78045 Cadiz (Calle)
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 #1 / Cunard's
Page 1 of 6
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI#: None
Trinomial #: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 304
*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: 78045 Calle
Cadiz_1: View south of the original main residence.
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Source
Historic: 1948; Desert Sun, February 11, 1989
Prehistoric
Both
*P7. Owner and Address:
Old Town Artisan Studio
78046 Calle Barcelona,
La Quinta, CA 92253
*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 78045 Calle Cadiz residence was designed by Cliff May for Mary Mead Maddick in 1948. The residence, as
described in 1973, included three buildings: a house, guest house, and studio (Desert Sun, 23 Feb 1973). The residence was constructed in a
Custom Ranch style. Several of the buildings on the property have since been combined, resulting in various masses. The original residence is
located at the west side of the property, with a "Y" shaped plan. The building features front-gabled roofs at various heights, clad in grey
composite shingles. The building exterior is clad in a mix of board-and-batten siding and painted brick. A second story unit was constructed
over a portion of the building. The building featured several wide chimneys. The building features many large windows at each elevation.
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 Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted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: 78045 Calle Cadiz City: La Quinta Zip: 92253
d. UTM Zone: 11S, 564612 mE / 3726727.08 mN
e. Other Locational Data: N/A
Neighborhood: The Village; APN: 770153004
*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 #1 / Cunard's
Page 2 of 6
(This space reserved for official comments.)
Primary#:
HRI#:
Trinomial #:
CRHR Status Code: 5S2
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 304
B1. Historic Name: Mary Mead Maddick Home #1
B2. Common Name: Cunard's / Dolly Cunard's
B3. Original Use: Single-Family Dwelling B4. Present Use: Commercial
*B5. Architectural Style: Custom Ranch
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 #1 / Cunard’s, at 78045 Calle Cadiz, was not previously evaluated. The residence was constructed by master
architect Cliff May. Cliff May was noted for his Southern California homes that made use of the warm California climate. May began designing
homes in San Diego and Los Angeles in the early 1930s. During his career, May designed homes throughout Southern California. Homes
constructed by May often incorporated the outdoors through floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors. May was considered the father of the
California ranch-style house, combining elements of western ranch houses, Hispanic hacienda styles, and modernism. His homes were noted
for their family-oriented designs and livability. The subject property was designed by May in 1948. Originally a one-story Custom Ranch style
residence with a separate studio space, the residence featured a sweeping facade with large expanses of windows and French doors. The
residence was constructed with a wide "V" floorplan on a large lot, making use of the undeveloped desert landscape that would have
surrounded the property at the time of construction. See Continuation Sheet for significance and integrity conclusions.
*B6. Construction History: The subject property was constructed in 1948, designed by architect Cliff May. The residence is first seen in
historic aerials from 1959. This aerials shows the residence with an "L" shaped form, located on the south side of Calle Cadiz. The aerial shows
the residence with a narrow building wing at the south elevation. There is a second building shown, located south of the main residence. The
surrounding area was sparcely developed. In 1967, property owner Mary Maddick obtained a permit to remodel a guest room at the residence
(Palm Desert Post, 27 April 1967). The same year, Tamis Maddick applied for a permit for the addition of a room to the residence (Palm Desert
Post, 30 November 1967). In 1969, Tamis Maddick obtained a permit to add a second story to the residence (Palm Desert Post, 29 May 1969).
Historic aerial images from 1972 and 1978 show an addition to the residence at the west elevation.
In 1986, as part of the conversion of the residence to a resturaunt, property owner Robert Cunard submitted a site plan and project
decriptions for the construction to be done (PM 1987-040). The project included merging Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 19, 11, and 12 of Block 4 of Desert
Club Tract No. 1. The work included the conversion of Building "A", to a dinner house restaurant with a 70 person seating capacity; the
construction of a 390-sq. ft. addition to Building "A" for use as a kitchen area; the conversion of Building "H" to administrative offices; the use
of the existing 250-sq. ft. bar within Building "B" as an accessory use to the restaurant; and the use of Buildings C, D, E, F, and partial B used
for storage. In 2005, property owner La Quinta Office Park LLC, obtained a commercial remodel permit, with the work completed by C & G
Construction Company (Permit No. 05-00002116). The property underwent renovations in 2016, as it converted to use as as the Old Town
Artisan Studios (Desert Sun, 25 Nov 2016).
*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date: N/A Original Location: N/A
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Cliff May b. Builder: Not Identified
*B10. Significance:
Theme: Residential Development, 1934 – 1970s Area: City of La Quinta
Period of Significance: 1948 - 1970s Property Type: Commercial Applicable Criteria: Local eligible (A and B)
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: 5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 304 Resource Name: : Mary Mead Maddick Home #1 / Cunard'
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DPR 523L (09/2013)
Primary Record Information Continued:
78045 Calle Cadiz_2: View southwest of the original studio building with patial view of the two-story apartment.
78045 Calle Cadiz_3: View north of the original studio building.
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: 5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 304
Resource Name: Mary Mead Maddick Home #1 / Cunard's
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DPR 523L (09/2013)
Primary Record Information Continued:
78045 Calle Cadiz_4: View southeast of the original main residence.
Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
B10. Statement of Significance Continued:
The home was built 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, Tamis Maddick, 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 would
go on to run the La Quinta Art Center (Desert Sun, 30 Dec 1997; Palm Desert Post, 21 Jan 1983).
The subject property was Maddick’s first home in La Quinta, designed and constructed by Master Builder Cliff May, originally used as a vacation
home for the Maddick family. The Calle Cadiz property hosted many of Maddick's business clients, models and magazine art directors from all over
the world. The family moved to the La Quinta property permanently in 1965 after Mary and Tamis retired from their Los Angeles studio. The
family's home took on the name, "The Homestead." After moving to the home full time, Mary began making alterations to the home, including
purchasing the adjoining property, constructing additions to the home, adding a pool, and constructing a separate photography studio. Mary
resumed photography work, operating out of the photography studio on the property with her daughter Kiki Mead-Maddick Haynes working as her
assistant. Tamis Maddick, Mary's husband, lived at the property with her until his death in 1969 (Palm Desert Post, 20 November 1969). Mary Mead
Maddick owned the property until 1975 (OTAS Property Brief History; Palm Desert Post, 01 March 1973).
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: 5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 304
Resource Name: Mary Mead Maddick Home #1 / Cunard's
Page 5 of 6
DPR 523L (09/2013)
In 1975, Robert and Dolly Cunard purchased the residence from Maddick (OTAS Property Brief History; Desert Sun, 27 Jan 1977). In 1986, Robert
Cunard submitted a request to change the zoning of the building from residential to commercial. Cunard planned to open a 70-seat restaurant within
the building. The restaurant, which opened in 1987, was called Cunard's (Desert Sun, 08 Oct 1986). In 1997, the ownership and name of the restaurant
changed, becoming Patricia at Cunard's and owned by Patricia Hook, a notable chef in the Coachella Valley (Desert Sun, 02 May 1997). In 2001, while
still owned by Hook, the name changed to the La Quinta Grill (Desert Sun, 19 Oct 2001). In 2005, the restaurant gained a new owner and name,
becoming the La Quinta Cafe, owned by chef Ulrich Ludwig (Desert Sun, 09 March 2005). The restaurant became known as The Homestead, closing
ca. 2014 and remaining vacant for several years. In 2016, the Old Town Artisan Studio, a non-profit focused on art education, gained ownership of the
property (Desert Sun, 25 Nov 2016).
The building was built in the Village commercial district in 1948 as a residence for Mary Mead Maddick. 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.
While the property is located within the Village commercial district, it is not associated with the theme of Commercial Development (1934-1970s), as
it was not converted to a commercial space until 1989, outside the period of significance. The subject property is associated with the theme of
Residential Development (1934-1970s) as it was constructed by notable architect Cliff May in 1948. However, the property does not retain individual
documented significance related to this theme because the property has been significantly altered since construction and no longer retains integrity
of the historic period. As such, it is not individually eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or California Register of Historical Resources.
The property is considered locally significant as a special element of La Quinta, a Custom Ranch style home constructed by Cliff May with residential
and commercial uses over time, and a property associated with Mary Mead-Maddick an influential local figure. The building is assigned a 5S2 status
code: Individually eligible for local listing or designation.
The property is individually eligible under Local Register Criterion A, as it has been found to exemplify a special element of the City of La Quinta as a
residential property constructed by master architect Cliff May within the Village commercial district. The building is individually eligible under Local
Criterion B for its association with Mary Mead-Maddick, a nationally renowned photographer, artist, and local resident. The building is not individually
eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion A/1, as it has not been associated with significant events or patterns of events in regional, state, or national
history; not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2 because there are other properties with higher integrity associated with Maddick;
not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR/Local Criterion C/3/C, as the dwelling no longer retains a sufficient level of integrity to convey significance;
and not individually eligible under NRHP/CRHR/Local Criterion D/4/D, as further study of the dwelling would not appear to yield information which
could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history. The building has been substantially altered and no longer maintains its
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: 5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 304
Resource Name: Mary Mead Maddick Home #1 / Cunard's
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