1 Urbana_La Quinta Histori (1)City of La Quinta
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
Prepared For
Prepared By
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
Draft March 2023
(844) 872-2623
City of La Quinta
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
Cover Photo Credit
La Quinta Resort and Club, February 1959.
(Maynard L. Parker, photographer. Courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p 15150co115/id/6206)
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City of La Quinta
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 1
Introduction 3
Report Organization 3
Methods 4
Desk and Field Survey 5
Research 5
Context Preparation 7
Documentation and Reporting 7
Stakeholder Involvement 8
La Quinta Planning Commission 8
La Quinta Design and Development Department 8
La Quinta Historical Society 9
Project Personnel 10
Regulatory Framework 11
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) & Historic Properties 11
NRHP Criteria Considerations 12
NRHP Aspects of Integrity 12
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) & Historical Resources 13
CRHR Aspects of Integrity 14
CRHR of Historical Resources Special Considerations 15
City of La Quinta Historic Resources, Historic Landmarks and Historic Districts 16
Significance Thresholds and Integrity Considerations 16
Historic Context Statement 17
Theme 1: The Coachella Valley in the Spanish and Mexican Eras, 1774 - 1848 19
Theme 2: Railroad Development and Homesteads, 1848 - 1920 21
Railroad Construction and the Bradshaw Trail 21
Native American Reservations and Early Homesteads 23
Land Grants and Homesteads 24
Homesteaders' Houses 26
Theme 3: Ranching and Agriculture, 1900 - 1970s 29
Early Homesteads and Ranches in La Quinta 30
Date & Citrus Agriculture 34
Truck Crops 35
Coachella Canal 35
Theme 4: Recreation and Leisure, 1926 - 1970s 38
The La Quinta Hotel (La Quinta Resort & Club) 38
The Desert Club 46
The La Quinta Country Club 49
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City of La Quinta
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
The Indian Springs Golf Club 52
Other Private Recreational Properties 53
Theme 5: Residential Development, 1934 - 1970s 54
The Cove 54
Desert Club Tracts 58
Post -WWII Subdivisions: Highland Palms and Indian Springs 58
Theme 6: Commercial Development, 1934 - 1970s 61
The Village Commercial District 61
Commercial Development Outside the Village 64
Civic and Institutional Development 64
Theme 7: La Quinta Architectural Styles, 1900s-1970s 66
Known Architects and Builders in La Quinta 100
Historic Resource Survey Results 106
Updates to Previously Recorded Properties 109
Newly Identified Properties 109
Properties Eligible for the NRHP and CRHR 116
Properties Eligible for the CRHR and Local Register 118
Historic Districts 120
NRHP, CRHR, and Local Register Ineligible Properties 121
Demolished Properties 121
Recommendations for Future Action 122
Bibliography 124
Works Cited / Endnotes 131
Appendices
Appendix A. Historic Era Maps
Appendix B. Additional Context Information
Appendix C. Survey Tables
Appendix D. DPR Forms
Appendix E. Historic Districts
Appendix F. Preparer Qualifications
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City ofboQuintn
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
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U�/ �}/ Figures
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Figure l.City cfLoQuinhzBoundary - Survey Area 2
Figure 2.LoQuinto'Coachella Valley, Looking Southwest, l956 6
Figure 3.Headquarters ufthe baQuintoHistorical Society, historically constructed for use osthe Palm
Springs Land Irrigation sales office, developers ofthe Cove. Y
Figure 4.Drawing ofJuan Bautista de/\nza on horseback lY
Figure 5.The Bradshaw Trail. 21
Figure 6. Toro vicinity well, Indian Wells. 23
Figure 7.Original Gates to Marshall Ranch House 32
Figure 8.Waste Way No. l'June lY46'Coachella Branch Canal 36
Figure Y.Lake CohuiUaReservoir Under Construction lY6Y 37
Figure lO.LaQuintoHotel, ca. lY27 39
Figure ll.Cyrus Peirce Caricature Drawing. (Men Who Made San Francisco. 40
Figure l2.Lee Eleanor Graham residence, Casa Mogno|io'l932. 41
Figure 13. La C)uinto Hotel Plot Plan, 1933 42
Figure l4.Ginger Rogers and Jacques Bergerac honeymooning inLoQuinto. 44
Figure 15. Desert Club Building, S. Charles Lee' 1937. 48
Figure 16. Desert Club, 1956. 49
Figure l7.President Eisenhower atLaQuintaCountry Club Dedication Ceremony, 1959. 51
Figure 18. LaQuinta Rentals office, ca. l935. 56
Figure 19. 1975 aerial photo showing development in the northern part of the Cove 59
Figure 2O.Undated image ofthe LaQuinta Milling and Lumber Company 62
Figure 21. House of {}'Bhen's Gift and Dote Shop La Quinta' ca. 1947. 63
Figure 22.5l65OAvenida Bermudas. 68
Figure 23.78O85Avenida LoFonda (Mary Mead-MaddiokHouse #3). 68
Figune24. Figuro24. Mission Inn, Riverside, California 70
Figure 25.5lUOl Eisenhower Drive. 72
Figure 26. Casa Magnolia (La Quinta Resort and Club). 72
Figure 27.77895Avenida Montezuma (La Quinta Milling and Lumber Company office). 74
Figure 28.77535Ca||eChihuahua. 76
Figure 29.7866DAvenida LoFonda. 76
Figure 3O.The Desert Club, ca. 1937 (demolished). 78
Figure 3l.4928OAvenida Fernando. 80
Figure 32.4884lAvenida Fernando. 80
Figure 33.52569Avenida Vallejo. 82
Figure 34.7839OSinging Palms Drive. 86
Figure 35.799O5Westward HoDrive 86
Figure 36.5l453Avenida Martinez. 88
Figure 37. 79179 Ahmanson Lane (Rancho Xochimilco) in the SilverRock Resort 88
Figure 38.488OOAvenida Fernando (Mary Mood'MaddickHouse #2> 91
Figure 39.5l489Avenida Martinez. 91
Figure 4O.5l37lAvenida Martinez. 93
Figure 41. 48855 Avenida Anse|rno 93
Figure 42.49295Avenida Fernando. 95
Figure43. 7345 Rem|eyP|oce' La Jolla, San Diego, California 97
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Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
Figure 44. Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, California. 99
Figure 45. City of La Quinta Neighborhoods. 107
Figure 46. Historic -Era Neighborhoods 108
Figure 47. Previously Recorded Significant Properties. 110
Figure 48. Newly Identified Significant Properties. 114
List of Tables
Table 1. Previously Recorded Significant Properties - Individually Eligible for the NRHP, CRHR, and
Local Register. 1 1 1
Table 2. Newly Identified Significant Properties - Individually Eligible for the NRHP, CRHR, and Local
Register 115
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City of La Quinta
Historic Resource Survey and Context Statement
Executive Summary
The primary purpose of this historic resource survey and context statement is to evaluate
the significance and integrity of historic -era properties in the City of La Quinta under the
criteria of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical
Resources (CRHR), and the La Quinta Historic Resources Inventory (Local Register), and to
establish parameters via the historic context statement for future identification and
evaluation of potential historic resources not yet surveyed.
In 1996-1997, the city commissioned preparation of an intensive -level citywide survey of
buildings and structures over 45 years of age (historic -era). The 1996-1997 survey
documented and evaluated 72 properties for significance including identification of the
Cove as a thematic historic district. A second citywide survey was completed in 2006 to
evaluate additional sites that had reached the 45-year threshold between 1997 and 2006.
The 2006 survey evaluated 183 buildings that retained good or fair historic integrity. In 2012,
the results of the previous surveys were compiled into a citywide historic resources survey
report with a draft historic context statement prepared in 2011 by the City of La Quinta.
In 2022, Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC (Urbana) was commissioned by the city to
update and expand the 2011 draft historic context statement and the citywide historic
resources survey. Urbana's methods and findings are presented in this report. The current
citywide survey identified 489 historic -era properties within the city boundaries. See Figure 1
for a map of the survey area. Urbana staff documented and evaluated 363 sites at an
intensive level on Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) 523 series forms. Of these 363
evaluated properties, 103 are opined significant and eligible for designation and listing on
the Local Register, CRHR, or NRHP, either individually or as contributors to a local historic
district. 259 documented and evaluated properties were identified as not significant and
ineligible for listing on the Local Register, CRHR, or NRHP. One property, previously
evaluated eligible, could not be thoroughly re-evaluated due to lack of visibility and
access. This property is recommended for follow-up with access permissions.
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