Racquet Club Estates
Palm Springs is said to have the highest concentration of mid-century modern architecture in America. Racquet Club Estates, a Palm Springs Historic District, is a treasure trove of 500-plus single-family homes designed by architects William Krisel, Jack Meiselman and Donald Wexler. The Racquet Club, built in 1934 by actors Charlie Farrell and Ralph Bellamy, was a resort where A-list Hollywood celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe came to enjoy the privacy Palm Springs offered. Racquet Club Estates was originally built as second or vacation homes – many owned by celebrities as “getaway pads” – on expansive lots mainly by the Alexander Construction Company between 1959 and 1962. It was the first mass produced housing track in Palm Springs with only five models; it was their placement on the lots that created different looks.
Palm Springs, Riverside County
Photographer: John Bare