Henry Hester, AIA
Borrego Springs and the mid-century modern design of its early homes encouraged the evolution of a “Desert Modern” style of architecture that remains a defining characteristic of the Borrego Springs community today. Palm Springs is known internationally for this adaptation of the mid-century modern design movement that is described by the City of Rancho Mirage: Historic Resources Survey as:
“The Desert Modern Style was in many ways a domestication and refinement of the avant garde International Style of the 1920’s and 1930’s, and grew out of local architects desire to adapt modern materials, techniques, and floor plans to the unique requirements of desert living. Characteristics include large expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass sheltered by deep overhangs extending from flat roofs and flowing interior floor plans that merged imperceptibly with the outdoors.”
The architects, designers and builders in Borrego Springs were creating their own version of Desert Modern. At de Anza Country Club one of the most significant examples is the 1958 Givler Residence by prominent San Diego modernist Henry Hester.
Givler Residence - Judy Parker Photography
David Givler, an attorney and golfer from Aurora Illinois, was recruited to Borrego Springs by newspaper publisher James S. Copley, who in 1955 joined A.A. Burnand as a partner in the development of Borrego Springs. Copley and Givler were members of the same country club in Illinois and it was natural for Copley to recruit his friends to invest in the new club being built in Borrego Springs, Stock in the club was priced at one thousand dollars a share. In 1956, a cocktail party and dinner was held at the Desert Club to distribute the first residential lots to the shareholders, through a drawing.
Dear Dave,
Friday afternoon Jeanie and I took the children and went to Borrego…
The weather was wonderful and we had a terrific time.
As you know, on Saturday night we had a fine chicken dinner at the Desert
Club, after which we had the drawing for the lots at the new Country Club.
Sheila Furlong, daughter of a man who lives in Borrego, did the drawing.
First she drew a shareholders certificate number from one wheel, then a lot
Number from the other one; the two were stapled together, and thus became
The lots available to each member…
I hope to see you in Borrego soon. Meanwhile, Jeanie joins me in sending very
Best regards to you and Fran.
Very Sincerely, yours,
Jim
Letter: James. S. Copley to David B. Gilver, March 15, 1956 – Courtesy Trace Wilson
Over cocktails, at La Casa del Zorro, David and Fran Givler met with San Diego architect Henry Hester, and their ideas for a home in the desert where they could escape the mid-western winters, host a growing family and eventually retire, were sketched.
Borrego Springs Resort (Borrego Springs Park)
The architectural style of today’s Borrego Springs Resort (originally Borrego Springs Park) can in many ways be considered a blend of the mid-century desert modern and modern California Mission Revival. The Clubhouse features walls of glass that look out to the course and views beyond – as well as deep recesses and overhangs along with signature “arches” that help define spaces.
Arches define space and views at Borrego Springs Resort ~ Photo: Judy Parker
The housing at Club Circle however is very much of a desert modern vernacular. This is, in part, due to the modular nature of the structures built by Rohr Aircraft (headquartered in Chula Vista) in the first use of pre-fabricated housing in the Borrego Valley. Along with de Anza Country Club, Borrego Springs Resort serves as an example of the transition in the Borrego Valley from agriculture to resort style development.
In 1957 the Borrego Sun announced in front page headlines that one of the landmark Valley ranches, the Ensign Ranch, was purchased by an east coast group with plans to develop the ranch’s 1100 acres. The Ensign Ranch was one of the pioneering ranches in the Valley. It was there in 1926 that E.O. Ensign drilled the first deep well proving that the aquifer beneath the Valley floor held an ample supply of water to support large-scale agriculture and resort development. The Ensign Ranch produced a variety of crops on its 1100 acres, but it was best known at that time as San Diego County’s only commercial date grower. You can still see some of the date trees today as they were replanted to line the roadway into the development.
Borrego Sun July, 1962 - Courtesy Borrego Sun and Copley Press
An initial concept plan was proposed by William Krisel, however that was not used. (For more see William Krisel)
It wasn’t until 1962, that development of Borrego Springs Park broke ground under the new ownership of a group of San Diego investors who purchase the ranch for just over $1.4 million. Principal stakeholders in this new ownership were Irving Kahn, the developer of University City and Carlos Tavares, who built Clairemont. Both Kahn and Tavares brought significant experience and resources to the project. Louis C. Burgener, another prominent figure in San Diego real estate, was the agent who represented both parties in the sale of the ranch. Burgener had partnered with Tavres in the Clairemont development, and was the brother of Clair Burgener, who represented San Diego in Congress from 1972-1982. Lou Burgener also operated the largest real estate office in Borrego Springs.
Initial plans for the development of Borrego Springs Park were ambitious; a senior community and golf course, club house and ultimately 4000 homes. Kenneth Mitchell of Los Angeles produced a Master Plan for the proposed development. A key-financing plan was to make the development eligible for Federal House Administration (FHA) funds. Mitchell had previously served as head planner for the Los Angeles office of the FHA. Golf course architect Billy Bell Jr. was hired to design the course.
San Diego modernist architect Henry Hester and his firm of Hester, Jones & Associates, AIA of La Jolla designed the Clubhouse. A key strategy of the developers of Borrego Springs Park was the use of modular housing, with the work contracted to a wholly owned subsidiary of Rohr Aircraft Corporation, Modular Components, Inc. that had its main plant and headquarters in Riverside. There is presently, no definitive evidence of who designed the modular housing. No Rohr Corporation information notes the architect, and while Borrego Sun reports confirm Hester & Jones designed the clubhouse, Henry Hester does not claim ownership of the design (see excerpt below).
Club Circle East - JGL Images
“Henry Hester, who admits that as an architect he is not a “fan” of manufactured homes, has nothing but praise for the Rohr product. He believes it is especially suited for the desert because of its heavy insulation in wall and ceiling panels and the durability of its color-Impregnated exterior.” – Borrego Sun, July 1962
One hundred and forty manufactured homes were the first order for Borrego Springs Park. Construction for the first apartment units, now Club Circle, began in April of 1964. The following month the first family to purchase one of the homes moved in.
Club Circle East - JGL Images
The Clubhouse opened in December of 1964. The arches, some filled with hollow clay tile for screening, along with the freestanding bar fireplace remain signature elements of the space.
Architectural elements define space and views ~ Photo: Judy Parker
In January of 1965, the ownership of Borrego Springs Park changed again, with Carlos Tavares buying out the interest of his partner, Irving Kahn. Shortly thereafter plans were announced for the next phase of development – “…200 “tri-zone and duo-zone” units, described as “essentially single family dwellings that can be closed off to make one or two rental units in addition to the owner’s dwelling space...” While plans called for hundreds more of the homes, Rohr had a change in business strategy. According to several former Rohr employees, there were small installations of the Rohr manufactured housing built in Riverside and Las Vegas. Rohr’s expansion into the pre-fabricated housing industry ended when Fred Rohr, the Company President, went to the Fullerton site and told engineer Burt Raines to:
“Close this up and shut it down. We build airplanes and not houses.” - Fred ROHR, ROHR PRESIDENT
As plans were underway for further development at Borrego Springs Park, the financing began to unravel, and the development fell into bankruptcy. The San Diego County Marshall padlocked the Clubhouse during a meeting of the San Diego General Contractors Association. Attending the meeting was John Cameron of Cameron Brothers Construction Company.
For more than 30 years the building and course sat vacant, and decaying. A rescue of the golf course and clubhouse began in 1991 when John and Bill Cameron purchased the property and began a $100 million dollar project to restore the golf course and clubhouse, build a new hotel and develop senior housing. John Cameron, who 30 years earlier had been in attendance when the Marshall padlocked the doors, said that when they bought the clubhouse “…the ceiling was on the floor…we redid the clubhouse just as it was. We liked it when we were here many years ago and we didn’t want to modernize it with pink paint.”
Arch and wall detail - Borrego Springs Resort ~ Photo: Judy Parker
In 2019, having been placed on, and off, the real estate market over the years, the water for the golf course at Borrego Springs Resort was turned off, and the course closed. The hotel and restaurant have remained open.