Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn did not start out as a hotel.
It was designed for William and Nella Mead by architect William J. Dodd in 1924. During the construction process a controversy erupted among villagers that were concerned about the size and scope of the home. Construction was completed in the spring of 1925, quieting much of the alarm.
William Mead was a successful banker, real estate developer, and member of the board of Los Angeles Water Commissioners. After Mead’s death in 1927, his widow made occasional visits to the home but decided to sell in 1929.
Samuel Untermyer purchased the property in 1930. At that time, Untermyer was the highest paid attorney in the world. He spent his winters at the Willows and had a nonstop parade of visitors, including national and international dignitaries like the New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker and Professor Albert Einstein and his wife, Elsa. Untermyer died on March 16, 1940.
In the mid-1950s, local legend has it that Marion Davies, silent screen star and former mistress to newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, became the long-term guest of Untermyer’s son, Alvin, at the Willows. She eventually purchased the adjoining hotel, The Desert Inn.
When her plans to build a hotel and shopping center fell through, the value of the surrounding properties including the Willows and the O’Donnell House nosedived. The home was sold in 1964 and all of the priceless contents were auctioned off. That was the beginning of the decline of the historic property.
In 1994, Tracy Conrad and Paul Marut lovingly restored The Willows to its stately magnificence. Today the Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn has earned a four-diamond rating by the Automobile Club of America.
There is a multitude of ways to Explore Palm Springs, which turned 75 in 2013. One of the more intriguing methods is by exploring Palm Springs 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.