PALM SPRINGS ARCHITECTURE

Rachel deBrabant Residence

2012-01-25T13:36:00.001-08:00

Rachel deBrabant Residence (1929, Architect Unknown)
982 Avenida de las Palmas
Palm Springs

I have been working on a new book project for the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation to be published in conjunction with Desert Spanish Weekensd,March 23, entitled Desert Spanish, the Early Architecture of Palm Springs. It will feature this large Spanish Colonial Revival estate that was built for Rachel de Brabant on land she purchased in 1927 from physician-turned-real estate developer Jacob John Kocher. The house was built in a barren desert-scape on a large through-lot that extended from Avenida de las Palmas to Via Miraleste. The rear one-third of the parcel was sold off in the 1980s to provide lots for two new homes. The property is located in the Las Hacenditas (“Little Haciendas”) Tract in the Movie Colony neighborhood and bears evidence of having been architect-designed, although the designer has not been identified. When the house was built, the deBrabants were living in Alhambra, California near Pasadena. With their interest in the arts, they are likely to have commissioned one of the prominent Pasadena architects to design their Spanish Colonial Revival-style home.

Paul Grimm Painting of the deBrabant Courtyard

The deBrabant's interest and involvement in the arts community is documented by artist biographer Edan Hughes who refers to Marius’ sketching trips to Palm Springs. Additionally a painting of the house by Paul Grimm reinforces the connection to the arts community as does an image of painter Hanson Duvall Puthuff (1875-1972) in the deBrabant living room. Puthuff is known to have painted in Palm Springs, although he best-known for the paintings that were done near the hills and mountains of his home. The walls of the deBrabant home were hung with images of the desert and the California coastline. Smoketree school painter Sam Hyde Harris also made desert trips with fellow painter Hanson Puthuff and may have encountered the deBrabants.

Hansen Puthuff in the deBrabant Living Room

In this 5,000 sq. ft. Spanish Colonial Revival home, an L-shaped floor plan is laid out around a forecourt that recalls the layout of a Spanish Hacienda. A short east-west axis leads the visitor directly through the Foyer to the rear garden. North of the Foyer are the Dining and Kitchen areas. South of the Foyer, the Living Room features a tall cathedral ceiling with exposed and stenciled wooden trusses. Continuing on from the Living Room, the “foot” of the L-shape contains a single-loaded corridor that functions as a Gallery that provides access to several en-suite bedrooms, each with a private bath. The Gallery may have been designed in response to Rachel’s program requirement for a space to exhibit the deBrabant’s collection of plein air paintings. A second floor suite with exterior access surmounts the Dining Room and provides an isolated guest suite.

The entire complex is roofed with hand-made red clay roof tiles with broad protective roof overhangs. In a unique and picturesque architectural expression, the exterior walls of cement plaster are studded with native rock. Originally painted white, today the home is a warm sand color, and most of the original features of the house survive intact or have been restored. In 1956 a shed-roofed addition and a carport (later enclosed as a garage) were added. Today the deBrabant residence is surrounded by mature landscaping. In the rear of the property a rectangular pool, patio and large sheltered porch were built to add to the indoor/outdoor usability of the home.

Immigration:The de Brabants Arrive in New York
The reasons for manufacturer Alphonse deBrabant’s (1847-1901) immigration from Belgium to the United States with his children are lost to time, but in 1886 the 37-year old father of two arrived in New York along with his 17-year old daughter Rachel (1869-1943) and 14-year old son Marius (1872 - 1936). The small family initially resided on West 58th Street. No mention of a wife has been recorded, so it is likely that Alphonse was a widower. It is possible that a third child, Adrian (b. 1876) remained in Belgium with other family members. Marius and Rachel became naturalized citizens in 1894. The family were reputedly members of Belgian aristocracy - Marius is sometimes referred to as “Baron deBrabant.”

Within a few years, Marius, then in his early twenties, had begun a successful career as a Railroad Agent in New York. Rachel remained single throughout her life, but the two shared homes in both New York and California and traveled abroad extensively during the years 1916-1936. Passports listed Marius as the head of the household with Rachel listed as his sister. In a Passport Application in 1894, Marius also listed himself as a manufacturer with a business address of 63 Wall Street. On that trip he was to be traveling for about 6 months. Rachel’s travels: After her arrival in the U.S. in 1886, she completed her next Atlantic crossing returning in 1897 with her brothers Marius and Adrian. Rachel did not travel outside the U.S. again until 1923; between the years 1923 and 1930, Rachel made six trips abroad. Construction of her home and the Great Depression may have curtailed Rachel’s travel; her next European trip was in 1936, and her last in 1938.

The deBrabants in California
According to a newspaper article, the deBrabants made their first trip to California in 1906 and by 1920 were living near Los Angeles at No 4 Halsted Circle in the town of Alhambra in a modest home that still exists and was maintained by the deBrabants until Rachel’s death in 1943. According to artist’s biographer Edan Hughes Marius was known to have made “painting trips to Palm Springs,” but was not considered a professional artist. By 1929 the siblings were living in Palm Springs. Here, the deBrabants moved in artistic circles with such California landscape painters as Paul Grimm and Hansen Puthuff. Known primarily for his landscapes, Grimm created an unusual painting of the deBrabant courtyard in the early 1930s. A Gayle Thompson Archive photo shows Puthuff, seemingly very much at home, in a smock standing before an easel in the deBrabant Living Room.

William Andrews Clark Residence (1907, Lord, Hewlett & Hull, and others); called "the most ostentatious Beau-Arts Baroque" house on Fifth Avenue.

In 1925, at 53, and seemingly a confirmed bachelor, Marius and Rachel were living a quietly domestic life at their home in Alhambra. The “budding railroad magnate” was at that time a Vice-President with the Union Pacific Railroad Co. in Los Angeles. Then, on February 1925 in a private ceremony, unknown to their friends, Marius became the third husband of Mary Joaquina Clark of Glendale and New York City. The ceremony took place in the enormous 926 Fifth Avenue mansion (see above) that was home to Mary’s 86-year old father, William Andrews Clark.

He was a U.S. copper industrialist and former Senator for Montana, and one of the world’s wealthiest men. Clark had successively been a miner, teamster, merchant, railway builder, capitalist, and late in life, an art collector. Clark died a week after Mary’s wedding making Mary and each of her siblings very wealthy. Although previously married to two wealthy husbands, Mary had also received an annual income of $200,000 from her father; upon his demise, his $200 million was divided among his six children. As it turns out, her wealth did not assure her happiness; it appears that she continued to live a somewhat solitary social life in New York, while Marius continued to share quarters with his sister.

In addition to her Glendale home, the new Mrs. deBrabant also maintained an enormous apartment in one of New York’s most prestigious apartment buildings of the day at No. 7 East 51st, located across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. She also resided at her 80-acre turn-of-the-century Gold Coast estate, a Tudor-style mansion called "Plaisance" on Long Island. With her well-documented social life, Mary Clark deBrabant doings were often mentioned in New York newspapers, but Marius was rarely mentioned. After Mary’s death, "Plaisance" fell into disrepair and was demolished. The land was eventually sold and subdivided in the 1950s. Remains of the estate’s reflection pool, sunken garden and brick walls on the property survive on the property.

The Clark’s biographer William Mangum sheds some light on the deBrabant marriage: “Marius de Brabant, a distant relative of the King of Belgium, was somewhat younger than his wife. He had a particularly gracious personality, was good looking, public-spirited, and efficient. He was best-known in Los Angeles for his activities in the development of the city, his efforts being largely devoted to the improvement of the harbour. He occupied important honorary positions in many organizations in the city, and did much for artistic interests.

Marius at the Palm Springs Home

“Within six months following his [August 1925] marriage, deBrabant became afflicted with a mental ailment, from which he never fully recovered. He was sent to Palm Springs, California, some three hours from Los Angeles; only a few months before he had been so active and prominent. In Palm Springs he was to be seen, carelessly dressed, strolling around in his garden in a listless fashion. It was rumored at one time that Mary Clark deBrabant contemplated a divorce, but she never actually instituted proceedings.”

This is the first mention of the deBrabant’s arrival in the desert. In light of Marius’ health issues, the assumption that Marius was the “good brother” who protected his spinster sister, must be re-examined. It appears that her brother’s illness required Rachel to assume the role of head of the household, and it was she who commissioned the Palm Springs house, completed four years after the onset of Marius’ illness. Although no images of Rachel have been located, several images of Marius strolling he grounds of the Palm Springs home with his dogs have survived. The last European trip that Rachel and Marius would share returned from LeHavre to NYC to on August 3, 1936. The ship’s manifest lists the siblings as residing in Palm Springs. Marius died in his wife’s home in Glendale six weeks later on September 16, 1936.

The marriage notwithstanding, following with the completion of Rachel’s Palm Springs home in 1929, the siblings listed their residence as the “unincorporated Palm Springs Village.” The deBrabants were never very well-known in Palm Springs. The 1987 HSPB list refers to Rachel as “Madame De Berbont (sic), which continues to perpetuate the inaccurate local myth that Rachel was the wife of a French diplomat. Although never married, Rachel continued to maintain the homes in Alhambra and Palm Springs until her death in 1943; she continued to be listed in the Palm Springs Telephone Directory until 1947. She willed her Palm Springs property to her friend Susanne Schambach who inexplicably occasionally listed herself as “Susanne Schambach deBrabant.” Subsequent owners of Rachel’s Palm Springs home include Adam and Ruth Hitchner; Abram and Rose Simon; and Essaness Pictures Corporation in 1952.

Before Marius’ death, Rachel persuaded Marius to create a scholarship fund at the University of California / Riverside. This fund, the Marius deBrabant Fund, also known as the Chancellor's Performance Award was established in July of 1967 with a gift of $77,678.63 from DeBrabant’s estate. The benefactor deBrabant was described as the Vice President of the Los Angeles-Pacific Navigation Company and is considered a noteworthy figure in early 20th century in California History. Income from his gift was to be used to fund scholarships for incoming freshman in the Fine Arts.

Another bequest from Marius’ estate was reported in the June 24, 1947, Long Beach Independent. The estate donated a check in the amount of $287,670.15 earmarked for the development of a stroke center at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in Downey, California. Mrs. Edith Haubrichs, assistant trust officer Bank of America and former State Senator Leonard J Difani of Riverside County were trustees of the estate. The funds were to be used in the development of a stroke center for the care and treatment of elderly patients at Rancho Los Amigos suffering from stroke and providing a facility for the improvement of the knowledge of the disease, its related disabilities and the development of new treatment techniques.

CONCLUSION:
Upon application by the current owners, who are also collectors of California art, the deBrabant Residence was designated a Class One Historic Site in 2009. Today, the deBrabant Residence has been beautifully restored and filled with the sort of early California art that would make Rachel and Marius feel right at home.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Traffic World, An Independent National Transportation Newsmagazine, Vol. 25
International Railway Journal, Vol. 26
American Contractor, Vol. 42
Who’s Who in Railroading in North America, Issue 8.
MacKay, Robert B.(ed.) with Anthony Baker and Carol Traynor, Long Island Country Houses and their Architects, 1880-1940. New York, W. W. Norton & Co.: 1997
Hughes, Edan Milton, Artists in California 1786 – 1940. Sacramento: Crocker Art Museum: 2002.
Mangam, William D., The Clarks, An American Phenomenon. New York: Silver Bow Press, 1941.

Historic images courtesy The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn.

Rediscovered William Cody

2012-01-14T16:13:00.001-08:00

My Realtor friend Keith introduced me to this 1953 residence that appears to have been designed by Bill Cody. Maybe not instantly recognizable from the exterior, the interior reveals itself to be architect-designed with numerous Cody style details, including his signature Kitchen windows that rest upon the counter tops, sans the usual 4" splash. More exciting however are the numerous paneled walls that are an exercise in minimalism. Much of the paneling conceals cabinetry without any obvious hardware.

The new owner seems appreciative of the extraordinary architectural character of the house and willing to go the extra mile to preserve the character-defining features. Long-overdue is the Cody Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, but that will change during Modernism Week this year; his star will be at the corner of Baristo and South Palm Canyon - just outside the new Edwards-Harris Museum of Architecture and Design....

John Corson Snyder Residence

2012-01-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

John Corzon Snyder Residence (1932, Architect Unknown)
271 Merito Place

I once attended a Christmas party at this house. It exudes warmth as only a Spanish style home can. A typical hacienda form, it was the prefect blend of indoor / outdoor living, and even at Christmas time the party was mostly outdoors. Most of the original details are intact, and it appears to have been built by Alvah Hicks and his carpenter Lee Miller. The roof trusses are spectacular.

It was built for John Corson Snyder (1887- ) who was born on a farm near Middletown, Ohio, the son of Jacob C. and Mary (Kemp) Snyder. The Snyders moved from Middletown to a farm near Crawfordsville, Indiana when their son, John was seven years of age. They later moved to a farm in southwestern Missouri. John C. Snyder, the subject of this sketch attended district schools near Crawfordsville and later took a business course in Kansas City, Missouri. When he was 15 years of age he accompanied his parents to Southwestern Missouri where he remained until 21 years of age. He taught school several years when a young man and after attending Business College, engaged in the real estate business for a short time. Prior to 1893 he was associated with his brothers, Frank L. and Harry K. Snyder in a lead and zinc mining enterprise near Joplin Missouri for several years.

Beginning in 1924, he was an insurance company executive and served as the president of the Elston Bank & Trust Company of Crawfordsville. During the WWI he directed many activities in Montgomery, heading drives for the American Red Cross, YMCA, War Chest and Liberty Loan. He served on the executive committee of the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce and was chairman of that body in 1918 and president in 1919. He served 3 terms as president of the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce. He formerly was a member of the Crawfordsville School Board. Mr. Snyder, who is independent in politics, is a member of the Masonic Lodge; Shriners; Rotary Club; Crawfordsville Country Club; Elks Lodge; Montgomery County Chapter, Citizens Historical and St. John's Episcopal Church. Mr. Snyder was active in civic affairs and in undertakings for public betterment.

Frank Shields Residence

2012-01-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

FRANK SHIELDS RESIDENCE (1936, Architect Unknown)
287 West Racquet Club

This Ranch Style residence was built for Frank Shields and his first wife Rebecca Tenney. Francis Xavier Alexander ("Frank") Shields, Sr. (1909 - 1975) was an amateur American tennis player of the 1920s and 1930s. The home was located near the Racquet Club where Shields was often seen on the courts. It is one of the few surviving residential properties to relate to the period of the Racquet Club’s period of significance. Stylistically it would be considered an early picturesque Ranch House property. It appears to be in nearly original condition with a high degree of architectural integrity. In addition to a career as an actor and a highly ranked tennis player, Shields is also the grandfather of model / actress Brooke Shields. The house is listed on the 1987 HSPB List, but in a recent meeting to consider the building’s proposed demolition, the members failed to adopt a stay of demolition. By the time you read this, the building will most likely have been demolished.

SHIELDS’ TENNIS CAREER
Between 1928 and 1945 he was ranked eight times in the U.S. Top Ten, reaching Number 1 in 1933, and Number 2 in 1930.

Davis Cup
He competed for the Davis Cup in 1931, 1932, and 1934, winning 19 of 25 matches. He was left off the team for his erratic playing in 1933.[1] Shields was the non-playing captain in 1951, when the team won four matches. Shields had his issues both with interactions with other players, and with alcohol.[2][3][4] In the late 1930s, Shields was known for making fun of the US tennis star Bryan Grant, the smallest American to win an international championship, saying "the little shaver" was hiding behind the net. Once a drunk Shields held Grant upside down, outside a hotel window.[5]

In 1951 he was at the center of a controversy that resulted in Dick Savitt, reigning US singles champion, quitting competitive tennis at the age of 25 after Shields snubbed him by failing to let Savitt play for the U.S. Davis Cup team. Savitt had played and won his three early 1951 Cup matches, winning 9 of 10 sets, en route to leading the American team into the championship round against Australia.[6] Shields did not permit Savitt to compete against the Aussies whom, only months earlier, Savitt had dominated at Wimbledon and in Australia. Savitt had trounced Australia’s top seed Ken McGregor in three straight sets to win at Wimbledon and won the Australian Singles championship, becoming the first non-Aussie to win that title in 13 years. Ted Schroeder, who had lost every one of his Davis Cup matches the year before and was in semi-retirement, was chosen instead. Without Savitt playing singles, the United States lost the 1951 Davis Cup to Australia.

The controversy spilled over into the next year, at the annual meeting of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association when the national rankings were discussed. In its tentative rankings the U.S.L.T.A. put Savitt at number 3. As it was reported, "the loudest talker was Frank Shields, non-playing captain of the losing U.S. Davis Cup team. Shields had ignored Savitt in the Davis Cup matches, had put his confidence in aging (30) Ted Schroeder ... who turned out to be the goat of the series. Shields was intent on keeping Savitt ranked ... at No. 3. Cried Shields: 'Never once in the past three months has Savitt looked like a champion. Not only that, but he was not the most cooperative player in the world while we were in Australia, and his sounding off brought discredit to the game. He was not a credit either as a player or a representative of America.' Shields's outburst brought a tart answer from Don McNeill, onetime (1940) national champion. Amid resounding applause from the assembled delegates, McNeill pointed out that players are ranked on their tennis ability, and personal prejudice should have nothing to do with ranking. The ranking committee, ignoring Shields's remarks, proceeded to raise Savitt from No. 3 to 2. After the heated session, one of the longest (five hours) in U.S.L.T.A. history, President Russell B. Kingman tried to restore a touch of dignity to tennis. Choosing his words with due care, Kingman called Shields's outburst 'most unseemly.'[7]

MARRIAGES
His first wife was Rebecca Tenney (1910–2005). They were married in 1932 and divorced in 1940, on the grounds of his "habitual intemperance and cruelty."[8] In 1947, she married lawyer Donald Agnew.
His second wife, whom he married in 1940 and later divorced, was Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi, a daughter of Marino Torlonia, 4th prince of Civitella-Cesi and the American heiress Mary Elsie Moore (1888–1941), and a sister of Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Prince di Civitella-Cesi, the husband of the Spanish Infanta Beatriz de Borbón. Shields had two children by Marina Torlonia: son Frank Xavier Alexander, Jr. (the father of actress-model Brooke Shields), and daughter Cristiana Marina Shields. After their divorce, Marina Shields married Edward Slater.
His third wife, whom he married in 1949, and also later divorced, was Katharine Mortimer, a daughter of financier Stanley Grafton Mortimer, Sr., and the former wife of Oliver Cadwell Biddle. By his third marriage he had three children, Katharine Shields, William Xavier Orin Hunt Shields, and Alston Shields. He also had a stepdaughter, Christine Mortimer Biddle.

LATER LIFE
In his later years he was frequently drunk, at which times he became destructive and bullying with his strength. After two heart attacks and a stroke, he died at 65 of a third heart attack, in a Manhattan taxi.[9] He was the grandfather of Brooke Shields, Morgan Christina Shields, and Holton Joseph Shields.

ACTING CAREER
Shields appeared in the following films:
Murder in the Fleet – 1935 as "Lieutenant Arnold"
I Live My Life – 1935 as "outer office secretary"
Come and Get It – 1936 – as "Tony Schwerke"
The Affairs of Cappy Ricks – 1937 – as "Waldo Bottomley, Jr."
Hoosier Schoolboy – 1937 – as "Jack Matthews. Jr."
Dead End – 1937 – as "well-dressed man"
The Goldwyn Follies – 1938 – as "assistant director"

INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME
Shields was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1964.

Career highlights
Cincinnati Singles Champion, 1930
US Open Singles finalist, 1930
US Open Mixed doubles finalist, 1930
Wimbledon Singles finalist, 1931
US Open Doubles finalist, 1933
United States Davis Cup team member 1931–32, 1934

References
Monday, Jan. 01, 1934 (January 1, 1934). "RECOVERY: Man of the Year, 1933". TIME. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
From this moment on: America in 1940. September 16, 2008. .
Graham, Sheilah (July 24, 1937). "Proquest".
"Player profile - Dick SAVITT (USA)". Davis Cup.
Monday, Jan. 28, 1952 (January 28, 1952). "Sport: Most Unseemly". Time.
"Frank Shields Is Divorced". The New York Times.

Reuben Shettler Residence

2012-01-14T14:23:00.001-08:00

Reuben Shettler Residence, (1949, Architect Unknown)
444 Chino Drive

I’ve always been curious about this discreet little Spanish Colonial that has resisted the changes that have resulted in a number of McMansions in the neighborhood. This one was built for Reuben Shettler and appears to be largely unaltered. Shettler was the millionaire inventor of the friction clutch, as well as one of the early investors in the Reo Automobile.

In 1906, Shettler built his Los Angeles home at 3100 Wilshire Boulevard designed by Hunt, Burns and Eager. Later, Bullock’s Wilshire would be built next door. The residence survives today, but has been sub-divided into shops.

The following is a brief biography of Shettler: “Reuben Schettler. In the making of his choice of a permanent location as well as in his identification with a growing industry Mr. Schettler feels that he has been especially fortunate. His interest in Los Angeles dates from the year 1895, when for the first time he came here there to spend a season where the climate was less trying than in the middle west, or the greater part of his life had been spent. After a number of seasons similarly spent he decided to take up his permanent residence here, a decision which has proven of mutual benefit to Mr. Schettler and to Los Angeles as well. Born in London, England, in 1853, he was a lad of seven years when with his parents he came to the United States and settled on a farm near Canadaigua, Ontario County, N. Y. He was educated principally in the public schools of that vicinity and at the age of 20 years he took up the burden of self-support. Of a mechanical turn of mind he naturally looked for employment in that line and was more than ordinarily successful in his efforts. Going to Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1873 he took up mechanics, having a natural inclination for that line of work and in his experience in running threshing machines made observations which led to the manufacturer of the Schettler thresher. The machine was at first manufactured at Battle Creek by the Upton Manufacturing Company, but later the plant was moved to Port Huron, Mr. Schettler becoming largely interested in the company, and until 1853 was superintendent of the plant.

In the meantime Mr. Schettler invented the friction clutch for use in the mechanism of traction engines and threshers, a basic patent which marked the beginning of the great success in the running of rapid moving machinery. Prior to this the positive clutch of been the embodiment of the highest knowledge along this line. The friction clutch is now used universally the world over and it can be safely said that automobile he would not be a success were it not for the basic principle which it involves. It was in 1886 that Mr. Schettler located in Lansing, Michigan, and established himself in the jobbing business, representing Huber Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of threshers and heavy machinery. The business grew to a large proportion and gave great promise of continued success, but notwithstanding this Mr. Schettler finally withdrew his interest in the business, having in the meantime become largely interested in the manufacturer of automobiles. Coexistent with his invention of the friction clutch was the possibility of its application to the running gear of the automobile, and his interest in the manufacturer of this machine to be said to date from this time. In 1886 he rode in a steam automobile, made by R. E. Olds, a car which afterwards sold in Australia. Two years afterwards, in 1888, Mr. Schettler became associated with Mr. Olds in the manufacture of gas engines and gasoline automobiles. Mr. Schettler being the first person interested with Mr. Olds in what later became the Olds motor works. In 1903 Mr. Schettler organized the Reo motorcar company, of which he is still vice president, and during that year the company erected shops in Lansing and began the manufacturer of the Reo automobile. The sale of the Reo in the United States is eclipsed that of any other automobile, a statement which is borne out by the fact that in 1907 a manufactured 4,250 cars, the business amounting to $4.5 million. As an index of the business which they expect to do during the year 1908 it may be said that they have increased the size of the plant to an extent that will enable them to turn out one third more business than during the previous year, or over 6,000 cars. An indication of the appreciation in which the employee of the company are held it may not be out of place here to mention that during the year 1907 the company paid to them a dividend of 5% on the amount of their yearly wages, this applying to each and every employee.

Mr. Schettler's marriage united him with Sarah B Thorpe, who was born and Tecumseh Michigan, a descendent of Governor Winslow of Massachusetts. She is a woman of rare literary qualities and is well known and club circles in Los Angeles, being a member of the Ebell, Friday morning and Ruskin Art clubs as well as of the Young Women's Christian Association. Both Mr. and Mrs. Schettler are members of the Episcopal Church and politically Mr. Schettler is a Republican. Their only son Leon T. is the Pacific Coast agent for the Reo automobile. In addition to the business and interests already mentioned, Mr. Schettler was an important factor in financial circles in his former home city, being one of the organizers of the Capital National Bank of Lansing, and he is now a director of the American National Bank of Los Angeles. Personally no one is held in higher esteem than Mr. Schettler. Qualities of a high order endear him to a special circle of friends, both in business and social life no worthy undertakings are carried forward without his support, in fact no one appeals to him in vain for sympathy and help, and much of his needs is given for the uplifting of his fellow man. Though at one time he was very actively identified with business affairs he is now living practically retired.” - A History of California and an Extended History of Its Southern Coast Counties by J. M. Guinn, A. M. Published by the Historic Record Company of Los Angeles California, 1907.

Von's Fueling Station at Rimrock Center

2012-01-07T17:14:00.001-08:00

The first image is of a demolished Don Wexler designed fueling station; many still regard it as the town's best. I have written before about Palm Springs abundance of architect-designed fueling stations. The best-know of the bunch is the one designed by Frey & Chambers that now houses the Visitor Center on North Palm Canyon. Almost as well-known is the one that William Cody designed just down the road from the Visitor’s Center. Recently, a new fueling station has appeared in front of the Von’s Rimrock Center on East Palm Canyon. It was in-process for years, and its original design featured a red clay tile mansard roof form over the pump canopy, ostensibly designed to complement the existing Spanish-style strip mall. Other features included faux-pilasters on the corners clad with a thin stone veneer, a cap molding in plaster atop the convenience store element, and trellises on each side to make the ensemble a little cozier. The project was abandoned for a number of years but finally came back to life about two years ago. In going through the architectural review process, it was suggested that the out-of-town project architect take a look at some of the better designed fueling station around town for inspiration, and they were reminded that the town is increasingly well-known for its modernist architecture. Both the Frey & Chambers and the William Cody stations were suggested as models for how the new station might appear. In some ways, it looks like the advice was taken, although the trellises have survived intact. The new station in its way reflects the simplicity and elegance of the William Cody station, only with a much thicker canopy [second photo.] Through the magic of Photoshop, I have made a minor change to the image of the existing station to suggest how it might have appeared had it come from Cody's office [third photo.] The last image is of the Cody design. All in all, the new station is a worthy solution...although one could still quibble about the appropriateness of putting a fueling station on that site at all...

Cabot’s Pueblo National Register Nomination

2011-10-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

On Friday, the State Historical Resources Commission met in Redlands to consider a number of Nominations to the National Register. Among them was the nomination I recently prepared for the Cabot Pueblo in Desert Hot Springs. I am pleased to say that it was unanimously approved and will be forwarded to the Keeper of The National Register in Washington. Upon the keeper’s signature, Cabot’s Pueblo will be the most recent Coachella Valley property to be listed on the National Register.

Cabazon Library (1958, John Porter Clark) R.I.P

2011-10-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Cabazon Library (1958, John Porter Clark)
50171 Ramona Street
Cabazon, CA

A friend recently alerted me to the proposed demolition of this extraordinary little gem of a Library Building by John Porter Clark. Built in 1958, when Clark was practicing as a sole proprietor, it bears a strong resemblance to the small, simple, early houses of Clark & Frey. Of post and beam construction with lots of glass walls, it is a simple building, flat roofed and rectangular in plan, with a single wall plane extending into open space. The building has retained a high degree of integrity. Observable changes include the replacement of two out of three large trimless glazed openings on the principal façade with conventional windows framed in natural aluminum. In an apparent - but unnecessary - attempt to “improve” the building’s appearance, murals have been painted on the front façade’s metal paneled walls. Fortunately, these could be removed.

A brief tour of the town reveals that this is unquestionably the best building in this sad little town, and while I can understand that the Banning Library has chosen to close the largely unused building, it still seems to me that the building should be mothballed until someone buys it and adapts it for a new use.

La Quinta Architecture

2011-10-30T12:31:00.001-07:00

Last week my Realtor friends K and T invited me to join them in La Quinta to look at a house on San Pedro (see below) that may have been designed by architect William Cody. The invitation was irresistible partly because I’m always interested in finding previously undocumented Cody projects. But also, I rarely turn down access to a gated community when I know of other architectural treasures located areas that I would otherwise not have access to.

The San Pedro home that I looked at with my friends indeed has many of the hallmarks of a Cody design. Built in the 1960s, it compares favorably with the Goldberg Residence on Southridge and also the Sieman Residence on Camino Monte. It’s really a cool house and is quite possibly a Cody design.

While I was in the (gated) neighborhood, I took the opportunity to drive by the Pepper Residence (above), a beautiful 1961 home designed by A. Quincy Jones that once sported original interiors by Arthur Elrod. Don’t know what the interiors are like today, but the front façade is still great looking and beautifully maintained.

The last discovery behind the gates is a famous house Cody designed for the W & J Sloan Furniture Company to showcase their furniture. Sloan’s started in New York around 1900 and later had important stores in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many an important California interior designer started their career by selling draperies, etc. at Sloan’s. The Sloan Residence has rarely been seen, but judging from these photos, it has been fastidiously maintained and is one of Cody’s best.

After leaving the Country Club, I drove over to the La Quinta Hotel, a 1926 Spanish design by Gordon B. Kaufmann, one of the Southern California architects most skilled in Spanish style work. The architect's monograph states: "The original buildings were built of Adobe bricks manufactured on the site, with tile roofs and floors. Kaufmann’s signature details are here: the loggias, arches, chimneypots of a multitude of forms, Ramadas for dining, and private patios enclosed by walls, low and high." Although surrounded by later development, there is still much of Kaufmann’s work to admire here.

Stan Sackley in Palm Springs

2011-10-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in love with this house since the first time I saw it. It is located in the Canyons neighborhood and is believed to have been designed by the late Stan Sackley. It has been suggested that it was influenced by Rudolph Schindler’s late work
A brief biography of Sackley follows: Stan Alan Sackley (1937-2001) was the son of Robert Irving Sackley (1906-1993) and Rose (Gould) Sackley who were New Yorkers of Polish descent. Little is known of his background, but the family relocated to California where he graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from USC in1961. It has been said that he studied at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin, but preliminary research has failed to substantiate any connection with Wright. Although Sackley was never licensed in California, one source indicates that he, at least for a time, maintained a partnership called Sackley & Light. Fairly well-to-do, he maintained homes in Beverly Hills and Palm Springs. He appears to have been married three times and divorced twice. His third wife Carol Sackley is pictured on the cover of “Palm Springs Life” in July 1965. He was an avid classic car collector, owning Jaguars, a 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS and a 1937 Chrysler Coupe, which was sold at auction at Christie’s in August 2001. Upon his death, a scholarship fund was created to memorialize his parents, the purpose of which was to assist financially needy USC architecture students.
An early project was a home for James Hollowell which was featured as a “Playboy Pad” in the April 1966 Playboy Magazine. In Palm Springs he is best known for a series of homes he created in “the Canyons” neighborhood near the south end of town. Sackley’s best home, in my view, is located at 2550 Pequeno Circle (adjacent to Krisel's pod house at 2587 S Pequeno Circle) and is a modernist masterpiece. Sackley bought numerous lots in the area along Caliente Drive and built a group of speculative homes. All are large, modernist, and flat roofed. A common characteristic is the unusual placement of the garage door perpendicular to the street; this provides a parking court in front of the homes. Recently, two of the homes have sold in the Million Dollar plus range. PS ModCom is including a Sackley home on their upcoming tour.

Architectural History in Cathedral City

2011-08-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

I recently ran across some images of Mid-century Cathedral City. When I went to see what they look like today, I was disappointed to discover that for the most part, they had been altered beyond recognition. When I think of historic architecture in Cathedral City today....these images from Boomers say it best......

Palm Springs in August = Los Angeles

2011-08-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY, August 5, 2011

We arrived in LA on Friday afternoon in time for lunch at Malibu’s Reel Inn, the local seafood dive…and I use that word advisedly….The real reason for the sojourn was to visit the Adamson Residence in Malibu (1930, Stiles O. Clement). This incredible National Register listed Spanish Colonial Revival home made extensive use of the famous Malibu Tile, and for good reason….they were created here by the homeowner’s mother Mae Knight Rindge. The house is in pretty near original condition, including the furnishings. Set on the Malibu Lagoon, there are amazing views….and surfing…we’ve decided to return next year….

After the Adamson house tour, we found our way over to our friends house (1963, Frank Burton Wilson), near Benedict Canyon Drive just above Mulholland. They were traveling, and invited us to use the house as a getaway from the Palm Springs August weather…so of course we accepted. We had seen their place at Seven Lakes Country Club (1965, Ric Harrison) and it is really cool; I had even seen photos of the LA place, but was unprepared for how beautiful it really is. A Mid-century modern house, it sits lightly on its long, slim hilltop site, and is so well designed and sited that there are vistas everywhere that extend the views into the Valley beyond. The quiet access road serves only a few homes, but is located at the head of a hiking trail, so there is a constant parade of healthy-looking people; consider it another nice view!

One of the friends is an artist, and the color palette from the house appears to be drawn directly from his work…all muted greys, greens blues. Sunrise and Sunset surrounding the glassy house add Lavenders and Carbon Orange to the mix. Every object in the sparsely furnished house appears to have been chosen for its aesthetic appeal – each table, chair, cabinet, sofa could stand alone on its merits as an art piece. Even specimen plants are placed with an artist’s eye…

But, what really makes the experience of living here so unusual is the opportunity to live for awhile with a large selection of the artist’s work. Initially appealing for their playfulness, over time, the details emerge that tie the various series together and inform the viewer that there is much more here than first meets the eye. An endlessly repeated single brushstroke about a half-inch wide appears as a meditation that that soothes and stimulates the soul. My guess is his collectors are a mellow bunch.

At night, the fog drifts in and the coyote howl at the moon…surreal….

The first evening we had dinner at the old standby Marix just off Santa Monica…loud, cheap, and great service paired perfectly with mediocre food and pretty young people…another reason to love LA…

SATURDAY August 6, 2011

I have been interested in seeing a new (actually remodeled) building by architects Rios, Clement, Hale on Larchmont. The upstairs houses their offices and downstairs the Café Gratitude, a vegetarian restaurant. Warm, fuzzy and puppy-friendly with a great crowd and a killer (vegan) BLT…check it out

MOCA (1981, Arata Isosaki)

Hadn’t been to MOCA in a while but the Broads have hastily organized a tribute to the recently deceased Cy Twombly…only eleven paintings, but OMG!! Like many others, I still don’t really “get” the later work, but nine of the Broad’s Twomblys were from the 60’s…each and every one of those a masterpiece! In the Fred Nicholas’ Gallery there was an interesting show of the works of women artists…didn’t know we were still doing that…Included was a cool Yoko Ono sculpture and a retrospective of Linda Benglis’ work that nearly finished me off….I’ve always loved the bronze “knots” but wasn’t really prepared for the erotic stuff…

We had dinner at home that night, but went out to a WEHO lesbian bar, The Palms, for a show (and I use that term loosely) by an illusionist / vocalist Jimmy James, who Robert had seen perform 24 years previously in Provincetown. In his own voice, he does amazing impressions of Shirley Bassey, Barbara Streisand, Cher et al…. Time and circumstances have not been kind to Jimmy: Robert summed up the experience by saying that Jimmy still sounds like Cher, but now he looks more like Chaz…go figure. Maybe not the best night of Cabaret I’ve ever had, but certainly among the most memorable… A tour of the WEHO nightlife sector revealed that go-go boys (and girls) have made quite a comeback…they are everywhere!

SUNDAY August 7, 2011

A friend invited us to join him at the Will Rogers Beach in Santa Monica – the gay section has been renamed “Ginger Rogers” Beach for obvious reasons. Access to the beach is via a tunnel under Highway 1 adjacent to the Hungry Cat Restaurant, recently featured on Bravo’s “Million Dollar Decorators” as it was being redesigned by Jeffery Alan Marks and his assistant Ross Cassidy. It’s not in Malibu; the fuss over the floors seems overblown, and it’s not open for lunch on weekdays…

The beach failed to reach its potential that day…the fog never did burn off. But on the way down from our parking spot, we discovered a Richard Neutra house. Our architect friend told us that this house had been moved to the current location many years ago. Maybe the owners of the Neutra’s 1955 Kronish house in Beverly Hills should consider relocating it to Santa Monica….LOL!

Following the beach, we cleaned up and met a friend at Tea Dance at The Abbey. It’s been a number of years since I attended a Tea Dance with thousands (I exaggerate) of handsome and/or beautiful young Angelinos. Although there were a few older gentlemen (i.e. my age) in the crowd, the afternoon really belonged to the young and beautiful…and their admirers. The angle of the afternoon sun made the place feel like the movie “Chinatown.” The scantily-clad dancers lightly covered with fresh sweat poured Quervo Gold down the throats of those brave enough to come close. Following a “rain” of beach balls being tossed around overhead, a giant wind machine spewed confetti over the crowd. It took me back to my Studio 54 days; these guys really know how to entertain their audience….and in the process, elevating bar life to a new standard. Unlike most, I was able to maintain my “one drink maximum” policy. A good time was had….

MONDAY August 8, 2011

One of the things I love about LA is there is significant architecture everywhere…on the way to The Weismann Foundation in Holmby Hills, we happened on to the 1949 Broughton Residence, Craig Elwood’s first house. It’s an odd place…the entrance is via a circular stair in the carport, but if you love modernism, it’s really cool…according to Curbed LA it can be yours for only $799,000.

Gordon B. Kaufman / Frederick Weisman Residence (1929, Gordon B. Kaufman)
265 North Carolwood Drive with free-standing Gallery addition (1999, Frank D. Israel)

The Weismann Foundation is housed in a beautiful Spanish style residence that was originally built by Gordon B. Kaufman as his personal residence. Weismann, it is said, preferred the style because these buildings had lots of wall space to install his art collection. The collection is spectacular, and so is the house and Gallery addition. Kaufman did several houses on Carolwood Drive, one of the city’s most beautiful streets…

We ended up at the Brazilian style restaurant Bossa Nova in WEHO for lunch. This place has been upgraded since we first started coming here, and has become very popular. No discernable Brazilians present, and the only celeb-siting was Jett from the Bravo series “Flipping Out.” He was no doubt taking lunch home to Lewis’ current west Knoll home….I had wanted to try out Lisa Vanderpump’s (Real Housewife of BH) Sur Restaurant down the block but they don’t serve lunch….we’ll go for dinner one of these days.

Our new friends Greg & Rob invited us for dinner Monday evening at their place. They have a beautifully done condo in one of those great Spanish style 1920s Apartment Buildings on Rossmore. They were so gracious, smart and urbane, it was like being back in San Francisco. In fact, that neighborhood really captures that period in LA for me more than any other. Loved it…..

TUESDAY August 9, 2011

By Tuesday, we were beginning to miss the puppies, so decided to wrap up our visit by returning to another old haunt, the Venice Boardwalk. My guess is that Abbott Kinney (the original developer) would be somewhat disappointed. In spite of the substantial physical improvements in the form of new structures placed around the area, and incurring substantial expenses in the process, the area remains more down-market than ever. Just spending the money won’t necessarily improve an area, unless you identify the problems you’re trying to solve. According to Christopher Reynolds in the LA Times: “Venice lies just south of Santa Monica and left of the American mainstream - artsy, edgy, defiant and occasionally downright dissolute.” Still, the Bookstore Café was as busy as ever….

Our final stop before returning home was the Skirball Museum (2010-2012, Moshe Safdie) which is just up the road from The Getty. The building was a big surprise to me…I didn’t know Safdie had done any West Coast work. It's really quite spectacular….

First Methodist Church

2011-07-22T15:10:00.001-07:00

This romantically sculptural church structure sits in a man-made pond. It was built in 1965 to the designs of architect Hal C Whitemore, about whom I know nothing. Can't help but wish we had more of his work here...

Town & Country Center...The Saga Continues

2011-06-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

Charles Tanner’s Desert Inn; Richard Neutra’s Maslon Residence; Wurdeman & Becket’s Bullock’s Department Store; A Quincy Jones & Paul R. Williams’ Town & Country Center; all, except one are buildings demolished in the name of efficiency and progress that were said to have outlived their useful purpose, deemed to be impractical and expensive to maintain; their loss continues to haunt the Valley.
Only the Town & Country Center still stands pending demolition for a huge retail development indistinguishable from similar developments elsewhere. This demolition is presented as absolutely essential to the future health, happiness and economic well-being of Palm Springs. A lengthy list of residents, architectural historians and other experts have urged the preservation of this historic mixed-use complex, but the Palm Springs City Council has turned them down, and is in the process of executing a Joint Development Agreement with the building’s owner that will ensure its demolition.
One might think that the Town & Country Center does not belong in this august company. Its current willfully dilapidated condition mutes its appearance. It is precisely like the Desert Inn and the others, in that it is a great work about to be destroyed before it can to be fully appreciated while the functional justification for its existence continues to be ignored. With its impossibly elegant horizontal lines, its surprisingly voluptuous curves, and its generous and unique open space, it embodies the spirit of the 1940s. Yet it faces the same fate as the Desert Inn and the others, lost long ago when they were considered out of fashion.
The Town & Country Center is not just an isolated building. It is part of a larger context of vacant sites on its block that provide a unique opportunity for a development that centers on its historic open courtyard. While the complex may need some upgrades, the extent of which is often exaggerated, its restoration and improvement is still a hard sell when it is owned by an obstinate developer hell-bent on its demolition, regardless of any cogent rationale. Some locals, frustrated by the owner’s contribution to downtown’s blight may look at the building and despair. But then, many had the same reaction when the Desert Inn was demolished; had it survived, today it would the downtown’s jewel, comparing favorably to the Beverly Hills Hotel, or Riverside’s Mission Inn, each of which serves as anchors of urban vitality.
In theory, the local system of listed buildings works to protect buildings over 50 years old that are of historic and architectural interest, as well as younger buildings of exceptional quality and under threat. The procedure is that Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board makes recommendations and the City Council accepts or rejects them. The false argument that revitalization of downtown somehow hinges of the demolition of this building and its replacement with a street lined with architecturally banal shops has prevailed with our decision-makers. In Palm Springs, the listing system often sidesteps difficult decisions – two recent designations - the front façade of the Palm Springs Airport and the upper story of the Oasis Commercial building - amply attest to that sad reality. One council member has declared his hostility to the protection of any building lacking owner support; he misses the point that it is the significant buildings whose owners object to designation are those most in need of protection. The loss of the Town and Country Center will continue the process of eradicating the town’s history, resulting in the disappearance of a vital period in Palm Springs’ architectural history. With time, Palm Springs’ staple of cultural tourism will also diminish with loss of important buildings like this one.
One has to also question the town’s commitment to sustainability considering the environmental loss of both the energy and the materials that went into the building’s original construction, which in the current proposal will be purchased again for the new buildings while the historic building’s remains will be sent to landfill.
Time is running out for this building. To urge the saving and restoration of this important structure risks offending some downtown business interests, as well as those of the building’s millionaire owner and his powerful friends at the Palm Springs Art Museum and the City Council. The merit of restoration could result in a thoughtful overall plan that helps to repair Palm Springs torn urban fabric, rather than throwing it all out, and with it a unique portion of the town’s heritage. Protection of historic properties is, and has always been, about asserting the intrinsic value of a place’s roots over immediate financial gain. As an object lesson, look no further than the decisions that resulted in the demolition of the Desert Inn and the construction of the Desert Fashion Plaza in the first place. At the risk of repeating a cliché, the City Council would be well-advised to heed the Spanish philosopher George Santayana’s words: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"

One more and I'll stop with the Folded Plates

2011-05-19T14:41:00.001-07:00

These two images are also Palmer & Krisel from 1961. They were built in Las Vegas in the Paradise Palms tract. If anybody's going up that way, I'd love to know if they survive...

Folded Plate Roofs Redux

2011-04-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

MORE FOLDED PLATES…

I had an interesting and enlightening conversation with Bill Krisel recently, during which I encouraged him to take a glimpse at my Blog. He responded to the posting of the history of the folded plate roof in Palm Springs with some new information. Turns out the Alexander Construction Company built at least four Palmer & Krisel houses with folded plate roofs in 1956 (finished in 1957), two of which I have been to locate in Vista Las Palmas: 803 Monte Vista and 1102 Rose Avenue. Although they are hard to see from the street, they’re definitely there, and still intact, making them the oldest folded plate roofs in Palm Springs. The firm also designed some houses with barrel-vault entry canopies. The best example of this style that I could find is located at 891 Monte Vista, and although the barrel vaults survive, it looks like the building has been substantially altered from its original design.

Krisel also recalled his being influenced by Marcel Breuer’s MoMA house (see earlier posting); its long butterfly roof was the inspiration for his first ‘butterfly’ house, the Adolphe Stelzer Residence of 1950 in Brentwood. The Stelzers so loved their home that they bought a smaller second home by Krisel in Twin Palms. Sadly, the Brentwood home was replaced in 1990 by a 12,000 sq. ft. Tudor.

I also recalled seeing an early, undated Hugh Kaptur design study for Tony Curtis’ Caballeros Tennis Club. Although it was never built, it shows how popular the folded plate idea was in those years.

Bill Cody's Sieman Residence Revisited

2011-04-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

Brilliant Detroit-based photographer James Haefner was recently in town for a photography workshop. He created these incredible new views of the Sieman Residence. Check out his website at http://www.haefnerphoto.com/.

Forgotten Wexler & Harrison Rediscovered

2011-03-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Legendary local architect Donald Wexler confirmed recently that this sleek, early (for Palm Springs) International Style building was produced by his firm in their early years. Wexler & Harrison briefly maintained offices upstairs in the A. Quincy Jones / Paul R. Williams-designed Town & Country Center complex. They were commissioned by the building’s original owners to create a new office building fro E. F. Hutton within the compound, just off the walkway that leads to the courtyard. The result was this refined, minimalist structure with green terrazzo flooring throughout and a simple, open interior space. Its grey terrazzo tile façade could use some polishing, and through the magic of Photoshop, I have restored the long gone awning fabric, but the formalist purity of the building survives largely unaltered. After a few years, E. F. Hutton relocated to a Hugh Kaptur building on Tahquitz Canyon Way. This handsome structure remains vacant and unprotected. Ironically, during a time when the city celebrates Don Wexler’s contributions to the local architectural scene through an exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum, spokesman for the Museum recently endorsed the current Desert Fashion Plaza Development Plan, which would result in the demolition of this fine example of Wexler & Harrison‘s work.

Folded Plate Roofs

2011-03-10T15:19:00.001-08:00

According to C. B. Wilby in his book Concrete Folded Plate Roofs, Folded plates are sometimes called hipped plates, and in Germany “Faltwerke”. The principle was first used in Germany by a structural engineer named Ehlers in 1924, to cover large coal bunkers. Folded plate roofs allow large spans, clean lines and they are aesthetically pleasing to many architects.

In the 1960s, folded plates became less structural in nature, and are now usually considered mid-century decoration. Early examples illustrated here are Morris Lapidus’ 1960 decorative folded plate element used for a street canopy in Miami. In 1966, a similar canopy was built at Villa Roma in Palm Springs. Other early examples include Wexler & Harrison’s 1962 steel house and Val Powelson’s 1960 Sunbow House in LA. Two local versions by Santa Barbara architect Barry Berkus are the Park Imperial South and Merito Manor complexes from 1960 and 1961 respectively.

Not as well-known, but quite interesting in its own right is the Animal Medical Hospital (1960, Robert Ricciardi) at 606 South Oleander Road that features a folded plate roof on a circular floor plan.

A few years ago, Dink’s Restaurant & Lounge on North Palm Canyon was built new from the ground up. Attempting to recall the town’s Mid-century Modernism, the building unresolved and overly busy design features a section of folded plates; unclear on the concept…they appear to be supported by beams….go figure.

The last image is from the gallery entrance to the Don Wexler, Steel and Shade exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum. It is a replica of the roof on Wexler & Harrison’s 300 Molino Road steel house. On the whole, the Wexler & Harrison design seems the most elegant.

More Butterflys

2011-01-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

These images, from "Brazil Builds" published in 1943 show an even earlier "Buttrefly" Roof. Its so amazing that here in Palm Springs we seem to have "invented" Mid-century Modernism...turns out Niemeyer was waaaay ahead of us...can't help but wonder how those early modernist buildings are faring these days. I was in Rio a few years ago and saw Corbu/Niemeyer's Ministry of Education. It still looks brand new.

PS: Thanks to the "Doug Hudson Lending Library" for "Brazil Builds.'

The First Butterfly Roof?

2011-01-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

Largely due to the work of Palmer & Krisel and Wexler & Harrison there is a sense that the Butterfly Roof was invented here. Not true, as evidence. check out this 1949 demonstration house in the garden at MoMA. It was designed by Marcel Breuer.

St. Helena Bandshell

2010-08-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

Few local amenities are so closely identified with small town ambience than a Band Shell. Locals gather here for community musical events on warm Summer evenings. Its also a good way to communicate important locals issues to the citizenry. The little sign posted on the tree is a public announcement that the tree is unhealthy and will have to be removed. That is so civilized.

St. Helena Post Office

2010-08-22T13:08:00.001-07:00

Lewis Simon was the architect on this remarkably intact Post office building from 1940 in St. Helena. This charming town has managed to be respectful of most of its architecural heritage. Unlike many towns that have decimated their historic downtown area, like Palm Springs to name but one, St. Helena seems to be thriving. I can't help but wonder if there is a lesson to be learned here.....

I'll post more pix of the St. Helena trip soon...

Endangered Building No. 7: WWII Barracks

2010-07-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

When the US entered WWII, the Air Force ferrying Command came to the desert and built these barracks. The City built the road on land donated by Pearl McManus, and in exchange it was named “McCallum Way”, to honor her father. Later, it was renamed Tahquitz-McCallum Way. Later still it was renamed again, dropping “McCallum” for today’s “Tahquitz Canyon Way.” It would appear that Palm Springs has little use for its history....After the war, the barracks were sold and individually moved to locations throughout the desert, Among the most prominent of these hearty survivors is the Clara Bee on Ramon Road. It was altered by architects Wexler & Harrison for use, originally for retired army nurses, I am told, and later it became a Women’s Shelter. It is located on Indian land and today is vacant and scheduled for eventual demolition.

There are those who say that the preservation community wants to preserve “every old building” so I offer the Clara Bee as an example of an old building that does not necessarily warrant preservation....but it might be interesting to see if the Wexler & Harrison facade could be incorporated into a new building on this site......

Endangered Building No. 6

2010-07-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Back in 2007, the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) considered the nomination as a Class 1 Historic Site the "Casa de Rancho" a Morongo Street compound built in the 1940s for Dr. William Scholl. He was the inventor of those famous foot treatment products that are a staple to the retirement-age citizenry of Palm Springs. Dr Scholl might have joined the ranks of the town’s prominent (part-time) residents to be honored by the designation, but it was not to be. When built, the Spanish Colonial style property was a mini-estate containing ten buildable lots; such parcels are extremely rare in Palm Springs today. Struggling with the concepts of Setting and Context, the HSPB lost its courage and recommended protecting only the main house, which was centered on two lots facing Morongo; the remainder of the fully landscaped site which contained a swimming pool and pool house, tennis courts and gardens was not included in the recommendation to the City Council. Predictably, the owner opposed the designation, and, while owner consent is not required by the designating ordinance, the City Council deferred to the owner’s wishes and declined the recommendation, resulting in a property that had no protection. With the City’s failure to protect the property, the owner immediately walled off the main house, demolished the outbuildings, filled in the pool, stripped the mature landscape and prepared to sell off the lots for development.

Needless to say, the owner did not predict the global financial melt-down that subsequently occurred, and the empty lots remain undeveloped and available. The appearance of the property today is that of a forlorn, blighted site, littered with unfinished construction debris; it retains little of its original charm or value, an impact on the neighborhood that will not be easily overcome. Among the lessons to be learned here is the understanding of the value to an historic property of its setting and historic landscape. As these few surviving larger parcels start being subdivided, the character of the neighborhoods, and ultimately the town itself will be diminished….

Endangered Building No. 5

2010-07-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is another local building that appears to be endangered; it is the Charthouse Restaurant designed by architect Kendrick Kellogg, one of the most gifted architects to work in the Coachella valley. The 1978 building is located at 69-934 Highway 111, and was designated as an historic resource in Rancho Mirage in 2004. Owned by Palm Springs’s maverick developer John Wessman (see endangered builing No. 3), it has been sitting empty for many months and based upon the current appearance of the site, with its dead grass and dying landscape, has had its water turned off for some time. This is yet another example of demolition by neglect, and in its current state is definitely a fire hazard.

The building was designed to reflect the curving forms of the natural site; the hill appears to slope down through the restaurant. In 1994 it received an award sponsored by AIA of the Inland Empire of California, who noted that the building was energy efficient before the concept of energy efficiency became popular. The roof, with four inches of urethane foam, undulates around the perimeter of the small hill resting on recycled roof boards which are supported by laminated curved beams. The centered skylight is made of 3 layers of translucent plastic running the full length of the restaurant. The undulating rock walls are from the site. The double doors at the entrance are made of laminated beveled glass in fine curved wood frames, for keeping out the 130 degree summer heat. A low-profile twenty foot long waterfall runs through the glass near the entrance. In 1981 the restaurant was on the cover of Restaurant Design Magazine. To paraphrase a corporate officer of Charthouse, "To change Kellogg's design is to jeopardize our investment."

Kellogg attended the University at San Diego State, University of Colorado, University of Southern California, and the University of California at Berkeley. He received his architect’s license in California in 1964. Kellogg’s motto is, "the more unusual the site, the better the Architecture." Kellogg’s work features totally unified concepts of organic architecture that were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Goff. His is a rather unorthodox philosophy regarding architecture and the profession: Although architectural school taught basic engineering, it also inadvertently taught Kellogg what not to do. He feels that “Architecture cannot be taught. Beauty comes from within….A license does not make Architecture. Competitions are, for the most part, political. The technology of any time is only a tool.” Kellogg believes “Organic Architecture is the Mother of the Arts. Beauty is the sustainable essence of life. Nature is not sentimental. Both beauty and nature are the practical aspects of our compassion for survival.”

No. 4 on the Most Endangered List

2010-06-24T10:58:00.001-07:00

Actually, I'm a little late on this one....somebody had the bright idea to remove the historic Cypress Trees along the Welwood Murry Cemetery wall. The cemetery was established in 1894, and these trees likely date from then. Although I love Palm Trees as much as the next guy, in this installation they resemble nothing so much as telephone poles. This seems like an outrageous, unneccessary and misguided improvement. Although technically the trees are on public land, the Cemetery itself is a Class 1 Historic Site, changes to which require review by the Historic Site Preservation Board, a civic entity that has consistently had its head up its ass lately...but you'd think somebody might at least check in with them before changing another property associated with the pioneering Murray family (See endangered Building No. 1). Another example of the importance of historic landscape...lost.

And so I rant on......

Palm Springs Most Endangered Buildings, No 3

2010-06-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT

Many people have tired of hearing about The Center - a.k.a. Town & Country Center, (1947, A. Quincy Jones and Paul R. Williams). A few months ago this historically significant building wound its way through the city designation process, with protection as a Class 1 site ultimately denied...in spite of being eminently qualified. Such are politics in a small town. Recently Zeldaz dance club, the Center’s last major tenant, gave up the ghost after 30 years and relocated to the Sun Center (1965, Richard Harrison) on South Palm Canyon. This is interesting for a number of reasons.

If the owner of The Center had maintained the building, Zeldaz, and any number of other tenants might still occupy this and other downtown buildings. Instead, Zeldaz became just another tenant who felt the need to abandon the downtown area surrounding the vacant and moribund Desert Fashion Plaza.

On the other hand, sensing the deterioration of the central downtown core, the owners of the Sun Center recently invested in the rehabilitation of their property which now appears to be flourishing. Can’t help but think the same thing might have happened to The Center, if its owner were not so interested in its demolition. As most preservationists know, there’s almost nothing worse that can happen to historic buildings than for them to sit empty for long periods of time. Their systems begin to fail, and the restoration costs begin to climb. Unsympathetic property owners of historic buildings are well aware of this phenomenon, and the choice to neglect and vacate these buildings is often a prelude to demolition, hence the term “Demolition By Neglect”

There is a touch of irony in the Zeldaz relocation. In the past, when “straight” neighborhoods or clubs get rundown, urban myths would have it that they are rediscovered by gay men who polish their tatty charms with sweat equity and recreate them as gay neighborhoods (Christopher Street and the Castro, to name but two) or clubs. In this case, the irony is that Zeldaz took over the space of a gay night club and seems to be making a go of it. Good for them. I can’t help but wonder if its time for a gay entrepreneur to take over the old Zeldaz space and make it into something fabulous, like maybe recreating the original Town & Country Restaurant!

Interesting footnote: In 1970, when Max Palevsky was building his great Craig Ellwood-designed desert home, he stayed in one of the very high-styled apartments at The Center.

#2 on Palm Springs Most Endangered List

2010-06-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

In the heyday of unbrideled real estate development that was Palm Springs before the golbal financial meltdown, this remarkable building complex was deemed expendable by local decision-makers. The site was "needed" to develop East Tahquitz Canyon Way into an upscale hotel zone, so arrangements were made to relocate the tenents of these buildings as a prelude to their demolition. Essentially "saved" by the bad market...they survive at least temporarily, until the economy revives.

In a town that loves Modernism, designs that show the influence of Pueblo Architecture are often discredited. Oddly, early modernists such as Irving Gill and Albert Frey paid homage to the style of this continent's oldest structures, but somehow, when Hugh Kaptur does the same thing, he gets no respect. Go figure...

So, while time allows, do yourself a favor and pay a visit to these singularly important and beautiful buildings. You'll thank me later...

Palm Springs Ten Most Endangered Buildings

2010-05-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Every year the National Trust offers up it Ten Most Endangered Buildings List. Actually, a few years ago they increased it to eleven, but who’s counting? Anyway, they just announced this years list which is actually National Parks instead of buildings. Their rationale was that they are all endangered because of a lack of funding.

This got me thinking about endangered buildings and Palm Springs; I decided to put together my own list of the Ten Most Endangered Buildings in Palm Springs, which will be the subject of the next few posts....

Number 1 on my current list is the Welwood Murray Memorial Library. A proposed project to remodel the existing tiny Library building at 100 South Palm Canyon Drive will sadly result in the building being gutted; substantial amounts of the building’s extant historic fabric will be demolished to allow a new tech-centric use to be installed. Its hard to understand how a city so pressed for funding that it is already curtailing the operating hours at the Main Library Center, will find the funds for staffing the “new” Welwood Murray, once the demolition and reconstruction is complete.

Equally sad is the proposed conversion of the existing courtyard to a distinctly anti-homeless design. As mentioned in the following building history, it was in this courtyard that the Palm Springs Historic Society was formed. This project reeks of what was known in certain Oklahoma circles as “Killing Granny for the Tiara.” I hope the Library Board will rethink their insensitive treatment of this handsome and important Palm Springs Historic Site.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WELWOOD MURRAY MEMORIAL LIBRARY

The following is a brief history of the Welwood Murray Memorial Library (WWML) based upon information contained in former head librarian Henry Weiss’ At Sunrise, The History of the Palm Springs Public Library, published by the Library in 1999. It should be required reading for members of the Library Board and any consultants involved in possible upgrades proposed to the building.

A parcel of land for the WWML measuring 80' x 80' was secured as a gift from Murray’s son and heir George Welwood Murray. A second 20' x 80' parcel was added to the east of the original Murray donation as a gift of Cornelia White. The combined 100' x 80' site then contained 8,000 sq ft. The gift from both Murray was conditioned on the building being named as a memorial to Murray’s father, and both donors required that the building being maintained in perpetuity as a library. Failure to do so would result in the property reverting to the owners or their heirs.

The Library is the oldest intact civic structure in Palm Springs. The tiny but distinctive 3,000 s.f. original building (only the third Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Site to be designated) was designed by architect, John Porter Clark, who was the first full-time Palm Springs resident who was a licensed architect. The handsome exterior shelters an interior that embodies the high-minded civic ideals of the emerging city just as it was formally incorporating in 1938. Clearly expressive of a vanished time, the dark and cool rooms, with their wooden baseboards, moldings and cabinetry, are serene expressions of their time, before air conditioning, when the building served as a recreational haven for the citizenry during the long hot summers.

The building opened on February 19, 1941. It featured a diagonal entrance that faces the intersection of South Palm Canyon Drive and East Tahquitz McCallum Way. The diagonal section has a taller roof than the connecting east and south wings That entrance, and a second entrance to the community room along Tahquitz Canyon Way, are trimmed with a green-hued integrally colored cast stone, as are the entrance steps and all of the window surrounds on the principal facades; the building rests on a plinth of this same material. Floor vents in the planing beds along Tahqitz are also trimmed in this material. The building is constructed of board-formed, poured-in-place concrete, painted white, and is surmounted by a red clay tile gabled roof. A small patio courtyard containing approximately 3,000 s.f. is located at the rear of the L-shaped building.

John Porter Clark continued to serve as the Library’s architect for many years and completed the only very minor alterations to the building in 1955 and 1958; several years later he designed the Francis Crocker Branch Library on Via Miraleste.

Founding of the Historical Society

The Library was essentially the center of culture in the growing village and, within a few years, “The community was also developing a strong interest in its history. Trustee Melba Bennett believed it was time for the citizens to be retrospective as well as forward thinking. She suggested creating a Palm Springs Historical Society that would chronicle and preserve the city’s unique heritage. Bennett presented her unique concept to the Library Board and very interested City Council, and with their support she drafted a letter, dated February 4, 1955, which was sent to twenty-one villages seeking their participation in the new Society. On February 17 that group met on the patio of the Murray Library and both the need and commitment for historic preservation became evident. By Council resolution, the Palm Springs Historical Society would be an “auxiliary” of the Board of Library Trustees.”

“In March of 1957, Architect John Porter Clark was commissioned to prepare plans for the expansion of the Welwood Murray to the south, for an additional reference space and shelving. [This “expansion” was actually the enclosure of a portion of the existing roofed porch area. An $11,000 estimate included the expansion, lighting and furnishings.] Later that year the expanded reference room opened on the south end of the Murray building. On April 16, 1958, the Board approved a number of improvements to the Welwood Murray memorial Library. These included improved general illumination, air conditioning of the new reference room, adding a motor to the dumb waiter which served as the book lift, partitioning the basement, heating the basement, adding cabinets, adding shelving in the children’s area, installing an accordion door on the south wind, new carpeting and tile throughout the facility.” These are the last verifiable changes to the building.

By 1973, in anticipation of the completion of the new main library, the Board approved a reduced evening schedule for the WWML and in 1975, the New Palm Springs Library Center (William F. Cody, FAIA) opened. Plans were developed “to renovate the WWML during its transition from its role as the community’s main library to a downtown branch. The WWML reference section would become a children’s area, and the focus of the collection would change to recognize the needs of the downtown residents and businesses, Regrettably (or not, depending upon your point of view) funds were not available to remodel the WWML, so some of the proposed improvements never occurred.

Founding of the Historic Site Preservation Board

As was the case with the Historic Society, the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) was also founded with the assistance of the Library, which by this time was located in the new Library Center building. “In late 1978, the City Manager assigned the Librarian the task of establishing a Historic Site Preservation Ordinance for the city. Former Mayor Bill Foster had been dismayed at the demolition of the former Plaza Theater ticket office which so powerfully reflected the 1930s architectural style of Palm Springs. Foster asked the City Council to develop mechanisms to protect historic sites in the future. The Librarian staffed a committee to investigate local preservation opportunities. The committee worked with a group of Historical Society volunteers to survey the entire community for potential historic sites and, consequently, offered some level of protection against future unwarranted demolition.

After more than a year meetings, research, and surveying, the committee identified over 150 potential sites, and the Librarian drafted a Historic Site Preservation Ordinance which was adopted by the Council and continues to be in force, with modifications, at the time of this writing. By 1999, thirty-five local buildings [including the Welwood Murray Memorial Library] had been designated as official historic sites and, consequently, offered some level of protection against future unwarranted demolition.“

The issue of whether or not to close the WWML branch became controversial. “A local developer was considering converting it into retail space, and he approached the Board about a possible sale to him as a component of a larger project...In an effort to accurately gauge public sentiment regarding the Murray branch, the Board conducted a written and random telephone survey before it convened a public hearing on the issue on April 30, 1987. The survey results were compelling...94% expressed their wish that the building remain a library. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board voted 3-0 to recommend that the WWML branch remain a public library. The Council accepted the Board’s recommendation, and the developer committed to completing his project excluding the 100' x 80' parcel that was the Welwood Murray Memorial Library site. However, he was successful in having non-buildable easements placed on the southern edge of the property to accommodate required fire exits for his development; trash storage and removal resulted in the eastern windows of the Library being filled in. In September of 1991, the location of the Welwood Murray library in the true center of downtown made it a natural venue for visitor’s information services. Tourist materials were gathered and seven-day service began, increasing WWML branch customers for the first time sine 1978.”

“The most poignant event of 1992 was the Library Board’s decision to close the WWML branch after more than a half-century of continuous operation. On June 30, 1992, the staff permanently closed the Murray building as a public library. It opened as a private library in September of that year.” In 2009 it was again closed, in anticipation of a proposed remodel. Given the Library’s ongoing involvement with preservation of the city’s history and architecture, it is difficult to understand the current development proposal that would severely diminish the WMML’s important historic architecture.

La Plaza Theater Blade Sign

2010-05-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

When Peabody's was putting up their blade sign, someone asked if the blade sign at The Plaza Theater was built as part of the original 1936 design. Turns out it was originally built for the Palm Springs Theater in the early 1930s and moved to the Plaza in the 1940s. Still, it has been there for many years, and has achieved historical significance in its own right. That, in itself is insufficient justification to keep adding blade signs to La Plaza Shopping Center....

Ruth Hardy Park Modernism

2010-05-08T14:05:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, my friend Tom and I were walking our dogs around the Movie Colony neighborhood and we wandered into Ruth Hardy Park. In the middle we discovered this really nice little modernist rest room facility that I had never seen before. It was clearly designed by one of our local Mid-century Masters, but I have no idea who. Anybody out there have any info on this one?

Max Palevsky Residence

2010-05-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

According to the LA Times, "computer technology pioneer and venture capitalist Max Palevsky, perhaps best-known for funding then-startup chipmaker Intel Corp., has died. He was 85. Palevsky died of heart failure Wednesday at his Beverly Hills home. The early high-tech pioneer became famous for having transformed mainframe computer builder Scientific Data Systems into an industry powerhouse that he sold to Xerox for $1 billion in 1969. The billionaire financier and philanthropist then became a founder and director of chipmaker Intel. He left the corporate world in the 1970s. Over the years, Palevsky helped finance then-fledgling Rolling Stone magazine, bankrolled movies, became a political activist and built a world-renowned art collection that transformed the Los Angeles County Museum of Art."

His interest in art extended beyond paintings and sculpture to include architecture. He commissioned Craig Ellwood (1922-1992), often referred to as “California’s Mies van der Rohe,” to design Scientific Data Corporation’s headquarters. Ellwood, who was born Jon Nelson Burke, was the definitive Hollywood-style building designer who was largely responsible for the modern image of architecture as a glamour profession. In addition to Palevsky’s corporate projects, in 1969-69 Ellwood also designed Palevsky’s Palm Springs home on West Cielo Drive on what was then described as “the best site in Palm Springs.” The house was based on desert houses in Casablanca that were white-walled compounds with structures set within rectangular walls, and it is beautifully integrated into its boulder-strewn site. Its minimalist aesthetic makes it one of the town’s most enigmatic structures. I had always wanted to nominate the property as a Class 1 Historic Site, and was told that Palevsky was supportive of the potential designation. With his support, the nomination would have sailed through the process. I hope Max rests easy; his was a great gift to the architectural history of Palm Springs. I do wonder what will happen to the house now that Max is gone...

Fueling Stations

2010-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Palm Springs has been home to a number of architecturally significant Fueling Stations...you can't really call them service stations anymore since there is no service. But I digress....

The best known of our architecturally significant stations is the original Esso Station designed by Albert Frey (first image) that has now been designated a Class i Historic Site and currently serves as the Visitor center. Others tend to favor Bill Cody's Union 76 Station (2nd image) for its elegant "floating" roof canopy. Sadly, Don Wexlers' elegant structural expressionist Station on Palm Canyon has already been demolished. Lately, I've fallen under the spell of the last Station in the set...Located on Indian Canyon, it has an anthropomorphic quality that reminds me of a friendly puppy.

Casa Palmeras

2010-05-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

This is a fascinating photograph of the Casa Palmeras because it bears the information “Palmair Apartments, 1930, Paul R. Williams.” Information on this building is a bit sketchy, but the attribution to Williams is a definite possibility. Although much information on his projects was lost during the LA riots, he was known to be working in Palm Springs as early as 1927 when he created the W. P. Anderson Residence, and he was definitely skilled in the Spanish Colonial style that was extremely popular at the time. When built, the building was on the outskirts of town, as evidenced by that lack of sidewalks or paved streets. The building is faintly visible through the window in a 1934 photo of the Kocher-Samson Building. The Pacific Building (a Class 1 Historic site) adjoins both properties and it was built in 1936. All three of these buildings are located in the Old Las Palmas Commercial Historic District. In 2007 there was a $2.82 Million Dollar loan on the assembled three properties with a ten-year term. Today they are on the market for $4,925,000.

Howard Lapham

2010-04-30T18:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I got myself side-tracked, what with Wexler Weekend in January and Modernism Week in February, and a couple of lectures on Bill Cody and Hugh Kaptur, and preparing a National Register Nomination on the O’Donnell Residence...but it took running into a couple of friends who actually noticed that I hadn’t been posting on my Palm Springs Architecture Blog to shame me into getting back to it, so....

Turns out, these friends live the total “Palm Springs Lifestyle” in a charming Mid-century hotel designed by Howard Lapham. Together, the inhabitants of the Desert Star Hotel (now condos) have created a life that many would envy. When they’re in residence, its like being on holiday...every day! How cool is that?

Happily, they had begun to research Lapham, and I was able to fill in a few of the blanks about his career. His Wikipedia listing offers the following: In 1954 at age 40, Howard Lapham arrived in the Coachella Valley from Stamford Connecticut. 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. A number 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 façade. Lapham also designed Lord Fletcher’s English Pub in 1966 on what became known as ‘restaurant row’ on Highway 111 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 continued to maintain an office in Palm Springs until his death at age 92 in 2008. Illustrated here is the recently restored Rackstrom-Reid Building on North Palm Canyon Drive. I’ll try and track down images of more Lapham buildings soon.....

The First Steel House In Palm Springs

2010-01-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

The Lindop Residence (1937, Architect Unknown)
1320 Tamarisk
Palm Springs

"Steel House Now Being Erected"

The first of the steel houses manufactured by General House, Inc. to come to California is now being erected in the Desert Sands tract [1320 Tamarisk - ed] by Edmund F. Lindop, owner of the tract and California distributor for the manufacturers.

The new steel house will be completed in three weeks and will then be open for public inspection. It is a large house, having three bedrooms and two baths; of the new modernistic type of architecture which originated in Europe about a year ago and now predominates in most new construction in England, France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Italy and Belgium.

General Steel Houses are being erected by the hundreds in the fashionable areas of Eastern cities, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, New York and other places.
Mr. Lindop has 50 dealers under him in various parts of the state and all are looking forward to the first house of the company to be erected in California, now being assembled in Palm Springs.

Every part of the house is made by mass production in the factory. The steel frame, bolted together and compressed asbestos panels on the outside as well as heat and cold resisting fireproof materials for the roof, form a building that is both earthquake proof and fireproof. Inside walls are of plyboard and both inside and outside walls are finished in any color desired."

-The Desert Sun, November 20, 1936

The Citywide Survey repeats an apocryaphal story that this Residence was designed for the Pullman family to resemble a Pullman railcar....I could go on and on.....

Peabody's Cafe at La Plaza Shopping Center

2009-12-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

No two issues in Palm Springs seem to polarize the community on a regular basis more than signage and historic preservation, with the liberals being anti-signage and pro-preservation while the conservatives seem to favor the exact opposite. An interesting case that highlights this conflict is that of new signage proposed for Peabody’s Café in the historic La Plaza Shopping Center (1937, Schenck & Williams), a locally designated Class 1 Site.

A comparison of historic and contemporary photos located at the Palm Springs Historical Society helps to illustrate the changes that have occurred to this important historic property over time. The village character of the 1940s photo stands out in strong contrast to the contemporary image of the property - particularly the Peabody’s dual storefront - a tacky assemblage that is currently overwhelmed by signage ( more than 16 at last count) including several that clearly are not permitted. The guardrails, awnings and cheap plastic furniture don’t help matters much either. It is an interesting fact of life that during economic downturns there is a tendency to blame existing architecture or signage for the lack of business. Commercial tenants often feel that remodeling a building or adding signage will solve their economic problems. As it turns out, this is rarely the case, but it does seem to keep the sign companies afloat.

In the proposal recently heard before the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB), the operator of the café proposed replacing an existing non illuminated circular sign with a much larger “blade” type sign that both echos and competes with the historic marquee of the Palm Canyon Theatre. The HSPB which is charged with overseeing changes to Class I sites reviewed this proposal and supported it with a six to one vote, in spite of the fact that the proposal is contrary to their own guidelines that prohibit false-historicist designs for historic properties. By the café-owner’s own testimony, the new sign is derived from and will compete with the existing Palm Canyon Theatre sign from the 1930s. Imagine if all of the tenants in La Plaza were to follow suit. The only silver lining in the HSPB’s approval is the requirement that Peabody’s remove all of the existing illegal signs.

A word to the Peabody’s owners: its not about the signage ...in fact the café would be a lot more appealing without all the signs as is evidenced by the many successful food operations along Palm Canyon (Pomme Frite, Ruby’s, Kaiser Grill, etc,) that seem to be doing well, even in these recessionary times, with minimal, tasteful signage. Sadly, Peabody’s business probably won’t improve with just the addition of this unfortunate sign. In fact, they would be well-advised to think about improving the quality of the food and the decor of the café. As for the HSPB, a look at National Register Bulletin 25 regarding signage and historic properties might serve as a reminder that their job is to promote the restoration of the site to its original historic character.

Cody coming out of my ears.....

2009-12-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

I first spotted this great house last spring when I was looking for Cody projects for my Architecture 101 lecture at PSAM. I just recently had it confirmed as a Cody by asking the staff at the Rancho Mirage Preservation office. Evidently the owner preferred to not have it listed as an historic structure on their registry. I particularly like it because it strongly resembles Cody's own Palm Springs home that has now been substantially altered. I will be repeating my lecture on William Cody on February 10 at 7:00PM at the Rancho Mirage Public Library...free.

More Grey Gardens in Palm Springs?

2009-12-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

I have it from pretty good sources that this enormous (7,000 s.f. +/-) ranch style house is a Bill Cody design..evidently cobbled together from two or three existing buildings. Its pretty spectacular in its own way, but would love to have seen it before the many alterations took place. It was at one time the home of actor Adam West - television's campy Batman. I have been unable to verify the house's provenance through the Cody Archive's "box" list.

It is part of a larger property (see site plan) that once included the Villa Hotel. Those buildings - clearly architect-designed, but also substantially altered - are said to also have been designed by Cody for an Elizabeth Arden Spa, but relocated here in the 1960s.

The entire property was slated for replacement with a large new project before the current economic collapse. Today, the entire site appears abandoned, and the existing buildings appear doomed.....

"Lost" Cody Found...

2009-11-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

Some friends recently purchased this "lost" gem. They were turned on to it by Realtor Alan Miller who knows where all the good (architectural) stuff is. The house, built in the 1960s was commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. W. Sieman, a La Jolla couple who only used it for a couple of month a year. The architect was Bill Cody who had a wide range of stylistic expressions. For this project he created a Miesian Pavilion on a crest in Vista Las Palmas. In this image, the quiet street facade conceals a forecourt that leads to a transparent box....looking through the house to the pool, the million-dollar view beyond is as spectacular as it is surprising. One of the new owners is an architect who is planning a sensitive restoration. My compliments to all concerned...

"Second Empire Revival" in Palm Springs

2009-11-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

Did you know that there is no design review for single family homes in Palm Springs, unless they are proposed for a hillside site. On the other hand...there is no public hearing involved in the demolition of single family homes, unless they are located on a major thoroughfare....

Its always interesting to see a house like this in a town that is famous for its architecture....

The Importance of Context

2009-11-06T17:06:00.000-08:00

These two photos taken about eighty years apart illustrate the importance of context. In the top image from a Gail Collection photo, the original El Mirador Hotel (1927, Walker & Eisen) is viewed from Palm Canyon Drive - originally Main Street. The tower was lost in a fire in 1989. In the lower photo, a replica of the original tower (1991, WWCOT/Chris Mills) now stands as a symbol of the Desert Regional Medical Center. Without a shred of irony, this replica tower was designated as Palm Springs' first Class 1 Historic Site....proving I guess that you don't have to be old to be historic...

The contemporary image was shot from Indian Canyon because in the intervening years an office building was built that blocks the original view. As for the context, drought-tolerant landscaping was really fashionable in the 1920s...I'm just saying...

Morgan Residence in Rancho Mirage

2009-10-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

This romantic old West style home in Rancho Mirage was purchased in 1939 by Frank Morgan (1890-1949) who was born as Francis Phillip Wuppermann in New York City. His most famous performance was in The Wizard of Oz (1939), in which he played the carnival huckster "Professor Marvel", the gatekeeper of the Emerald City, the driver of the carriage drawn by "The Horse of a Different Color", the armed guard leading to the wizard's hall, and the Wizard himself. His first film was The Suspect in 1916. His career expanded when talkies began, his most stereotypical role being that of a befuddled but good-hearted middle-aged man. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1934's The Affairs of Cellini, where he played the cuckolded Duke of Florence and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1942's Tortilla Flat, where he played a simple Hispanic man. Like Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West, his characters only appear onscreen for a few minutes in total, but they are show-stoppers. He was so popular that MGM gave him a lifetime contract.

Other movies of note include The Shop Around the Corner, The Human Comedy, The Mortal Storm, The White Cliffs of Dover and his last movie, Key to the City, which was released after his death, in Beverly Hills, California. Like most character actors of the studio era Frank Morgan had numerous roles in many motion pictures. One of his last roles was as a key supporting player in The Stratton Story, a true story about a ballplayer (played by James Stewart) who makes a comeback after losing a leg in a hunting accident.

Morgan married Alma Muller in 1914; they had one son. Morgan died after suffering a heart attack in 1949 while filming Annie Get Your Gun. His widow, Alma still resided here as late as 1953. He was the one major player from The Wizard of Oz who did not live to see the film become both a television fixture and an American institution. He was buried in Green Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1708 Vine Street.

Grey Gardens in Palm Springs?

2009-09-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled onto this forlorn estate that is surrounded by numerous abandoned-looking cars of some vintage. A little research uncovered the following:

"At the depth of the depression, [Wallace] Neff’s wealthy playboy client [Singer Sewing Company heir] Arthur K Bourne acquired a fine lot in Palm Springs, one of the few towns in the region which was still booming. It was becoming popular with the film colony and with Pasadena socialites wealthy enough to be unaffected by bad times. The house the architect built on the property was an attempt to fuse the Mediterranean Revival with the modern style - to enjoy the best of both worlds.
The dwelling was disposed around three sides of a patio, with a swimming pool at the center. Most of Neff’s swimming pools up to that time had been in Beverly Hills, and they had usually been well removed from the house. But the central location was appropriate since this was a vacation retreat, but such a location was more characteristic of modern than Mediterranean Revival site planning. The modernity of the patio was diluted by making the bedroom wings identical and adding a circular ornamental fountain from which water spouted into the pool. Thus the place took on the air of an exotic North African desert oasis. Neff used almost a whole wall of sliding doors to make the living room an indoor-outdoor room in the modern manner and the simple, almost brutal, almost flat shed roofs had a modern look which was negated by the red tiles used as a covering material.
There was a separate wing for the servants rooms and kitchen on the north, while the two front doors were a reflection of the Bournes hospitality. The north door was for guests who might come and go without disturbing family members in the south wing. Neff grasped the possibilities of Palm Springs readily, as demonstrated by the inclusion of a small second story room and loggia. By climbing only one flight to this mirador, one can enjoy a view all over the valley. The house has had several owners, but has never been drastically altered."

-Alson Clark
Wallace Neff: Architect of California’s Golden Age

Perlin Residence - Los Angeles

2009-09-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

The Steel Houses of Palm Springs are almost legendary. They are the work of architects Wexler & Harrison, with engineering provided by Bernie Perlin. What most people don't realize is that Wexler designed a house for Perlin that was built before the Palm Springs houses. The house is essentially unchanged, and still owned and occupied by Bernie Perlin. Mid-Century modernism...untouched. Wow!

Children's Discovery Museum - Rancho Mirage

2009-09-10T12:55:00.001-07:00

Just driving along Gerald Ford Drive in Ranch Mirage when I discovered this wonderful building. It is rare to find architecture this good in the Coachella Valley. Thank you Children's Discovery Museum.

Araby Dude Ranch

2009-09-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

This compound, on the south end of Araby Drive, is one of the best-kept secrets of old Palm Springs. I am told it was an early Dude Ranch, possibly from the 1920s. It is a cluster of deteriorating buildings that included a couple of residences, a corral and stable, and a swimming pool surrounded by low walls. All are made of stone. Nearly abandoned, and occasionbally guarded by an eccentric (and a little scary) gentleman on a bicycle, the place exudes great charm...and the mystery of an architectural dig. Hope somebody pays attention to this place before it disappears entirely,

Remuddeling...

2009-09-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

I ran across this remodeled Alexander the other day; what were they thinking....?

Palm Springs Golf Club Clubhouse

2009-08-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to prepare for a lecture at the Palm Springs Art Museum in February as part of the Architecture 101 Series. It will feature the work of architect Hugh Kaptur. My good friend Robert Imber who gives guided tours of Palm Springs architecture guided me to a number of Kaptur works that I was unfamiliar with, including this building. It has some really beautiful elements, but would benefit from some restoration. It was done while Kaptur was in partnership with Richard Ricciardi, the architet of the Gas Company Building, shown earlier.

What is so rare as a Bungalow in Palm Springs?

2009-08-16T15:13:00.001-07:00

You occasionally see a Bungalow in Beaumont or other small towns nearby, but rarely in Palm Springs. This one, on Calle Santa Rosa, from the 1920s may be a Sear's Mail-order house. I would love to know more about it.

Facadomy

2009-08-11T08:52:00.001-07:00

Facadomy is generally not accepted as a suitable preservation practice for historic buildings because it does not protect all of the elements that make up a building’s significance. The result of facadomy is tokenism that literally protects one side of a place’s history. Buildings are conceived in three dimensions and so it follows that if they are significant, they should be retained in three dimensions. Protection of the whole building is far more meaningful than protection of the building’s “parts.” When designation of the Palm Springs International Airport was being considered by the City Council, they opted to protect only the front facade...Now the same strategy is being considered as a “compromise” for the designation of the Oasis Commercial Building. Isn’t it time for this town to join the real world?

Birge Residence on the Avenue Foch

2009-08-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

Ethel Birge was also a francophile....this is her Paris apartment on the Avenue Foch where she died. Its near the intersection of the Avenue Foch and Rue Rude...go figure!

Birge Residence - The Ingleside Inn

2009-08-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is the home Humphrey and Ethel Birge had built for themselves in Palm Springs. They were originally from Buffalo and also had a home in Pasadena. Today its a Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Site known as the Ingleside Inn.

The Gas Company

2009-08-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

I've always been curious about this great looking little building on Sunrise. It was built in 1969 to the designs of Palm Desert Architect Robert H Ricciardi. The failure of the imperfect "corduroy" concrete was discovered when the first board forms were removed...but wiser heads prevailed and the imperfections were recognized for the beauty they possess; the building was completed utilizing the "imperfect" process resulting in one of the town's most memorable buildings. Thanks to architectural guru Robert Imber for his background info on this gem.

SHoP Architects

2009-08-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

A preview of the Architecture and Design Council's upcoming January lecture: this is a small rehab done by SHoP Architects on Madison Avenue in New York. Its really cool...

Proposed Movie Colony Demolition

2009-08-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

This 1924 Mediterranean style home in the Movie Colony is proposed for demolition. The owner wants to replace it with a new home in a contemporary style. This demolition of what is essentially sound housing sends a strong message about a town that gives lip-service to sustainability....

Oasis Commercial Building

2009-07-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

PALMS SPRINGS’ ONGOING HISTORIC PRESERVATION DEBACLE

The questions asked by city council members at the July 22, 2009 hearing regarding the nomination of the Oasis Commercial Building as a Class 1 Site are more revealing than Council may have realized. Their questions were so basic; it was as if this process were absolutely new to them. Had they never seen the city’s preservation ordinance before? Did they never read it? Or do they feel their own highly politicized desires constitute the necessary and sufficient justification for their actions?

Historic Preservation is hardly new to this country, or even this town. The local process is a fairly straightforward one wherein the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) makes recommendations to the Council regarding the designation of local historic resources. If the Council concurs, the property is listed in the local registry and the HSPB then monitors any changes proposed to the resource. Variations on this scenario are played out on a daily basis in thousands of cities and towns throughout the country and no city has died as a result of historic preservation. In fact, most cities that incorporate historic preservation planning into their general planning strategy discover that both growth and development thrive as a result.

Although Councilperson Foat is generally a consistent preservation supporter, the rest of the Council’s eagerness to “compromise” the most recent nomination by embracing (unbeknownst to them) a far more restrictive preservation tool – the Conservation Easement – reveals their fundamental lack of understanding in this area. With this tool, changes to an historic resource must be monitored by a private non-profit entity, removing the decision-making process even further from public review. They seemed ready to embrace this notion, even as they discussed proposed changes like “owner consent” requirements and “feasibility studies” to the existing ordinance that would diminish the already weak designation process.

City Council members and city planners, whose responsibility is the management of community resources and shaping options for the future, should recognize that preservation planning offers both short-term opportunities and long-range advantages. Knowledge of the community’s past helps in understanding emerging patterns and future expectations. The Department of Planning Services, in particular, seems to have adopted an aggressive anti-preservation policy of late.

For existing towns like Palm Springs, preservation planning may be the most enlightened and sustainable approach to reviving or maintaining the viability of our town. Preservation planning makes for a better community by preserving its important assets. By providing assurance that Palm Springs’ special sense of place will survive, locals and outsiders alike are given reason to commit their own futures to the community. Sadly, these ideas do not seem to be understood or valued by local planners or Council members who operate on the entirely specious assumption that historic designation prohibits development.

There remains a strong and vocal divergence of opinion among Palm Springs’ citizenry regarding how far government should be permitted to go in regulating the use of private property. The current “frontier mentality” regards buildings, whether of cultural importance or not, as commodities to be freely traded to maximize income or capital gains for the current owner, rather than as scarce resources to be treated with respect and consideration for the public good. Political corruption has been defined as “the diversion of public resources for private or politicized ends.” It appears Council’s current unwillingness to designate properties clearly meets this definition and may constitute an abuse of the public trust. Leadership must be less about the “man” and more about the “people.” The city’s motto, emblazoned on the façade of City Hall is “the people are the city.” But the City’s interpretation of this motto has devolved into “the people who own or want to develop property are the only city we listen to.”

American Radiator Building (1924, Hood & Howell, & Fouilhoux)

2009-07-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

We're just back from New York। Couldn't help but fall in love with this Deco gem. It was made famous by Georgia O'Keefe's 1927 painting. For more New York Architecture, look at my Travel Notes link at the top of the page.

The Ronchamp Eave: Transportation of Meaning

2009-07-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

“The new words of architecture that Le Corbusier forged throughout his life became seminal, not only for himself, but for others. Because they have visual strength and were functionally based, they found a world audience...” - Charles Jenks, Le Corbusier and the Continual Revolution in Architecture.

This is especially true in Palm Springs where Le Corbusier’s influence, particularly in the curve and sweep of the Ronchamp Chapel’s eave (1955) can be seen in a number of local buildings. In addition to the previously cited Fresh & Easy Building, other examples include Rudy Baumfeld's City National Bank (a Class 1 Site), The PartyLab Building, a Palm Canyon Liquor Store and two homes by Le Corbusier apprentice Albert Frey.

Los Angeles High School No. 9

2009-07-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

We were on 101 in LA yesterday and zoomed past this intriguing structure. Robert shot this image on the fly....and I photo-shopped out the distracting elements....it is the Central Los Angeles Area High School #9 for the Visual and Performing Arts by Austrian architects Coop Himmelblau. Sometimes its good to get out of the desert.....

Jensen's loss...Fresh and Easy's gain....

2009-07-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

Fresh & Easy Architecture: I have always admired this building, and am surprised that nobody seems to know anything about it. One unconfirmed report indicates that it was originally built in 1959 as a Market Basket Super Market, and subsequently became a Von’s. It opened as Jensen’s Fine Foods in 1985 according to their website. Stylistically, the design seems to be later than 1959, but also earlier than 1985. If anybody has any documentation, please let me know. In the recent conversion from Jensen’s to Fresh & Easy, the brise soleil was restored and the building was painted a vivid yellow with green trim. Those colors, as approved by the town’s Architectural Advisory Committee, may be very “Fresh & Easy” but they’re not very Palm Springs. The original color was sandy Beige. Whatever the color, the restoration is a good thing for Palm Springs. It would be difficult not to admire the architecture with its upward curving eaves and its extravagant cantilevers

Capsule Tower Demolition Propoosed

2009-07-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

"... all too often, private developments like the Capsule Tower, no matter how historically important, are regarded in terms of property rights. They are about business first, not culture. Governments don’t like to interfere; the voices of preservationists are shrugged off. “Want to save it?” the prevailing sentiment goes. “Pay for it.”
Until that mentality changes, landmarks like Kurokawa’s (Capsule Tower) will continue to be threatened by the wrecking ball, and the cultural loss will be tremendous. This is not only an architectural tragedy, it is also a distortion of history." -NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF (NY Times. 6July09)

The Tennis Club / Bouganvilla Room Addition

2009-07-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

Commissioned by McCallum heiress Pearl McManus, and built in 1947, this addition to the Tennis Club is the last of the three Palm Springs area projects to be designed by collaborating architects Paul R. Williams and A. Quincy Jones. While much of the original design is intact, an addition on the north end has blunted the impact it once had. Having been more or less supplanted by the popular Spencer's restaurant that screens this building from view, the interior Bouganvilla Room is now largely intact but rarely used.

Romanoff''s on the Rocks

2009-07-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

This is another of five projects in the Coachella Valley designed by A. Quincy Jones either in collaboration with Paul R Williams or Frederick E. Emmons. This project was designed by Jones & Emmons in 1956. Quincy Jones completed part of his apprenticeship in Williams' office. Although Williams was nearly two decades older, he and Jones formed a strong bond. They remained friends for years, and collaborated on two projects in Palm Springs. As illustrated in the pictures above, the building has undergone many alterations and has been vacant for years. The newest owner is currently converting the original nightclub into a church....strange bedfellows....

The (Town and Country) Center

2009-07-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

This is a detail of Palm Springs second Shopping Center built in 1948. It was designed by prominent Los Angeles architects Paul R. Williams and A. Quincy Jones who collaborated on three projects in the Palm Springs Area. It is a well-known historic resource in the area, and was once home to the Town & Country Restaurant. It has been determined eligible for the National Register. Despite a preponderance of evidence in support of its historic significance, its owner wishes to demolish it and replace it with a one-block long street. In a recent unanimous vote, the Palm Springs City Council voted to deny the building the protections afforded by the historic site ordinance, perhaps literally paving the way for its demise....

Palm Springs deserves better.....