Desert artist Carl Bray's historic home and gallery threatened

Simlar to recent efforts to demolish the Rancho Dos Palmas home of John W. Hilton, another desert artist's historic home and gallery is in peril

by Daniel Rohlfing
Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery Newsletter


Carl Glen Bray.


Carl Glen Bray came to the California desert during the depression. In classes sponsored by the WPA, he studied painting with Maynard Dixon and Russell Swan. He became a popular lecturer for college classes, television shows and art groups. In 1956, he settled a home and art gallery in Indian Wells and had developed a close friendship with artist/engraver Fred Chisnall. Fred Chisnall was an artist credited by John W. Hilton as his most demanding and most effective art teacher.

Adele Ruxton of the Indian Wells Historic Preservation Foundation wrote the Indian Wells City Council about the matter in a January 7 letter. Here is the text of that letter.

Re: Carl Bray House and Gallery -- Please let it be noted that the Indian Wells Historic Preservation Foundation, at its regular meeting on January 6, 2009, approved a motion to request that the City of Indian Wells maintain a 90 day moratorium on the possible demolition of the Carl Bray House and Gallery. It was only on the morning of the meeting that the board learned of the fact that the city had purchased the house from the seller. It had always been the hope that whoever owned the property would work with the IWHPF to help preserve an important and historic site within the city limits.

At this point in time we want only to hear of the city’s intentions and to ask that at some point “our side” can be presented for review. In the event that the buildings must come down, we will need the time to photograph, describe, register, etc. so that the site may become one to be recognized with some kind of distinctive marker. And we would like to see that the Carl Bray Gallery sign be a part of the Indian Wells archives.

Do bear in mind that the Bray house and gallery are one of a kind and havebeen a travel stop for thousands of tourists over the years. To remove the landmark might be detrimental to the integrity of the city and the hope to preserve its legacy.

We ask of you again to honor our request for a moratorium.

Ann Japenga contributed to this story

Desert Sunset on Mountains by Carl Glen Bray

Dos Palmas Preserve fire 90 percent contained

The Desert Sun wire service








A fire that scorched 261 acres southeast of Mecca was 90 percent contained this morning, and the flames could be completely out by the end of the day, "if the weather cooperates," a fire official said.

Fire authorities said yesterday that the so-called Dos Palmas fire -- which broke out Sunday evening -- had charred more than 300 acres, but the figure was revised after a review of the fire area, said Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department.

A firefighter treated for minor heat-related injuries is the fire's only casualty, said Hagemann.

She said 212 firefighters were battling the flames on the ground today. No air crews were assigned to the blaze, Hagemann said.





A BLM employee indicated the fire affected most of the area in red. The preserve proper is shown in green and was mostly untouched by the wildfire.
Map and photo by RonsLog





The fire started just before 6:30 p.m. Sunday near Parkside Drive in the Dos Palmas Reserve, Capt. Fernando Herrera of the Riverside County Fire Department said earlier.

Salt brush, bamboo, tamarisk and mesquite trees were scorched by the flames.

"Full control (could come) sometime this evening if the weather cooperates," Hagemann said. Winds in the area are expected to "calm down today, which is good," she said.

Rancho Dos Palmas Gets Historical Designation

Roy Wilson, District 4 Supervisor
Riverside County Board of Supervisors
News Release

The Riverside County Historical Commission voted to designate Rancho Dos Palmas a Historical Site at their meeting on Jan. 17. Dos Palmas, a favorite hangout decades ago for artists, rock hounds and celebrities, is located in the desert just east of North Shore.

An old adobe building is the chief man-made feature on the site, currently owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM has been considering razing the site because of seismic and subsidence issues.

The site also contains other cultural, recreational and habitat resources.

The next step toward historical designation would be a decision by the Board of Supervisors at a future board meeting in Riverside.

“I am now moving forward with the application process for the National Register,” says Dos Palmas champion Jenny Kelly, who is also founder of the East Valley Historical Society and is a member of the North Shore Community Council. “I don’t know what's involved in gaining approval for the National Register, but I have every confidence we meet all the criteria for that designation.”

The East Valley Historical Society is also examining the potential of Hilton's Art & Gem Shop, across Highway 86 from the old Valerie Jean date shop.

“The owner's have requested a written lease proposal for the property. They are leaning towards demolition if we don't come up with a financial arrangement,” Kelly says. “Unfortunately, our fledgling East Valley Historical Society is not in a financial position to lease the property. I’m open to ideas and suggestions.”

The Riverside County Historical Commission is charged with discovering and identifying persons, events and places of historical significance in Riverside County and advises the Board of Supervisors in historical matters. The Commission consists of eleven members, appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

The Historical Commission generally meets at 1:30 p.m. the third Thursday of January, March, May, July, September and November. The agenda gives the meeting location. Occasionally the meeting date will change. The agenda will reflect the new date.

Park District staff provide support to the Historical Commission and can be reached at (951) 955-4306 or (951) 955-4310 or by email at lnorris@co.riverside.ca.us. Mailing address is: Riverside County Historical Commission Riverside County Park District, 4600 Crestmore Road Riverside, CA 92509.

More East Valley Historical Commission info is available in the Oct. 12 story.

Dos Palmas escapes wrecking crew

Bureau of Land Management to reassess property

The Desert Sun


Demolition of the 1920s ranch house at Dos Palmas Oasis has been postponed indefinitely, Friends of Dos Palmas announced on Wednesday.

"A bright new day has dawned for Dos Palmas!" said Jennie Kelly, chair of the North Shore Community Council and a Friend of Dos Palmas, in a prepared statement.

Her enthusiasm came in response to a public meeting with John Kalish of the Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday.

The agency agreed to reassess the adobe this fall using guidelines from Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

As reported by The Desert Sun last month, the federal Bureau of Land Management had plans to demolish Rancho Dos Palmas if its supporters could not prove its structural soundness or historical significance.

The Friends of Dos Palmas recently acquired photos of the home from the 1930s and 1940s, which they say provide "photographic proof that will support preservation and quite possibly facilitate listing (the adobe) on the National Register of Historic Places."

In the future, the group would like to host "cultural heritage events at the ranch," which may include historical reenactments and an art show.

For now, they are grateful to those who have helped support their efforts to spread the word and save their beloved ranch house.

The group sees the BLM's decision to reassess the property as "the first of many steps to preservation."

Dispute over desert house could pit nature against art

Rodrigo Peña / The Press-Enterprise
Jennie Kelly, 57, of North Shore, shows a branding iron with the initials d-p inside the adobe building that she wants to preserve.


By STEVE MOORE
The Press-Enterprise

NORTH SHORE - The old adobe building near the oases ringed with shaggy palms welcomed Hollywood, hosted Gen. George Patton and inspired a desert landscape painter.

But if a federal agency prevails, the ranch house where John William Hilton created his masterpieces could be demolished.

The Bureau of Land Management says surveys show that Rancho Dos Palmas -- with its many additions -- lacks historical significance.

A preservationist group disagrees.

"To wipe out all that history ... my jaw just dropped," said Jennie Kelly, a spokeswoman for Friends of Dos Palmas.

"An awful lot of people want to see the ranch house saved.

"It carries a special place in our hearts."

The dispute is playing out on a huge nature preserve near the Salton Sea.

Now, in a twist of fate, Hilton's landscape scenes could help save the beloved building, Kelly said.
Friends of Dos Palmas members said the artist's growing renown could get the ranch house listed on the federal government's National Register of Historic Places.

Panoramic View

Hilton lived and painted at Rancho Dos Palmas between 1938 and 1942. He observed the desert while painting from a rooftop sundeck over the ranch house. The artist captured the landscape's solitary beauty by using a knife instead of a brush and adding beeswax to oil paints.

When he wasn't carving out a canvas masterpiece, Hilton acted as a desert guide for Patton, whose nickname was "Old Blood and Guts."

They scouted out locations for tank training maneuvers carried out at Camp Young during World War II, according to a promotional biography written by Arizona art gallery owner Gary Fillmore.

Hilton, who died in 1983, belonged to a fraternity of about 15 Southern California desert artists active during the 1920s through 1940s, according to Fillmore, owner of the Blue Coyote Gallery.

Today, artists who painted the Southern California desert find their works undervalued compared with the rest of the market, Fillmore said.

A 16 inch by 20 inch desert scene by Hilton fetches about $4,000 to $6,000 and some of his top works command $10,000 to $15,000, experts said.

But over the next decades, Hilton and other desert painters will gain stature and their works will cost more in galleries, Fillmore said.

"He was a great artist, who as time goes on, will be much appreciated," Fillmore said.
Hilton's work will join that of other desert painters at a Sept. 15 exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Talking It Out

Meanwhile, negotiations continue between Friends of Dos Palmas and the Bureau of Land Management.

"There's no threat of us doing anything to those structures until we work through this process, " said John Kalish, field manager for the agency's office in North Palm Springs. "We've made that commitment."

The aging ranch house may be charming, but the bureau's primary role at the almost 15,000-acre Dos Palmas Preserve involves running a wildlife refuge and restoring habitat for threatened and endangered species, he said.

They include the grouse-sized, endangered Yuma clapper rail, which delights bird watchers with its distinctive "kek kek kek" call at daybreak or sunset. Another is the adaptable desert pupfish, which can survive in an environment almost twice as salty as the ocean or in fresh water.

Because the preserve's main job is to manage and restore wildlife habitat, there's no federal money available for restoring the ranch house, Kalish said.

Long History

For about 80 years, Rancho Dos Palmas has kept a quiet vigil in the midst of nature.
The house features a step-down great room highlighted by a rock fireplace, plank ceiling and an array of artifacts, including a saddle on a wooden table, a branding iron on a window ledge, mounted long horns and a bobcat pelt splayed over the fireplace mantle.

On the wall, there's a cattle brand registration for Rancho Dos Palmas dated 1938.

Nearby, actor Raymond Massey's framed, handwritten letter hangs on the wall -- mailed from Beverly Hills and thanking his hosts for the fresh dates during his last visit.

For now, the ranch house about 13 miles southeast of Mecca can't entertain nature-loving tourists, the federal agency said.

A caretaker lived in the house until his death in December.

Rancho Dos Palmas doesn't meet current building codes, needs major, costly repairs and could be unsafe in an earthquake. Water piped into the house isn't safe for consumption, Kalish said.

The ranch house and a nearby bunkhouse, along with a shop building, won't be removed until at least December, according to agency officials. The marshland beneath would be restored and become a wildlife spot. The ranch house and a bunkhouse occupy about 8 acres.

Today, crews continue working nearby on a new, 4,000-square-foot shop for storing heavy equipment. The facility stores bulldozers and other equipment used to handle Tamarisk trees, which soak up water and create salty soil. A 2,000-square-foot operations center/caretaker's residence could get underway by fall of this year, officials said.

The Future

Meanwhile, Friends of Dos Palmas pursues an offensive aimed at saving the ranch house.

The group submitted an application seeking a county/state historical designation for Rancho Dos Palmas. They had a structural engineer visually inspect the old ranch house. And they're lobbying elected officials, including Congresswoman Mary Bono, R, Palm Springs, and County Supervisor Roy Wilson.

Land management officials say several possibilities could honor Rancho Dos Palmas' legacy while still allowing planned improvements at the preserve.

Those include leaving some adobe walls standing, erecting an interpretive kiosk detailing the history of the ranch house and salvaging period items that could be stored elsewhere in a museum-like setting, Kalish said.

Rancho Dos Palmas Adobe History

The Rancho Dos Palmas adobe house inside the Dos Palmas Preserve near North Shore was built in the 1920s.

• Rancho Dos Palmas was built in the 1920s out of handmade adobe brick.
• German-born entrepreneur Gertrude S. Tenderich converted the ranch into a guest lodge in the 1930s.
• John Hilton, noted desert landscape artist and legendary guide to General George S. Patton, once worked as a handyman at the ranch.
• Rancho Dos Palmas and the nearby bunkhouse are the last remaining structures at Dos Palmas Preserve, a marshy desert oasis near the northeast margin of the Salton Sea that is home to many threatened and endangered, as well as more common, animal species.
• The oasis was once a Bradshaw Stagecoach stop, and later a station for the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Backers fight to save Rancho Dos Palmas

The Desert Sun [Palm Springs]
by Jade Faugno





Its adobe walls have withstood the desert climate and visits from weary travelers and prospectors for more than 80 years.

But Rancho Dos Palmas may not survive the Bureau of Land Management's plans to demolish it if supporting organizations cannot prove the building is structurally sound - or come up with the money to make it so.

The Friends of Dos Palmas, with the support of Desert Alliance for Community Empowerment and Coachella Valley Community Trails Alliance, are working to preserve what they call "a link to the desert's rich past."

"It would be absolutely terrible to lose one of the last remaining adobes in the area," said Jennie Kelly, chair of the North Shore Community Council and a Friend of Dos Palmas.

But the Bureau of Land Management contends the site has undergone too many changes to merit conservation.

"It doesn't look like the house it was in the 1930s," said John Kalish, field manager of the Bureau of Land Management's Palm Springs-South Coast field office.

"It does not have the historical integrity to necessitate preservation," Kalish said.

Connected to the Dos Palmas Oasis in North Shore, the ranch house once served as a stopover for stagecoaches and, in subsequent decades, Hollywood stars. It now stands unoccupied on lands designated by the Bureau of Land Management as a wildlife refuge.

"All of the funding goes into restoring the wildlife habitat, the purpose for which the lands were intended," Kalish said.

To save the ranch house, the Friends of Dos Palmas must prove not only the house's historical significance, but also its structural stability.

Friends of Dos Palmas cite an independent evaluation that states the adobe shows "no evidence of subsidence (e.g. cracks in the walls, deformed openings, inoperable doors and windows)," and is "not in a hazard area."

But Bureau engineers who evaluated the property deemed it structurally unsound.
"It doesn't meet safe standard building code," Kalish said.

Even advocates of the ranch's preservation say the building is only worth preserving if it can continue to stand without draining resources from other desert fixtures.

"It would be a shame (to demolish the house) if they can preserve it, if it isn't too great a cost," said Margit Chiriaco Rusche, a Rancho Dos Palmas supporter and one of the founders of the legendary, non-profit General Patton Memorial at Chiriaco Summit.

"I support having it available as a cultural resource, but only if it's economically and physically reasonable," she said.

According to Kalish, parties on both sides are continuing to discuss the future of Rancho Dos Palmas, and the demolition, if it happens, would not take place until December or January.

"There isn't any rush at all to demolish the old ranch house," Kalish said.