Palm Springs in Riverside County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Bel Vista House

Photographed by Todd Hays, February 20, 2022

1. Bel Vista House Marker

Inscription.
Bel Vista House
Architect Albert Frey
has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior
1946

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1946.

Location. 33° 50.267′ N, 116° 31.78′ W. Marker is in Palm Springs, California, in Riverside County. It is at the intersection of East Tachevah Drive and North Calle Rolph, on the left when traveling east on East Tachevah Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1520 E Tachevah Dr, Palm Springs CA 92262, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles,

in the Coachella Valley,

and in the Peninsular Ranges.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker,

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measured as the crow flies: Bel Vista Residence #2 (a few steps from this marker); Albert Frey Bel Vista Home (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sinatra Residence (approx. 0.6 miles away); Frances S. Stevens School (approx. 1.1 miles away); Tie Down on Easemor Circle (approx. 1.1 miles away); Palm Canyon Blvd Street Marker (approx. 1.1 miles away); Dr. Smith/Dr. Peppers Office (approx. 1.1 miles away); The Sunmor Model Home (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Palm Springs.

Also see . . . View the National Register nomination here. Link to the full national register nomination.

Bel Vista House, built in 1946, is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C at the local level of significance in the area of Architecture. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of architecture associated with the modern movement as interpreted by Albert Frey for the desert environment of the Coachella Valley.

(Submitted on February 20, 2022, by Todd Hays of Palm Springs, California.)

Additional commentary.
1. Notes about the site
Bel Vista House

Bel Vista House and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Todd Hays, March 4, 2022

2. Bel Vista House and Marker

was designed by Albert Frey as one home in a 15-home tract that is located in central Palm Springs in a residential neighborhood of single-family homes. The one-story building is modest in size, exhibiting architectural elements associated with the work of Albert Frey including a concrete slab foundation, flat roof, deep eaves with wood fascia, painted stucco, wood casement windows, a curvilinear block wall and slender wood posts supporting a cantilevered carport roof. The building is in excellent condition and retains a high level of historic and physical integrity. Originally planned in 1945 as a tract of affordable war worker’s housing, Frey’s goal was to devise a plan that was both affordable and created distinct identities for each home at street-front. The simple solution called for one single plan to be flipped, rotated and placed with an altered setback from lot to lot. Different exterior finish colors were used to further differentiate the homes from one another.

— Submitted February 20, 2022, by Todd Hays of Palm Springs, California.

Bel Vista House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Todd Hays, March 4, 2022

3. Bel Vista House

Photographed by Adam Margolis, August 30, 2026

4. Bel Vista House Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 20, 2022, by Todd Hays of Palm Springs, California. This page has been viewed 715 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on February 20, 2022, by Todd Hays of Palm Springs, California. 2, 3. submitted on March 4, 2022, by Todd Hays of Palm Springs, California. 4. submitted on September 2, 2026, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.