to a covered entrance walkway of square posts and a grid of glue -lam beams. A perforated metal gate obscures the entrance porch and front door. The south driveway leads to several enclosed garages and the service entrance. There are primarily clerestory windows along the fagade. Ceiling -to -floor glazing, both (See Continuation Sheet 3 of 3.)
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
South elevation
August 2002
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
1970/ Source: Metroscan
*P7. Owner and Address:
Joan S. Maltzman
350 South Beverly Drive #170
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
September 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey.
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map •Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
400
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 5S3
*Resource Name or #: Stein Residence
B1. Historic Name: Stein Residence
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Desert Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations):
December 10, 1970. Dwelling and garage. Value: $64,123.
May 31, 1977. Addition to dwelling, 50 square feet. Value: $20, 000.
June 7, 1978. Remodel. Value: $10,000.
August 22, 1978. Tennis Court. Value: $11,428.
January 29, 1979. Gazebo.
May 14, 1981. Residence Addition of 865 square feet, porches of 236 square feet. Value: $50, 000.
May 14, 1984. Demolition of walls in dwelling. Value: $5,000.
June 1, 1984. Addition and remodel of dwelling. Value: $138,000.
May 14, 1997. Addition of 1214 square feet. Value: $89, 836.
February 14, 1997. Demolition of bedroom number 2 and bathroom.
July 26, 2000. Add kitchen of 133 square feet and Exercise Room of 48 square feet. Value: $50, 000.
B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: None.
B9a. Architect: William Cody b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Country Club Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1951-1973 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) This property is architecturally noteworthy for its evocation of William Cody's Desert Modernism. The essence of the Stein Residence is of a Desert Modern house with the qualities and characteristics associated with the original architect William Cody. The flat roof, floor to ceiling glass walls, deep overhangs, and support posts are all architectural design elements associated with Cody's style. Despite all of the many additions and remodels, Cody's vision is still evident. (See Continuation Sheet 3 of 3.)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend,
Chronicle Books, 2001.
Adele Cygelman, Palm Springs Modern, New York, Rizzoli
International Publications, 1999. pp. 112-115.
City of Rancho Mirage Building Permits.
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Heumann (This space reserved for official comments.)
*Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
Sketch Map
DPR 523B (1/95)
401
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
*Recorded by P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann *Date September 23, 2002 O Continuation ❑ Update *P3a. Description (continued):
fixed and sliding, predominates along the rear elevations. Five right-angled projecting wood posts and beams support the deep patio roof of the east wing. Here, non -original square slate cladding covers some surfaces. Exterior walkway and patio ceilings are of varnished natural wood strips. The concrete work surrounding the swimming pool is of intersecting horizontal planes of various thicknesses and heights, creating a pleasing rectilinear pattern consistent with the house form. A freestanding pavilion located on the southwest corner of the property consists of four square wood posts topped by two projecting glue -lam beams supporting a flat square roof slab. The pavilion's poetic simplicity is emblematic of the overall design of the main residence. Landscaping is dense and layered with gently undulating lawns and an amazing variety of flora including cacti (such as mature saguaro), yucca (Joshua tree), palms, olive trees, citrus, and many others. The house has been remodeled with substantial additions, yet continues to retain its integrity of Cody's vision. *B10. Significance (continued):
William F. Cody FAIA (1916-1978) was born in Dayton, Ohio and raised in Los Angeles. While attending architecture school at the University of Southern California in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Cody was also working for architect Cliff May, gaining experience in the adaptation of ranch and hacienda style houses to modern floor plans and construction techniques.
Suffering from asthma, and believing that the Palm Springs area offered opportunity and prominent clients, Cody moved to Palm Springs in 1944-45 and set up practice. One of his first projects, the Del Marcos Hotel of 1946, won an AIA "creditable mention" award as an example of new resort hotel architecture for its "ingenious plan, which appears complicated but is actually orderly and thoughtful." Author and critic Alan Hess writes, "Greater thinness and more striking elegance became the single-minded focus of his ongoing design." Despite a reputation for carousing, Cody was exceptionally focused on the details of his designs and pushing the boundaries of his materials. His well-known and innovative early buildings, along with friendships with influential members of the Thunderbird, Tamarisk, and Eldorado Country Clubs, resulted in commissions to design ( or in the case of Thunderbird, remodel) the clubhouses of all three locations. In addition, Cody designed a large number of residences in the country club areas, many along the fairways of the new resort concept of golf course living, a concept that Cody himself helped devise.
Author Adele Cygelman writes, "Joints and door frames seemingly disappeared into walls. He merged living rooms into terraces and gardens. Roofs jutted out twelve feet to shield the walls of glass. Pattern and texture came from tile floors, carved wood panels, and concrete -block screens with geometric motifs, all of which were meticulously designed by Cody to match each other precisely at the seams and angles where the planes met." Like other Coachella Valley architects, Cody designed churches, gas stations, motels, restaurants, offices, a mobile home park, shopping centers, even a carwash. "Yet a distinct character can be seen in all of them," says Hess. "It is a restless energy that brings a liveliness to his plans, elevations and details. The radical thinness of Cody roofs or the daring reach of a cantilever are clearly the result of a wrestling match between the architect and the materials and the laws of physics; that energy and striving remains in the building." Hess concludes, "The fact that Cody could take an established vocabulary and style and reinterpret it so vividly ranks him among the best of mid-century California designers." Although the resource does not appear eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or for designation under an existing or proposed local ordinance, it is of local interest (a "5S3" National Register Status Code).
DPR 523L
402
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Organ Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/553
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 72
❑x Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage Date: 2021 Address: 71-391 Mirage Road City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270 UTM Zone: 115 553832.48 m E 3733689.36 m N
APN: 684291001
Map Scale: 1;24000
Date Constructed: 1952
Ownership and Address: Younhee Choi; 74710 Highway 111, Suite 102, Palm Desert, CA 9226o Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The 71-391 Mirage Road property was constructed in 1952. The residence is located in the Magnesia Falls Cove neighborhood. In 2002, Leslie Heumann and Associates described the residence as an "L" -shaped Vernacular Modern house was a medium -pitched, hipped roof with deep eaves. The home most closely resembles a rustic Tract Ranch style home. The residence was described in the 2002 survey as concrete block construction with a combination of steel -framed fixed and multi -pane casement windows. In 2002, the property was described as being in original and excellent condition. Since the 2002 survey, a large privacy fence and hedge was installed around the perimeter of the property. Aerial images do not indicate that there have been significant alterations to the residence, however, much of the residence was not visible during 2024 survey effort due to the fencing.
Permits for the subject property were not available.
See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
View of east (front) elevation. (71-391 Mirage Road_1)
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Organ Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/553
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 72
❑x Update CI Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of east (front) elevation. (71-391 Mirage Road_3)
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The prior 2002 survey assigned the subject property a status code 5S3: appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. The prior survey found the residence eligible under NRHP Criteria C as a noteworthy example of a Vernacular Modern home located in the Magnesia Falls neighborhood. The home was constructed in 1952, and based on the prior survey, is one of the most architecturally refined homes in the neighborhood constructed during that period. The current survey found the residence is associated with the themes of Residential Subdivisions and Cooperatives (1951-1973) and Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934-198os). The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 5S3 status code - appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 3S status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
The home has not been found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR A/1, as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of events in regional, state, or national history; not individually eligible under Criterion B/2, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the dwelling would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history.
The single-family residence is considered eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 as the property individually represents and embodies the distinctive characteristics of a unique Tract Ranch style from the early history of Magnesia Falls Cove. The property is also eligible under Local Register Criteria i and 7 as it is representative of a Tract Ranch style home that embodies an outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, craftsmanship, and use of materials. Based on aerial images, there does not appear to have been any alterations to the residence since the prior survey. As the dwelling has not been substantially altered, it maintains adequate integrity from the historic period to convey its significance.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: Organ Residence
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/553
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 72
*Map Name: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
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DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 71-391 Mirage Road City Rancho Mirage
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) Organ Residence Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) This "L" -shaped Vernacular Modern house was built in 1952. A medium -pitched, rock -covered, hipped roof with deep eaves crowns the north -facing residence. Constructed of concrete block, the house is 2,515 square feet with three bedrooms and
1.75 bathrooms. Windows are a combination of steel -framed fixed and multi -pane casement. A pair of adjacent window bands is located on the projecting northwest elevation. Three square, stair -stepped glass blocks are located west of the recessed entrance; a plate glass picture window flanked by casements lies to the east. The front entrance door is solid wood. A concrete block chimney is attached to the east elevation. Low concrete block walls form planters bordering the facade and also surround the .37 -acre property. Landscaping consists mostly of gravel punctuated by a few trees, ocotillo, and bushes. A row of oleanders is on either side of an entry path made of wood railroad ties. The house appears original and in excellent condition.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
Northeast elevation
August 2002
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
1952/ Source: Metroscan
*P7. Owner and Address:
Nancy E. Dion
71391 Mirage Road
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Heumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
September 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey .
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map ❑Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95)
406
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 5S3
*Resource Name or #: Organ Residence
B1. Historic Name: Unknown
B2. Common Name: Organ Residence
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Vernacular Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1952.
Note: No building permits exist prior to incorporation of the City of Rancho Mirage in 1973.
No building permits for exterior alterations were found.
B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:
None.
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Country Club Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1951-1973 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) This house was constructed in 1952, perhaps for Glenn E. and Mary F. Organ who were listed at this address in the 1954 Palm Springs Directory. The property is noteworthy as a representative example of the type of substantial desert house being constructed in the Magnesia Falls area, one of the early subdivisions of Rancho Mirage, in the early years of the Country Club Era. Unlike the more modest concrete block houses built nearby in the 1930s and 1940s, the Organ Residence has a commanding street presence and is more architecturally refined than most houses constructed in the neighborhood up to that time. The house retains its original appearance and character and does not appear to have been altered. Although the property does not appear eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or for designation under an existing or proposed local ordinance, it is of local interest (a "5S3" National Register Status Code).
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend, Chronicle Books, 2001. 1954 Palm Springs Directory.
City of Rancho Mirage Building Permits.
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Heumann *Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
(This space reserved for official comments.)
DPR 523B (1/95)
Sketch Map
*Required information
407
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: 71-783. Sahara Road
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 73
❑x Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage Date: 2021 Map Scale:1;24000 Address: 71-781 Sahara Road City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270 UTM Zone: 115 554443.19 m E 3733253.48 m N
APN: 684353001
Date Constructed: 1938
Ownership and Address: Kutay Egilmez; 71781 Sahara Road, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The 71-781 Sahara Road property was constructed in 1938. The residence is located in the Magnesia Falls Cove neighborhood. In 2002, Leslie Heumann and Associates described the residence as a rustic one-story house with a low-pitched hipped roof clad with red tiles with exposed rafters and deep eaves. The home most closely resemble the Spanish Styled Ranch architecture style. The exterior is clad in board and batten siding. The windows at the residence appear to be sash, vinyl windows, arranged alone or in pairs. There is a small front stoop at the entrance to the home. Since the 2002 survey, the windows have been replaced. Based on aerial images, it appears the roof was replaced circa 2018. There does not appear to have been any other significant alterations to the residence.
Permits provided by the City include:
- Sewer work in 2003 (Permit No. B0300545)
- Reroof of the dwelling in 2018 (Permit No. B1800727)
See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
View of east (front) elevation. (71-781 Sahara Road) (Source: Google Earth) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: 71-781 Sahara Road
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 73
I Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The prior 2002 survey evaluated the subject property as status code 551: individual property that is listed or designated locally. The correct status code that should have been assigned in 2002 is 5S3: appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. The prior survey found the home eligible under NRHP criterion A and C as historically significant as one of the few remnants of one of the earliest periods of Rancho Mirage, and architecturally noteworthy for its Spanish Rustic design. The home most closely resembles the Spanish Styled Ranch style home. The current survey found the residence is associated with the Early Agricultural and Residential Period (1924-1951). It is also associated with the new Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934- 1980s) theme and is considered a significant representative example of a known architectural style in the community. The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 552 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 3S status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
The home was constructed in 1938 in the Magnesia Falls Cove neighborhood, and was one of the earliest homes in Rancho Mirage, constructed pre -World War II. The Magnesia Falls Cove neighborhood was the first small tract development in Rancho Mirage. In 1934, the land that would become Magnesia Falls Cove was purchased by a Louis MacLaughlin "Mac" Blankenhorn, a Pasadena businessman, realtor, and land developer. He began selling lots and "modern attractive small homes," in the area, with the earliest streets being Sahara, Mirage, Veldt, and Tunis. This early development was known as Rancho Mirage. By 1937, six homes had been constructed, with two in progress, and telephone lines had been laid. The stock market crash and depression of the 193os led to slow development of the area, however, by April of 1937, there were enough residents to charter the Rancho Mirage Community Association and for Magnesia Falls Cove to become a postal stop. These early homes were smaller than the more modern residences that would be constructed in later periods. Advertisements from 1937 described the style as "Early American;" they were typically adobe or had Spanish Colonial Revival elements. Development largely stalled until after World War II.
Post World War II, development rapidly increased. In 1944, Hollywood lawyer, A. Ronald Button, purchased approximately 1,90o acres in the Magnesia Falls Cove area. By the late 4os, over loo homes were under construction. In 1956, Button's brother-in-law, TV media star and developer Art Linkletter, began developing 137 more homes. The homes built in this era were marketed as luxury homes, and were largely "modern ranch homes and long gabled cottages." Into the late 195os, development continued, with many more residences, two hotels, and a community pool being built. In 1957, Button-Linkletter, sold the remaining land to developers Harold Garfield and Arthur Desser. They would go on to develop the remaining lots and the commercial center across from Magnesia Falls Cove. There are currently around 55o homes in Magnesia Falls Cove and White Sun neighborhoods ("Magnesia Falls Cove Was Known as 'Rancho Mirage,' Magnesia Falls Cove Community Association; Tracy Conrad, "History: Intrepid Mac and Ruth Blankenhorn invented Rancho Mirage," Desert Sun, April 24, 2022).
The subject property is an example of an early Spanish Styled Ranch style home built in Rancho Mirage. It was one of the few homes built in the area before development stalled due to the Great Depression and World War II. The home features character defining features such as a low pitched roof clad in tile, a limited eave overhang, an asymmetrical facade, and exposed rafters.
The building has not been found individually eligible under Criterion B/2, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the building would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history. The building is not considered eligible under Local Criterion 2-8.
The residence has been found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1 for association with significant events or patterns of events in local, regional, or national history. The home is one of the earliest homes constructed in Rancho Mirage and the Magnesia Falls Cove neighborhood. The number of homes built prior to World War II is limited, and the subject property is one of the few. The single-family residence is considered eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 as the property individually embodies the distinctive characteristics of a Spanish Styled Ranch home. The earliest homes built in the Magnesia Falls Cove neighborhood were constructed with Spanish Revival elements, including the subject property. The home is considered eligible under Local Criterion 1 as an example of the Spanish Styled Ranch style constructed in the early years of Rancho Mirage. As the dwelling has not been substantially altered, it maintains integrity from the historic period. While the integrity of the home has been negatively impacted since 2002 with the addition of new vinyl windows, these elements are potentially reversible replacements and do not significantly reduce the ability of the property to convey its significance underl bove criteria.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: 71-781 Sahara Road
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 35/3C5/5S2
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 73
*Map Name: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage
*Scale: 1:24,000
*Map Date: 2021
71-78i Sahara Road
DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
State of California —The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: ❑Not for Publication •Unrestricted *a. County Riverside *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date:
*c. Address 71-781 Sahara Road City Rancho Mirage
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor's Parcel Number Block: Lot:
Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) 71-781 Sahara Road Zip 92270
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) This rustic one-story house built in 1938 is crowned with a low-pitched hipped roof and red tiles. Exposed rafters are visible beneath deep eaves. The northwest -facing residence is 1,619 square feet with two bedrooms and 1.75 bathrooms. Board and batten and some horizontal board sheathing covers wood frame construction. Windows are four -over -four, wood -framed, double -hung sash, arranged singly or in pairs. Concrete steps lead to a center entrance door of five horizontal panes framed in wood. Two small wrought iron sconces flank the front door and a trio of small square windows is directly east of the entrance. The roofline is slightly elevated west of the entrance and features a sturdy, concrete block exterior chimney on the west elevation. The single -car attached garage is located on the east side of the house. A low perimeter wall of river rocks borders the curved concrete driveway and tall hedges. Lush landscaping consists of lawns, sculpted bushes, and many varieties of mature trees. The building appears original and in excellent condition. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: •Building ❑Structure ❑Object ❑Site ❑District ❑Element of District ❑Other P5a. Photo
A
•alit t
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none") None.
P5b. Description of Photo: (view
and date)
Northeast elevation
August 2002
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: ■historic
1938/ Source: Metroscan
*P7. Owner and Address:
Patricia E. Hook
78034 Calle Barcelona
La Quinta, CA 92253
*P8. Recorded by:
P. Moruzzi, T. Grimes, L. Neumann
Leslie Heumann and Associates
600 N. Sierra Bonita Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*P9. Date Recorded:
September 23, 2002
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey.
*Attachments: ❑None ❑Location Map ❑Sketch Map ❑Continuation Sheet •Building, Structure, and Object Record ❑Archaeological Record ❑District Record ❑Linear Feature Record ❑Milling Station Record ❑Rock Art Record ❑Artifact Record ❑Photograph Record ❑ Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95)
411
*Required information
State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*NRHP Status Code 5S1
*Resource Name or #: 71-781 Sahara Road
B1. Historic Name: Unknown
B2. Common Name: 71-781 Sahara Road
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Spanish Rustic
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1938.
Note: No building permits exist prior to incorporation of the City of Rancho Mirage in 1973.
July 15, 1992. Addition of 210 square feet.
August 24, 1994. Pool added.
B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B7. Moved? ■No ❑Yes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:
None.
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Agricultural and Early Residential Era Area Rancho Mirage Period of Significance: 1924-1950 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: A, C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) This property is historically significant as one of the few remnants of one of the earliest periods of Rancho Mirage and architecturally noteworthy for its Spanish Rustic design. This address first appears in the Palm Springs Directory in 1957. The owner at that time was F. G. Wheeler. Of the essentially three styles of houses built in the Magnesia Falls area prior to World War II, the Spanish Rustic style was less common than Ranch or Vernacular Modern. The Magnesia Falls area was developed after Clancy Lane and its associated ranches and farms were established. While this property appears to be a custom house, Magnesia Falls was the location of the first small tract development in Rancho Mirage with a number of Van Pelt and Lind designs for developer Louis Blankenhorn spread along Sahara Road. Constructed in 1938, this house is an excellent, well preserved, and intact example of Spanish Rustic, featuring the combination of a low-pitched red tile roof and board and batten sheathing. The low river rock planter walls and four -over -four double -hung sash windows complete the theme. This house is also significant because it represents and documents a broad pattern of development that was important in the early residential history of Rancho Mirage. The property appears eligible for designation under an existing or proposed local ordinance, but does not appear eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (a "5S1" National Register Status Code).
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
Alan Hess and Andrew Danish, Palm Springs Weekend,
Chronicle Books, 2001.
1957 Palm Springs Directory.
City of Rancho Mirage Building Permits.
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Peter Moruzzi, Teresa Grimes, Leslie Heumann (This space reserved for official comments.)
*Date of Evaluation: September 23, 2002
Sketch Map
DPR 523B (1/95)
412
*Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Thunderbird Country Club Cottages
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 74
❑x Update
Updated Primary Record Information (DPR 523A):
USGS 7.5' Quad: Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage Date: 2021 Map Scale: 1;24000 Address: 70-612 Highway 111 City: Rancho Mirage Zip: 92270 UTM Zone: 11S 552705.39 m E 3735162.92 m N
APN: 690120003
Date Constructed: 1952
Ownership and Address: Thunderbird Country Club; 70737 Country Club Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Report Citation: "Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC, City of Rancho Mirage Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement, 2025."
Description:
The Thunderbird Country Club Cottages, addressed as 70-612 Highway 111, designed by architect William Cody, were constructed in 1952. The Cottages are located within the Thunderbird Country Club, adjacent to the Thunderbird clubhouse. There are twelve, one- story duplex and triplex buildings with low-pitched front -gabled roofs. In 2002, Leslie Heumann and Associates described property as having exposed beams and notched beam -ends which are typical of William Cody's work. The exterior of the buildings are clad in board -and -batten and medium -smooth stucco. The windows are a mix of fixed and sliding. Each unit has a sliding glass door that opens to an exterior patio. There are narrow stucco walls separating the units. The buildings all face a different direction with narrow sidewalks and landscaping between them. Two of the cottages were demolished between 2002 and 2004.
Relevant permits provided by the City include:
- block wall construction in 2000 (Permit No. B0o00970) - Pool & spa work in 2001 (Permit No. Boloo951)
- Demolition work in 2002 (Permit No. Bo200938)
- Electrical work in 2002 (Permit No. B0201006)
- Tenent improvements in 2002 (Permit No. B0201879)
- Pool & spa work in 2003 (Permit No. B0300337)
- Electrical work in 2003 (Permit No. Bo3o1526)
- Tenent improvements in 2004 (Permit No. Bo4o1786)
- Blockwell construction in 2022 (Permit No. B2200006)
- Reroof dwelling in 2024 (Permit No. B2401228)
- Mechanical/HVAC work in 2024 (Permit No. B2401344)
- Addition/Remodel in 2024 (Permit No. B24o1116)
See Continuation Sheet for Additional Information.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Thunderbird Country Club Cottages
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 74
❑x Update ❑D Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
Front elevation of Units 8A, 8B, and 8C. (Thunderbird Country Club Cottages_i5) View of walkway between cottages. (Thunderbird Country Club Cottages_21) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Thunderbird Country Club Cottages
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 74
❑D Update x❑ Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of community pool. (Thunderbird Country Club Cottages_27) View of B units. (Thunderbird Country Club Cottages_29) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Thunderbird Country Club Cottages
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 74
❑x Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Primary Record Information Continued:
View of Unit Rio. (Thunderbird Country Club Cottages_34) View of walkway between units. (Thunderbird Country Club Cottages 38) DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Thunderbird Country Club Cottages
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 74
El Update ❑x Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The prior 2002 survey evaluated the subject property as status code 551: individual property that is listed or designated locally. The correct status code that should have been assigned in 2002 is 5S3: appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. The prior survey found the residence that property was architecturally significant as an early example of the Modern style located within the Thunderbird Country Club. The Cottages most specifically resemble the Contemporary style.
The current survey found the property is associated with the themes of the Country Club Era (1951-1973) and Rancho Mirage Architectural Styles (1934-1980s). The property is significant in relation to the development of the Thunderbird Country Club and as an example of the work of architect William Cody. The 2024 evaluation found that the property should be assigned the 5S2 status code - individual property that is eligible for local listing or designation; the 3CS status code - appears eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation; and the 3S status code - appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation.
In 1950, Johnny Dawson purchased the Thunderbird Ranch, and began development of the first eighteen -hole golf course in the Palm Springs area. The Thunderbird Country Club opened in 1951. Parcels along the fairways were offered for home construction to early investors. William Cody was hired to remodel the guest ranch buildings and to construct the fourteen Country Club Cottages, which were available to members. The country club gained publicity as the first golf club to develop the motorized golf cart and as the host of the Ryder Cup. The Country Club has been associated with prominent public figures including Dwight D. Eisenhower and Gerald Ford, who were members.
William Francis Cody (1916-1978) designed the subject property in 1952. Born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1916, Cody's family relocated to California in 1930. While attending Beverly Hills High School, Cody designed and built stages for school plays prior to his graduation in 1932. Following high school, he graduated from Santa Monica Junior College in 1939 and enrolled in the College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of Southern California. He graduated from USC in 1942. During his time at Santa Monica Junior College and USC, Cody worked for architects, Heath Wharton and Asa Hudson. Following his graduation, Cody worked for several engineering and architecture firms in California, including Cliff May whom he worked for in 1944. In 1945, Cody's firm was hired to alter the Desert Inn in Palm Springs. Following the Desert Inn project, Cody began working independently in California and Arizona by 1946.
In 1946, William F. Cody moved to Palm Springs permanently and received his first independent commission to design the Del Marcos Hotel, which earned him an award in 1949 from the California chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 1947, he was hired to convert the Thunderbird Dude Ranch, originally constructed in 1936, to the Thunderbird Country Club. His work at Thunderbird led to future commissions at other clubhouses, recreational facilities, and residential developments, at locations throughout Palm Desert, such as the Eldorado Country Club, Tamarisk Country Club, the Racquet Club, the Tennis Club, and the Seven Lakes Clubhouse. In Palm Springs, Cody was one of the architects, with Wexler & Harrison and Philip Koenig, to design the Spa Bathhouse and Spa Hotel. In 1952, Cody designed the Horizon Hotel.
In the Coachella Valley, he was responsible for several notable Modernist style residential designs including the Perlberg, Shamel, and Abernathy residences in Palm Springs. Throughout his career, he designed commercial and residential properties throughout California, Arizona, Texas, Cub, and Mexico. He was inducted into the College of Fellows of the AIA in 1965. Some of his final projects included St. Theresa's Catholic Church in 1968 and the Palm Springs Library Center in 1972. In 1973, he suffered a severe stroke which caused him to end his architectural career. He died in 1978 and today is considered one of the most important architects in the Desert Modernism movement.
The Country Club Cottages were originally constructed as temporary accommodations within the gates of the country club. The cottages were sold and rented exclusively to club members and their guests. The Cottages are one-story duplex and triplex buildings. They feature character defining features of Cody's style, including low-pitched roofs, deep overhangs, board and batten siding, notched beam ends, sliding glass doors and clerestories, and slumpstone chimneys. The cottages are notable as a multi- family example of Cody's work.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Resource Name: Thunderbird Country Club Cottages
Primary#:
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S/3CS/5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 74
❑D Update CI Continuation Sheet
Updated Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
The property has not been found individually eligible under Criterion B/2, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4, as further study of the building would not appear to yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history. The building is not considered eligible under Local Criterion 2, 3, 5, 6.
The property is found individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1, as it has been associated with significant events or patterns of events in local, regional, or national history. The cottages are part of the original Thunderbird Country Club. The residences were located close to the golf course clubhouse, and is representative of the early country club days in Rancho Mirage as the area became a leisure destination, influenced by the golf course country clubs. The subject property is found eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3 for embodying the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction. The residences are a multi -family example of the work of notable architect William Cody. The homes feature characteristics of the Contemporary style and of Cody's work, but in a rarer multi -family form. Relately the subject property is eligible under Local Criterion i, 4, and 7 as representative of a particular architectural style and as representative of the work of William Cody. While two of the cottages have been demolished, a majority remain intact and unaltered. The property maintains integrity to the historic era.
DPR 523L (09/2013)
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Resource Name: Thunderbird Country Club Cottages