La Plaza, designed by architect Harry Williams and commissioned by Julia Carnell from Dayton, Ohio was completed in 1936.
The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture featured wood buildings covered with stucco, red clay tile roofs, and shuttered casement windows. La Plaza covers three and one-half acres and was built to include a restaurant, nightclub, market, bakery, drug store, theatre, shops, and a gas station.
The hotel included both bungalows on the ground and penthouses on the second floor. There were 21 studio apartments and eight penthouses which could be rented by the day, week, month or season.
A 2-3 bedroom/2 bath furnished penthouse cost $15 per day, $60 per week, $150 a month and $1,000 a season. The hotel operated on the American plan, which included dining, laundry, and maid service. La Plaza was one of the first multi-use shopping centers in Southern California.
There is a multitude of ways to learn more about Palm Springs, which turned 75 in 2013.
One of the more intriguing methods is by exploring the city’s history.
The Palm Springs Historical Society will share a weekly story whose time and place corresponds with today.
The Palm Springs Historical Society is located at 221 S. Palm Canyon Drive. Visit www.pshistoricalsociety.org for more information.
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