March 19, 2008; Denys Acury
The Rancho Dos Palmas Headquarters Compound has been recommended as a Riverside County Historical Landmark by the Director of the Count's Parks Department.
The site, southeast of the community of North Shore, is an early example of a Coachella Valley resort. Estimated to date to about 1927, the adobe headquarters building was part of a resort compound with several guest cabins. While those guest cabins are now gone, they were at once time host to a number of celebrities.
In addition, many significant desert school painters lived and worked there over the years, including John Hilton, Norman Yeckley, Carl Eyter and Barry Atwater.
General George Patton is also said to have used the house for staff meetings, since it was near the Desert Training Center.
The Board will consider the designation at its Tuesday morning (March 18) meeting.