Samuel and Luella Maslon House

The Neutra designed 6000sf Samuel and Louella Maslon house complete with golf cart parking stalls, was built facing the Country Club golf course in 1962. After Mrs. Maslon’s death the five children had to sell. They added a million to the sales price to attract an appreciative buyer. In escrow, in March, 2002, a buyer emerged, who swore he was a true admirer and would be a loving steward. Without notice, and with seeming urgency, on April 4, 2002, he drove onto the site with bulldozers and you see below the result. At the time people speculated that there was an element of vengeance because of the precipitous way in which this was done. To this date, no real explanation has ever been given. The new owner refuses efforts to interview him.

The site sat vacant for years. Before photos by Richard Neutra and Julius Shulman. Demo shots by David Glomb, Palm Desert. After shots by Dion Neutra.

WHAT REPLACED THE MASLON?

These pictures were taken by Dion on February 17, 2008 on the occasion he journeyed to Palm Springs for a big Kaufmann event. A friend had hooked him up to an 86 year old former member of the Tamarisk Country Club whose 5th green is right in front of the site. She knew the old and the new versions of houses on that site and was able to drive him there in her golf cart from the spot in her garage. Her pass card still opened the members gate through which they penetrated into the course itself. Then they had to drive a considerable distance along several fairways to reach the spot where he could take these pix. When he got to the street side, he was able to verify that they had the correct site, by comparing the numbers on the mail box with our records.

Was it worth it? Is this house so much better, bigger or what? Meanwhile an irreplaceable piece of architectural history is gone forever.