Carnell Building 184-196 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262
The following information about the Carnell Building is found in Desert Spanish: The Early Architecture of Palm Springs by PSPF board member Patrick McGrew: “As was the case with many moneyed Easterners, Julia Carnell [heiress to the National Cash Register fortune] often wintered in Palm Springs. In 1934, at the suggestion of local realtor Robert Ransom, Carnell acquired the site of the original First Community Church for $40,000 and built her first Palm Springs project, the Carnell Building. She chose Schenck & Williams, whose work she already knew from their Dayton projects for NCR, to design the building. This project introduced Harry Williams to the desert which would become his home, as well as the home of his sons Roger and Stewart. The property was designated a Class Two Historic Site to mark the location of the church that once stood on the site. Given the historic importance of the people involved, the Carnell Building could easily qualify as a Class One Historic Site. Unfortunate, but easily remedied alterations blunt the integrity of the original design.”
On October 6, 2014, and again on November 24, 2014, the city’s Architectural Advisory Committee approved a request to change the previously approved tile roofing material and tile stain pattern.
On July 22, 2013 the city’s Architectural Advisory Committee voted unanimously (7-0) to approve a Minor Architectural Application (MAA) for the “Reconstruction of the Second Floor Façade and Street-Front Clay Tile Roof Plane” of the Carnell Building. The approval was subject to conditions, i.e., it “must be fully waterproof” and that the applicant “work closely with staff to match colors and materials.”
