South Palm Canyond Drive in Palm Springs, CA with palm trees and Modernism Week banner

Sophisticated Sun Seeker: The Gillman Residence Tour

The George & Sadie Gillman Residence (1948), by architectural designer Herbert Burns, is an extraordinary piece of residential architecture that also tells a fascinating preservation story. The home was lauded in a 1951 article in the Los Angeles Times Home Magazine which observed that “those who come to the desert from cosmopolitan centers often bring with them a taste for sophisticated surroundings…[in the Gillman Residence] elements of stucco, glass and redwood have been fashioned into a smoothly flowing house of long, low lines, broken by balanced vertical masses of flagstone. Set far back from the road against a mountain silhouette, it encircles a swimming pool with all rooms opening onto the concrete terrace.”

The detailing of the Gillman Residence is some of the finest and most unique of Burns’ career. Additions in 1952 and 1955, while the Gillmans lived in the house, are seamlessly integrated into the original plan. Unfortunately, a series of mishaps in the 2010s, left the home gutted, abandoned, and a neighborhood eyesore. Fortunately, the home was purchased in June of 2019 by Thomboy Properties, Inc. Well-known for their rehabilitations of architecturally significant homes, the Thomboys enlisted PSPF board member Steven Keylon to consult during the restoration. As a result, important Herbert Burns character-defining features were retained or restored.

As a special treat, Steven Keylon, author of PSPF’s popular 84-page book, The Design of Herbert W. Burns, will be available to sign copies of the Burns book which may be purchased by tourgoers at a special, discounted price of only $10 each!

The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to educate and promote public awareness of the importance of preserving the historical resources and architecture of the city of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley area.” PSPF offers free membership as a public benefit. To learn more about the work of the foundation see www.pspreservationfoundation.org.

Photo Credits: Lance Gerber

Location & Attendee Information

  • What are the appropriate ages for this activity?Person No children
  • Are pets, animals, or service animals permitted?Dog on a leash Pets and animals not permitted
  • Are food and drinks permitted?Food and drink No food or drinks permitted in homes
  • What are the mobility considerations for this activity?Person walking Walking activity with exterior and/or interior steps
  • What is the policy for personal effects?Bag or purse Large purses, bags, backpacks discouraged
  • Is photography permitted?Camera Photography not permitted
  • Are restrooms available?Restroom sign Restrooms not available
  • What is the policy regarding smoking?Cigarette with smoke No smoking or e-cigarettes
  • What type of tour is this?Group of people Interior/exterior tour

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