The George and Sadie Gillman Residence (1948), by architectural designer Herbert Burns, is an extraordinary piece of residential architecture which 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. Tourgoers will receive an eight-page color collectible handout.
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.