78085 La Fonda (Avenida)
DPR 523A (09/2013) *Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Review Code Reviewer Date
Resource Name: Mary Mead Maddick Home #3
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Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI#: None
Trinomial #: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 6Z
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 481
*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building
*P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other
P5b. Description of Photo: 78085 Avenida
La Fonda_1: View facing south of the north (front)
elevation.
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Source
Historic: 1980; Desert Sun, 12 May 1984
Prehistoric
Both
*P7. Owner and Address:
Fortun Property
6513 132nd Avenue NE, No. 394,
Kirkland, WA 98033
*P8. Recorded by:
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
www.urbanapreservation.com
*P9. Date Recorded: June-July 2022
*P10. Survey Type:
Citywide Survey; Intensive Level
*P3a. Description: The 78085 Avenida La Fonda property is a two-story wood framed Mediterranean Revival commercial restaurant. The
building faces north from the south side of Avenida La Fonda. It features a rectangular shaped floorplan with a symmetrical front façade. The
building has a flat roof in the center of the building with a two shed roofs at the north and south, sloping down to the front and rear of the
building. The roof has little-to-no overhang and the shed roofs are clad in red clay tiles. The exterior walls of the building are clad in stucco.
The fenestration consists of multi-lite dual paned steel casement windows on the second floor, with steel framed fixed windows and French
doors on the first floor beneath a metal framed flat patio roof. The front entryway is recessed within a stucco clad segmental arch. The front
doors are wood framed French doors. Character defining features of Mediterranean Revival style buildings that can be seen on the subject
property include: the stucco clad exterior walls, arched entryway, and entry porch.
P1. Other Identifier: N/A
*P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted
*a. County: Riverside
*b. USGS 7.5' Quad: La Quinta Date: 2021 T ; R ; ¼ of ¼ of Sec ; B.M. __
c. Address: 78085 Avenida La Fonda City: La Quinta Zip: 92253
d. UTM Zone: 11S, 564696.74 mE / 3726494.53 mN
e. Other Locational Data: Desert Club TR Unit 4, Recorded October 31, 1946, MB 21/60
Neighborhood: The Village; APN: 770122003
*P11. Report Citation: Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC. La Quinta Citywide Historical Resources Survey and Context Statement,
2023.
*Attachments: None Location Map Continuation Sheet Building, Structure, and Object Record
Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art
Record Artifact Record Photograph Record Other:
DPR 523B (09/2013) *Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
Resource Name: Mary Mead Maddick Home #3
Page 2 of 5
(This space reserved for official comments.)
Primary#:
HRI#:
Trinomial #:
CRHR Status Code: 6Z
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 481
B1. Historic Name: Mary Mead Maddick Home #3
B2. Common Name: Fortun's Kitchen and Bar
B3. Original Use: Single-Family Dwelling B4. Present Use: Commercial
*B5. Architectural Style: Mediterranean Revival
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None Identified
*B12. References: Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC. La Quinta Citywide
Historical Resources Survey and Context Statement, 2023. See Continuation Sheet for
additional references.
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC |
www.urbanapreservation.com
*Date of Evaluation: December 2022
The Mary Mead-Maddick House / Robi Restaurant was not previously evaluated. The 78085 Avenida La Fonda property was constructed in 1980
as a residence for Mary Mead-Maddick, a prominent photographer for the Hollywood movie industry and later a celebrated advertising
photographer. At one time Maddick was noted as one of the top five photographers in the world. Born in 1901 in Wissahicken, PA, to Mary Ann
Hellings and Samuel C. Mead, Maddick moved to Los Angeles with her husband in 1928, and operated the Mead-Maddick photography studio
for over 40 years. Maddick worked with many well-known brands, such as Ivory Soap, Camel cigarettes, and MGM, and photographed many
noted celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner, Gary Cooper, and Rock Hudson. Maddick retired in 1979 and later ran the La Quinta
Art Center (Desert Sun, 30 Dec 1997; Palm Desert Post, 21 Jan 1983). This was Maddick’s second home in La Quinta. The building was also used
as the La Quinta Art Center and the La Quinta Chamber of Commerce, with the property originally separated into two buildings with a
courtyard and fountain between. In 1984, Maddick sold the property as a commercial space (Desert Sun, 12 May 1984). In 1989, the property
opened as Robi Restaurant, owned by BIll Woolson and Roland Mitlohner (Desert Sun, 11 Feb 1989). The building later became Fortun’s
Restaurant. See Continuation Sheet for significance and integrity conclusions.
*B6. Construction History: The subject property was constructed ca. 1980. The property was originally seperated into two buildings,
one used as a residence and the other as a commercial space, with the buildings sperated by a courtyard and fountain. In 1986, property
owner Mary Maddick obtained a permit for a Chamber of Commerce sign, with the work completed by Imperial Sign Co. (Permit No. 002509).
In 1988, property owners William Woolson and Roland Mitlohner obtained a permit to covert the existing building into a permitted food
establishment, Robi's Restaurant. The contractor and architect were Larry Weeks and Day Star Development (Permit No. 04402). In 2001,
property owner Fortune Properties LLC obtained a permit for general tenant improvements with the work completed by California
Infrastructure (Permit No. 0012-125). The same year, Fortune Properties LLC obtained a permit to install parking lot lights with the work
completed by Art Gautreau (Permit No. 0109-198). In 2002, Fortune Properties LLC obtained a permit to install conduit and wiring, with the
work completed by Cove Electric (Permit No. 0212-098). In 2008, property owner Kevin Forton obtained a permit for a property remodel with
the work completed by Ross Construction (Permit No. 08-1572). In 2008, property owner Desert Sage obtained a permit to construct an
addition, with the work completed by Ross Construction (Permit No. 08-1709). In 2015, property owner Fortune Prop/Kevin Fortune obtained
a permit to replace the rooftop package unit with the work completed by Aronolds AC Service (Permit No. 2015-0310). In 2016, property
owner Fortune Prop/Kevin Fortune obtained a permit for "Fortune's Kitchen and Bar" signage, to be installed by PD Group Signarama (Permit
No. 2016-0015). Available aerial photography indicated that the front porch was added in 2016, when the exterior of the restaurant was also
repainted. The original form of the property remains intact, but the interior has been altered over time following the conversion od the
residence into a restaurant in 1988.
*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date: N/A Original Location: N/A
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Not Identified b. Builder: Not Identified
*B10. Significance:
Theme: Commercial Development, 1934 – 1970s; Residential Development, 1934 – 1970s Area: City of La Quinta
Period of Significance: N/A Property Type: Residential Applicable Criteria: NRHP / CRHR / Local ineligible
DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
*Map Name: La Quinta *Scale: 1:24,000 *Map Date: 2021
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Primary#: None
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 6Z
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 481
Resource Name: Mary Mead Maddick Home #2
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DPR 523L (09/2013)
Primary Record Information Continued:
78085 Avenida La Fonda_2: View facing southeast of the north (front) and west elevations.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 6Z
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 481
Resource Name: Mary Mead-Maddick House #3
Page 4 of 5
DPR 523L (09/2013)
Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
B10. Statement of Significance Continued:
The building was built in the Mediterranean Revival style within the Desert Club TR Unit 4 tract, recorded in 1946, and is within the Village commercial
district. The Village was the first area of commercial development in La Quinta, constructed in tandem with the Cove and the Desert Club by Harry
Kiener, Guy Maltby, and S. Charles Lee. The first two buildings constructed in the Village were a Spanish Colonial Revival style administration building
for Harry Kiener at 77855 Avenida Montezuma (built in 1936) and a two-story Monterey style building directly to the east of Kiener’s building for Guy
Maltby and the La Quinta Building and Lumber Company (built in 1940). The first few commercial buildings constructed in the Village were built in
the Spanish Colonial Revival style, echoing the design standard established by the La Quinta Hotel in 1926. However, no singular architectural style
was planned for the commercial tract. Buildings also adopted related styles, such as the Mediterranean Revival, Mission, and Monterey styles. It took
decades for the Cove and Village to fully develop. Only after the golf resort industry began to rapidly expand in the 1980s, did the Cove become a
viable affordable community, and the Village a steadily growing commercial district. The Village commercial district is significant to the commercial
development history of the city.
The subject property is not significant under the theme of Residential Development (1934-1970s) or the theme of Commercial Development (1934-
1970s) as it was constructed in 1980, outside the identified periods of significance. The residence does not possess individual documented significance.
The property is assigned a 6Z status code: Found ineligible for NRHP, CRHR or Local Register through survey evaluation. The dwelling is considered
NRHP / CRHR / Local Register ineligible due to the 1980 construction date and the significant exterior alterations to elevations facing the public right-
of-way. While the property is associated with noted photographer Mary Mead Maddick, there are other properties that have stronger associations
with Maddick's life and work.
The building is not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR/Local Criterion A/1/B, as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of
events in local, regional, state, or national history; not individually eligible under Criterion B/2/B, because there are other intact historic period
properties associated with Maddick in La Quinta; not individually eligible under Criterion C/3/C, as it does not embody the distinctive characteristics
of a type, period, or method of construction; and not individually eligible under Criterion D/4/D, as further study of the building would not appear to
yield information which could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history. Additionally, the property is not individually eligible
under Local Register Criterion A, as it was not found to exemplify a special element of the City of La Quinta. As the building has been substantially
altered, it no longer maintains integrity from the historic period.
B10. References Continued:
Riverside County Assessor Records; City of La Quinta Building Permit Records; La Quinta Historical Society Research Collection; Coachella Valley
Telephone Directories (1946-1957); California Digital Newspaper Collection, University of California Riverside; Digital Newspaper Collection,
Genealogybank.com; Digital Newspaper Collection, Newspapers.com; Digital Collection, Ancestry.com; Online Historic Aerial Photographs, Historic
Aerials.com; University California Santa Barbara Online Historic Aerial Collection; U.S. Department of the Interior Earth Explorer Historic Aerial
Collection; La Quinta Design and Development Department, City of La Quinta Historic Context Statement, 2011; and La Quinta Historical Society,
Images of America: La Quinta, 2020.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 6Z
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 481
Resource Name: Mary Mead-Maddick House #3
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