1:00pm Registration Opens and Exhibits on Display 

• Viewing of architectural models made by students from St. Theresa Catholic School, Raymond Cree Middle School, Nellie Coffman Middle School, Palm Springs High School, and College of the Desert

• Visit information tables of community organizations

2-5pm  Symposium

• Mayor's Welcome by Grace Garner, Mayor of Palm Springs
• Host Welcome by Anne Rowe, Director of Heritage, Sunnylands
• Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) Accomplishments 2022/2023
  • Sarah Yoon, Historic Preservation Officer
  • Ken Lyon, Principal Planner
  • Katherine Hough (Chair), Jade Nelson (Vice Chair), Janet Hansen, Erik Rosenow and Scott Miller, HSPB members

 Program

(Order subject to change.)

Sunnylands
Presented by Anne Rowe 
Ambassadors Walter & Leonore Annenberg built their desert dream home, Sunnylands, designed by A. Quincy Jones, in 1966. The architecture, landscape, and significant social history combine to create this important historic resource where eight Presidents of the United States have been among many notable visitors and this talk explores its preservation, water conservation efforts, and conversion into a public site.

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians: Preserving and Protecting Cultural Heritage at Séc-he
Presented by Patricia Garcia 
Learn about issues, concerns, collaborations, and successes within the Tribal Historic Preservation Office; whose mission is to foster, improve, and protect the Agua Caliente cultural heritage for future generations of the Cahuilla People. Included is a highly anticipated overview of Indigenous Archaeology at the excavations at Séc-he (the sacred spring).

Let’s Name the New Downtown Park for “Mother” Nellie Coffman
Narrated by Tracy Conrad and presented by Gary Johns
Historically, the City of Palm Springs has named its parks after the city’s illustrious female pioneers. Continuing that tradition will help connect visitors and residents to the storied history of “Mother” Coffman’s Desert Inn - which played a pivotal role in making Palm Springs a world-renowned tourist destination.

The Famed Chi Chi Nightclub + the Riviera Hotel
A Conversation and Family History with Dick Schulman & Teri Hertz
This fun discussion details what brought showman Irwin ‘Schuman’ from Los Angeles in the 1930’s to become the owner and impresario of the Chi Chi, Palm Springs’ most famous nightclub. Hear about the entertainers he spotlighted, as shared by his nephew Dick Schulman, along with memories of the Riviera Hotel which brought glamour and transformative romance to the Desert.

Canyon View Estates: Cultural Tourism Turns Green into Gold
Presented by Tom Dolle
Canyon View Estates, a 1960’s community designed by William Krisel, was coveted for large expanses of open green space. In the new reality of water restrictions, how does an HOA celebrate its historic midcentury architecture and preserve the integrity of setting while transitioning to a new drought-friendly landscape…and, in the process, have fun while creating an iconic contribution to Palm Springs’ cultural tourism? 

Case Study: Gillman Residence, 1948 - Risen from the Ashes
Presented by Jackie Thomas and DeeAnn McCoy of Thomboy Properties
A journey from inception through completion of restoring this Herbert Burns masterpiece. Learn the process and stories, from their first encounter with the partially demolished property to doing their due diligence – then putting it all back together - to accomplish the restoration of what has been called Burns’ most lavish residential project.

The Canyon Country Club: Palm Springs’ Garden of Eden - History of Land, Water Rights and Tourism
Presented by Steve Treinen
This story of Canyon Country Club’s rich history as it pertains to water, controversy, and a lost landmark promises to be eye-opening: From the trials and tribulations of B.B. Barney’s “Garden of Eden” to the origins of a prominent fountain by Disney artist Harper Goff and recollections of the Canyon Hotel’s development and demise.

5:15pm Home/Site Tours (see descriptions below)    

Attendees will have the option to register for one of 11 tours if registered and attending the symposium. 

After the day 1 symposium, event attendees have the option to attend one of 11 tours. Space is limited to no more than 30 attendees per tour, so ticket reservations are required. Please be advised that bathroom facilities are not available on tours; shoe covers/booties may be required; and photos may not be taken on some tours. Transportation from Convention Center to tour location is responsibility of registrants.

Tour 1: Robson Chambers Family Home

Architect Robson Chambers designed this modest home in 1946 to be expanded to adapt to the spatial needs as his young family grew.   Chambers experimented with materials developed during WWII such as plywood and corrugated metal with exposed fasteners to create a uniquely modern aesthetic on his home. The restored modernist residence is a designated a Class One (LANDMARK) Historic Resource.

Tour 2: Gillman Residence

Designed by Herbert W. Burns in 1948 in the Late Moderne style for Dr. George Gillman and his wife Sadie, the Gillman Residence was “rescued” from near demolition in 2019 and restored by Thomboy Properties in consultation with architectural historian and author Steven Keylon.  They rebuilt many  signature Burns details that had already been partially demolished or removed. The residence is now a Class One (LANDMARK) Historic Resource. Photo credit: Lance Gerber.

Tour 3: Alvah & Teresa Hicks Residence

This historic 1926 residence was one of the earliest homes in Old Las Palmas, built as a "speculative house" and lived in by pioneer builder/developer Alvah Hicks and his family. A late owner, Charles Crane, was the heir to the Crane Plumbing fortune. Surrounded by lush gardens on expansive grounds, the home’s Spanish Colonial Revival architecture has recently been restored.

Tour 4: Wexler Family Home

Designed by architect Donald A. Wexler for his family in 1954 and expanded in 1968, this post and beam residence with walls and roof planes that extend out into the garden reflects the influence of Wexler's early mentor, master architect Richard Neutra. In the design of his home, Wexler experimented with “T-111” siding board, a new material at the time. National Register of Historic Places and designated a Class 1 (LANDMARK) Historic Resource. Photo credit: Lance Gerber.

Tour 5: Davidson House

Designed by Long Beach architect Dean Davidson in 1965, local architect Jim Harlan recently restored his three-bedroom home in consultation with Davidson. The mid-1960s house has an early 1970s warm palette that features 9-foot ceilings, concrete floors, and expansive walls of glass set between brick-clad piers that convey the unified structural module of the home. A swimming pool cleverly designed in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid has stepping pads over it which visitors use to enter the house.

Tour 6: Du Bois

Architect Charles Du Bois designed this house in 1962 for the Alexander Construction Company, at the entrance to Las Palmas Summit. A distinguishing feature is the low-pitched roof that spans the full width of the residence, creating a generous carport, covered breezeway entrance with breezeblock walls, and a shaded lanai at the rear facing the pool.

Tour 7: Modern Ranch

This relaxed modern ranch style home was designed by architect William F. Cody in 1957. Modifications made by Cody in 1959/1960 added a large pool, terrazzo deck, and pool-side covered terrace, giving the home and its expansive grounds a resort-like feel with generous outdoor shelter from the intense desert sun.

Tour 8: Desert Holly Historic District

Visit one of the meticulously restored condominiums at Desert Holly, built in 1957 by Long Beach builder and developer William J. O’Brien Jr. The site plan, with its jaunty-angled buildings, carefully keeps vehicles on the perimeter -- creating a quiet oasis-like courtyard where residents can relax together around the pool. Desert Holly was granted Historic District status in 2020. Photo credit: James Butchart.

Tour 9: Butterfly Krisel

Designed in 1956 by architect William Krisel for the Alexander Construction Company, this is one of twelve iconic Butterfly Rooflines of this specific type that were built for the Twin Palms Neighborhood which totaled 90 homes. Krisel assisted with the restoration of the home in 2006, and he also designed the current front yard landscape. A designated Class One (LANDMARK) Historic Resource.

Tour 10: Krisel on the Cul-De-Sac

This modest 1964 attached home designed by architect (and landscape architect) William Krisel, AIA, is in Canyon View Estates. The home’s details include clerestory windows, double-gable roof, shadow block, breeze block, carport, and walls of glass with 360º views. The updated interior respects Krisel’s original design and the raised patio overlooks expansive common areas that were recently converted to drought-tolerant desert landscaping inspired by the architect’s original landscape concepts.

Tour 11: Banks/Erickson Residence 

This 1959 Charles Du Bois-designed residence, built by the Alexander Construction Company, is among the earliest homes built in Vista Las Palmas. The current owners retained Corsini Stark Architects to rehabilitate and expand the low-slung residence to fit their contemporary needs. In addition to a full interior remodel, the project included an expansion to the north, a new casita, and a graphic-inspired landscape/hardscape. The pink and yellow colors outside are a nod to the home’s original color palette while the original door handles and escutcheons have been restored.

Tour 12: The Fallows/ Gand 1970's House

Hidden behind a brown fence, looking more like a dark fortress than a glowing late Modernist pavilion, the Fallows House has now seen the light! It was designed in 1971 by architect Thomas Jakway, in the office of Stan Sackley, and now restored by new owners Joan and Gary Gand. With 70s style in mind, the home has been decorated with the owners’ collection of classic modern furniture and art from the era. 

**Tour sites are subject to change.**

1:00pm Registration Opens and Exhibits on Display

• Viewing of architectural models made by students from St. Theresa Catholic School, Raymond Cree Middle School, Nellie Coffman Middle School, Palm Springs High School, and College of the Desert
• Visit information tables of community organizations

2-5pm  Symposium

Host Welcome by Jade Nelson, HSPB Vice Chair and Event Co-Chair

Program

(Order subject to change.)

Coachella Valley History Written in Water
Presented by Maureen Boren and Dr. Priscilla Porta
The arrival of Southern Pacific Railroad opened the Coachella Valley to homesteaders and visitors lured by its year-round sunshine and seemingly ideal agricultural climate. Learn about the amazing engineering feat of the Metropolitan Aqueduct which brought thousands of laborers; many of whom went on to build the All-American Canal, the water from which enabled them to become farmers and spurred an economic boom. 

Eisenhower and His Influence on Tourism
Presented by Melissa Riche
Dwight Eisenhower’s 1954 visits to Thunderbird and Tamarisk Country Clubs were widely reported on TV, radio, and in print. Media coverage showing the President golfing with celebrities and industrialists reinforced the allure of outdoor desert leisure, boosting the Coachella Valley’s popularity as an idyllic winter tourism destination and earning it a reputation as ‘The Winter Golf Capital of the World.’

Water in Our Desert Destination: Looking Back / Planning Ahead
Presented by Desert Water Agency
For years as greater Palm Springs grew, water consumption outpaced availability from rain and snowmelt. As demand surpassed the natural supply, local water agencies conceived and implemented complex strategies for importing water. Careful management by Desert Water Agency and other water purveyors in the Coachella Valley protect the local aquifer while serving the community’s water needs and helping to make our tourist destination among California’s most drought-resilient places.

Come Swim With Me
Presented by Greg Hough
Just an average kid -- growing up in an isolated desert area populated by many Hollywood stars of the day; hear firsthand as this kid-at-heart shares his unusual encounters in Palm Springs during the 1950s and 60s. Learn about his unexpected experiences while “pool hopping” as he casually threw a "hotel pool towel” over his shoulder to gain admission to swimming pools at El Mirador, The Racquet Club, Tennis Club, The Biltmore, and other surprise locations.

The Green Desert (in-progress feature length documentary)
Director/Producer Leo Zahn will screen a 10-minute clip of his new documentary film "The Green Desert" - which focuses on agriculture in the Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley against the backdrop of water shortages and cutbacks from Colorado River water flow. The Preservation Matters Special Edition clip takes us from the 1934 ground-breaking of the All-American Canal to present-day large scale harvesting on family-owned farms near the Salton Sea.

Palm Springs Art Museum (PSAM): A Driver of Tourism & Community
Presented by Michael Hinkle
More than most art museums, PSAM’s history is deeply rooted in the desert's environmental surroundings – both natural and human-made. Learn how the Museum’s role over 85 years helped put Palm Springs on an international cultural tourism map. From its 1938 opening in La Plaza, to its current architectural landmark by E. Stewart Williams in 1976, and the PSAM Architecture and Design Center in 2014; all three locations play a meaningful and relevant role in the community.

Palm Springs Airport Terminal 1963-1966: Our Gateway to Modernity
Presented by Steven Keylon and Gary Wexler
Palm Springs International Airport consistently holds the honor as one of America’s favorite airports. Recently added to the National Register of Historic Places, the original design of the main terminal building by master architect Donald A. Wexler, FAIA and original landscape by David Hamilton, ASLA are the subject of this lecture. Learn why this very special airport is beloved by both travelers and residents.

The Economic Impact of Cultural and Architectural Tourism: A Lively Panel Discussion
Moderated by Mayor Pro-Tem Jeffrey Bernstein with panelists Lisa Vossler Smith, CEO of Modernism Week, and Michael Stern, author and owner of The Modern Tour.

PRESERVATION MATTERS Awards
Presented by Mayor Grace Garner and Mayor Pro-Tem Jeffrey Bernstein

5-6pm  Reception (separate registration required)

Limited tickets are available to the after-event reception, where attendees may mingle and meet with presenters and awardees. The reception is held in the Convention Center lobby outside the Primrose room where the symposium takes place. *Complimentary savory appetizers and a no-host bar.

Sponsored by ARG (Architectural Resources Group) and H3K Home+Design.

Special thanks to:

Debra & Richard Hovel, Jim Riche, Tobby Llora, David Newell,
Grace Home, and all our community organizations and presenters