LOST ARCHITECTURE

Although the 2002 demolition of the Maslon House by Richard Neutra made national headlines, the destruction of midcentury homes in Rancho Mirage began in earnest in the 1980s and 1990s, when bigger was better; when midcentury ‘ desert’ modern architecture was not appreciated or recognized for what it was: the archetypal design style.  This era did much to harm the architectural legacy of Rancho Mirage in both quantity and quality.  But we continue to lose homes to aggressive remodeling as well as demolition.  The most recent high-profile demolition was the Hyatt von Dehn mansion in Thunderbird Heights in 2020, while other midcentury homes, particularly in private, gated communities, are under threat by new owners who value size and sleekness over quintessential midcentury architecture.