The story of what would become the Willows Historic Inn and the adjoining Bishop House in Palm Springs began when Roland Bishop, who company would merge with what would become Nabisco Company, and his wife and their close friends, Los Angeles developer William and Nella Mead, came to stay as winter guests at The Desert Inn.
Bishop was very wealthy; he owned a 30,000 square foot Georgian pile in Holmby Hills. Known as the “Candy King” for owning the largest confectionary and baked goods company on the west coast, he merged his firm in 1930 with the National Biscuit Co., known today as Nabisco. Mead was also a multi-millionaire from Los Angeles and owned an extended estate in Silver Lake.
They fell in love with the warmth of the desert and the small village atmosphere of Palm Springs. When the couples returned to the desert, they purchased adjacent properties that were nestled at the foot of Mt. San Jacinto behind The Desert Inn.
The Desert Inn sat on 16 acres beginning at the northwestern corner of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Palm Canyon Drive. Both of the couples commissioned William J. Dodd, one of Southern California’s most prominent and talented architects, to design homes on these neighboring properties. Dodd was the architect of the Hearst Examiner Building in Los Angeles.
In November of 1924, Dodd presented his blue prints and was given the go-ahead to begin construction on the two villas which were similar but also uniquely different. In the fall and winter of 1925, during the construction process, controversy erupted among villagers as blasting of the rocks shook the surrounding hotels and shops in the downtown area.
Many villagers were concerned that the size and the scope of the homes would overwhelm the village. Construction was completed in the spring of 1925, quieting much of the alarm.
The Meads immediately began entertaining guests who came from far off to enjoy the sunshine and the unobstructed views of the desert from the terraced gardens that scaled the adjoining rocky hillside. The modest, understated luxury of Dodd’s designs complimented but did not overwhelm the spectacular natural surroundings.
The Bishop and Mead Houses were originally connected by stone paths when they were completed. Through the following decades they were variously separated, and the connecting pathways obstructed. In 2019, after an extensive restoration project, the homes were reunited and opened as an exclusive bed and breakfast.
There is a multitude of ways to learn more about Palm Springs, which turned 82 in 2020. One of the more intriguing methods is by exploring the city’s history.
The Palm Springs Historical Society will share a story whose time and place corresponds with today. The Palm Springs Historical Society is located at 221 S. Palm Canyon Drive.
For more information, visit pshistoricalsociety.org.
— Tracy Conrad contributed to this story.
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