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ALBERT FREY (1903-1998)
Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Frey received his architecture diploma in 1924 from the Institute of Technology in Winterthur, Switzerland. Frey apprenticed with the architect A. J. Arter in Zurich and worked in construction during school vacations. From 1924 through 1928 Frey worked in Belgium then was the first American to work for Corbusier, designing the Villa Savoye project among others. In 1928 Frey came to the US. Corbusier helped him get a job with architect A. Lawrence Kocher, also the managing editor of Architectural Record.
One of their commissions was an office/apartment dual-use building for Kocher's brother, Dr. J. J. Kocher of Palm Springs. This project introduced Frey to the California desert, which was to become his home and the backdrop for his subsequent work. The building is still there, as of 2021 you can even rent the apartment.
From 1935 to 1937 Frey worked with John Porter Clark under the firm name of Van Pelt and Lind Architects as both were yet unlicensed in California. April 1937 saw Frey briefly return to work on the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1939 he and wife Marion returned to Palm Springs to resume his collaboration with John Porter Clark, which was to continue for nearly twenty more years. Frey and Marion divorced in 1945 and neither remarried. At the end of World War II Palm Springs' population almost tripled, and the city experienced a building boom as an escape for Hollywood and a winter haven for east coast industrialists. The city became a resort community and Frey and Clark, and their staff including Robson Chambers, were well-positioned to capitalize on this growth. Significant buildings by Frey during this period include the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Valley Station, Palm Springs City Hall, and Tramway Gas Station (now a Palm Springs visitor center).
Frey is synonymous with desert modernism. In 1996, he was awarded the Neutra Award for Professional Excellence and in 2010 a Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. The 2018 documentary Frey Part I: The Architectural Envoy was produced by Jake and Tracey Gorst. They released Frey: Part II in 2020. The definitive book, Albert Frey Inventive Modernist, was published in 2024. Bio adapted from Wikipedia. Many thanks to Catherine Westergaard Cramer for her extensive research.
Subdivisions: Bel Vista
1931 - The Aluminaire House. Designed for a New York City exhibition by Frey and A. Lawrence Kocher. This, the first metal prefab house, was assembled in ten days in the Grand Central Palace that was adjacent to Grand Central Station. The expo opened on April 18th 1931 for one week. Over 100,000 people toured. Henry Russel Hitchcock and Philip Johnson included the house in the Museum of Modern Art, "Modern Architecture; an international exhibition" in 1932. Sold to architect Wallace K. Harrison who moved it to Huntington NY for a guest house. After escaping demolition by a new owner in 1986, it was moved to the New York Institute of Technology, and after a number of years they transferred it to the Aluminaire House Foundation to relocate it as a museum. In April 2012, the house was again dismantled and stored in a container in Ronkonkoma NY.
In 2011, Campani and Schwarting Architects wanted to move it to a vacant lot at 39th Avenue and 50th Street in New York City. The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission turned that down in 2014. In 2016, Architecture Record designated Aluminaire as one of the 125 most significant structures in the world. In 2017 it was moved to Palm Springs CA. Video of the move. It was rebuilt at the Palm Springs Museum of Art in 2024 and the exterior is viewable by the public. However, due to the City classifying it as a house as opposed to a sculpture or temporary structure, accessibility and other building code requirements prevent the public from going inside.
1932 - The Georgia Ralph / Gabrielle Barbarin House, 71 Interlaken Road, Stamford CT. Designed with Lawrence Kocher. In 1944, they moved to NYC. Then the house fell off the Frey radar. It's still around, modified. Sold to Barbara Calyanis.
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1934 - The A. Lawrence Kocher Weekend House, aka Canvas Weekend House, Fort Salonga, Northport NY. Designed with A. Lawrence Kocher, who built it. Held up by six columns. The wall insulation was aluminum foil, and the walls were made of heavy Marine canvas. A guest and storage area was added on the ground level at some point. Destroyed in the 1950's to make way for a subdivision.
1934 - The AIA Low-Cost House Competition. Designed with A. Lawrence Kocher. Unbuilt.
1935 - The James V. (Bud) and Mildred Guthrie House, 666 East Mel Avenue, Palm Springs CA. Sold to Hennes. Sold to Leland Wood. Altered away from modern (second photo). Sold in 2015 to Robert Foraker and Loie Marie Adelaar. Sold in 2019 to Marina Rossi and her daughter Avalon who did a more modern restoration. Bottom two photos by Patrick Strattner. Sold in 2020 to Steve and Laurie Marmon.
1936 - The Spencer Kellogg House and Studio, 321 West Vereda Sur, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark as part of Van Pelt and Lind. There was an addition. . Bottom two photos by Michael Locke. Sold in 1999 to Marilyn and Deborah George.
1935 - The Rogers House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark as part of Van Pelt and Lind. Status unknown.
1936 - The Farwell House, 1120 East Balboa Boulevard, Newport Beach CA. Designed with John Porter Clark as part of Van Pelt and Lind. Addition in 1940. Destroyed.
1936 - The Edwin A. Halberg House, 723 East Vereda Sur, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark as part of Van Pelt and Lind. Status unknown.
1936 - The Halberg House, 775 East Mel Avenue, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark as part of Van Pelt and Lind. Destroyed in the early 1950's. A new house was built there in 1952.
1936 - La Siesta Bungalow Court, aka La Siesta Villas, 247 West Stevens Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark as part of Van Pelt and Lind. Renovated in 1950, 1965, and 2020.
1936 - aka Steel House, Lake Arrowhead CA. Designed with John Porter Clark as part of Van Pelt and Lind. Status unknown.
1937 - The William Mason House, 448 East Cottonwood Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Altered, became condominiums. In 1958 owner M. J. Anderson added an addition, and it was sold at auction in 1984 as 6 units. Sold in 2012 to James Viglione.
1939 - The Chaney Apartments, 275 East Tamarisk Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Photos by Michael Locke. Sold in 2015 to Jack Douglas Cretney and Joseph Michael Corbett.
1940 - The B. Johnson Bungalows, 269 East Chuckawilla Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Built. Current status unknown.
1940 - The F. D. Johnson House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Additions in 1972, 1980, 1982.
1940 - The Garland House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1940 - The Maud (Maudie) Van Cortlandt Hill Winter Home, aka Stonehill, 877 West Panorama Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Sold to Marilyn Hirshleifer and Hirshleifer Trust. Photo by Michael Locke.
1940 - The Albert Frey House I, 1150 East Paseo El Mirador, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Additions by Frey in 1947 and 1953, including an aluminum tower. Sold to the Armstrongs for whom Frey did a remodel in 1964. Sold in 1972 to the Goldmans with another addition by Frey. Second photo by Fritz Block. Destroyed in the late 1990s.
1940 - The Fred D. and Nina Johnson House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Located on corner of Shoshonean Trail and Middle Road. Additions by Frey in 1972, 1980, and 1982. Standing as of 2022.
1941 - The Julian Sieroty House, 695 East Vereda Sur, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Restored in 1989 by Frey. Deeded to heirs, Alan Sieroty and Beth Sieroty Meltzer.
1941 - The Fred and Maziebelle Markham House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. In 1936 the Markhams bought all of Smoke Tree Ranch from sellers in financial trouble. They sold it to the neighborhood homeowners association in 1945. Renovated in 1950 and 1983. Standing as of 2022.
1941 - The L. C. and Marjorie Merwin House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Additions by Frey in 1945, 1950, 1952, 1960, 1970, 1971. Standing as of 2022.
1942 - The Gertrude Wells Overly House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Section 2, Rock 12, SW corner Shoshonean Trail and Middle Road. Commissioned by her father, J. Cheney Wells and built by Wilson and Sorum. Designed by Frey and permitted under John Porter Clark. Additions by Frey in 1947, 1968 and 1983. Sold in 1947 to Cully and Clara Stimson. Deeded in 1954 to Harold and Jane Miller. Sold in 1988 to Bruce and Grace Jones. Sold in 2004 to Anne Witherspoon. Sold in 2013 to Stephen and Melissa Babson. Sold in 2018 to architect William Fain and Jennfier Nelson Fain, who nominated it for historic designation in 2019. Black and white photos by Julius Sherman; color photos by Steve Vaught.
1942 - The Burritt House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Addition by Frey in 1960. Standing as of 2022.
1942 - The Kellogg House, Phoenix AR. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1942 - The Jaeger House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1942 - The Sayler House Addition, 483 West Via Sol, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1943 - The Zalud House Addition, 216 West Camino Descanso, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1944 - The Gholstin House, 538 South Indian Trail, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Still standing as of 2020.
1944 - The Jacobson House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1944 - The Schothan House Addition, 478 West Merito Place, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1945 - The Armstrong House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Additions by Frey in 1946 and 1947. Standing as of 2022.
1945 - The Adams House, 845 West Chino Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Additions in 1946 and 1947. Status unknown.
1945 - The Laura Breske House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1945 - The Browne Development, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1945 - The Campbell Duplex, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1945 - The Crommelin House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Additions by Frey in 1960. Standing as of 2022.
1945 - The Raymond and Elizabeth K. Cree House I, 442 Hermosa Place, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Sold to Joseph and Mary Grabiner. Destroyed around 1955, likely to combine with 432 next door. Needs verification.
1945 - The Dozier House, Indio CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1945 - The Irving S. Florsheim House Alterations, 688 East Vereda Sur, Palm Springs CA. Original house built in 1937. Further alterations done in 1955. Sold to Paula Stuart Collins. Sold in 1987 to Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Sold to Kathleen Van Stralen. Sold in 1997 to Craig Blau and Kathleen Oneal. Sold in 2020 to 688 Palm LLC.
Main House
Guest House
1945 - The Raymond and Frances Hatton House and Guest House, 70-105 Frank Sinatra Drive, Rancho Mirage CA. Originally addressed Wonder Palms Road. Altered away from original design. In 1950 or thereabouts they sold part of the land to Ray Miller. Destroyed in the late 1970s.
1945 - The Hormel House Addition, 840 North Prescott Drive, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Altered in 1979. Status unknown.
1945 - The Filice and Perrelli House Addition, 953 North Avenida Palmas, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1945 - The Fleet House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1945 - The Harper House, 330 West Stevens Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Destroyed.
1945 - The Hopkins Duplex. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1945 - The Kemper House Addition, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1945 - The McDougall House Addition, 271 West Merito Place, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1945 - The Morongo Lodge Addition, Morongo Valley CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1945 - The Kemper House Addition, Palm Springs CA. Unbuilt.
1945 - The Mary Nelson House and Studio, Indio CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Mary Nelson sold two-seater Ercoupe airplanes and gave buyers free flying lessons. She served in WWII as one of the first Women's Air Force Service Pilots and later managed the Palm Springs Airport. In 1945, Frey bought a plane from her, which he sold a short time later. The house was unbuilt, but the studio may have been built. Status unknown.
1945 - The William and Mousie Powell House Additions, 383 West Vereda Norte, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Later Frey alterations and additions in 1947, 1949,1951, and 1989. Original house, not by Frey, built circa 1936. Mousie Powell lived there until her death in 1997. Sold in 2001 to Robert Scharfer and Sean Reid Fennelly.
1945 - The Racquet Club Guest Bungalows, 743 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Seven bungalows within "the Mission Garden" have been restored and upgraded. The bungalow plan includes 2 bedrooms, living room, dining room with fireplace, eat-in kitchen and private yard. Started by Charlie Farrell and Ralph Bellamy in 1934, the Racquet Club grew to attract stars like Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Lana Turner and others. Around 1947, now Mayor Farrell ordered 35 more cottages along the banks of Netcher's Creek (which winds through the club's grounds). More cottages were added in 1956.
1945 - The Strieby Apartments, 486-530 East Mel Avenue, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Altered away from original design. Sold in 2004 to David Scott and Robert Lemley. From information found, this is now listed as only 486 East Mel Avenue and is known as Palm Springs Manor Hotel, an assisted living apartment complex. Needs verification.
1945 - The Satlitz and Baker Duplex, Camino Real, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1945 - The Stutz Duplex, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1945 - The Jimmy Van Heusen House, Yucca Valley CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1945 - The Wahl House Addition, Vista China, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1945 - The Wilbur Bungalows, Yucca Valley CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1945 - The J. A. Woolley House I, 856 East Paseo El Mirador, Palm Springs CA. Commissioned 1945. Designed with John Porter Clark. Sold in 2005 to Dennis Elsasser and Anthony Newland.
1946 - The Colgan Apartments, 269 East Chuckwalla Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Additions in 1956 and 1966. Sold in 2010 to Alexander Korchmarev. Name changed to Villa Orleans. 15 units.
1946 - The Jimmy and Shirlee Cooper House, 2360 South Araby Drive, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Shirlee Cooper owned Shirlee's Beauty Corral. Sold in 1990, 1998, and 2000. Sold in 2014 to Marjorie Leek.
1946 - The Raymond Loewy House, 600 West Panorama Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Loewy designed products for everything from cigarette packs, refrigerators, cars, and spacecrafts. Marmol/Radziner renovated the house in the 1980s and again in 2000. Sold in 1990 to James Gaudineer and Tony Padilla. Designated a Palm Springs Historic Landmark in 2007 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. Top photo by Brad Dunning, second by Fritz Block, third featured in LIFE Magazine, fourth by Dan Chavkin, and bottom photo by Michael Locke.
1946 - The Andrew Nicholas and Anna Jergens House, aka Graceland West, 845 West Chino Canyon, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Frey designed this Spanish Colonial style house for Jergens, president of the Andrew Jergens Company, a global toiletries company. Sold in 1960 to Ray Kroc, the McDonald's founder. Sold in 1970 to Elvis Presley who expanded it by 2000 sf and recorded 9 songs in the house. Elvis and Priscilla would spend about three months of the year here until their divorce in 1973, when it became a bachelor's pad with the following alterations: a 16-person Jacuzzi, an entertainment room dubbed the Jungle Room, two bathrooms, a master bedroom suite with a sauna, and a basketball hoop at the end of the driveway. Elvs spent his last birthday here. Deeded to Priscilla Presley upon his death. Sold in 1981 to singer Frankie Valli. Sold to a Japanese Elvis fan. Sold to Reno Fontana around 2003 who opened it up for tours. Went into foreclosure. The New York Times dubbed the house Graceland West in 2007. Sold in 2014 to TCB Palm Springs. Bottom photo by Michael Locke.
1946 - The Raymond Haight House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Probably unbuilt. Haight died in 1947.
1946 - The One Palm Court Bungalows, 1276 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1946 - The Charles McFarland Apartments, 409 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Likely unbuilt.
1946 - The Mary Nelson Guesthouse, Indio CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1946 - The Zanuck House Alteration, 346 Tamarisk Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1947 - The Donald and Genevieve Gilmore House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Interiors by Arthur Elrod. Designed with John Porter Clark. Additions by Frey in 1954, 1956, 1965, 1969, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1989, 1990. Standing as of 2022.
1947 - The Hamrick House, 875 West Chino Canyon Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Sold to Darle Ann and Patrick Maveety. Sold in 2003 to Al and Diane Cameron. Sold in 2005 to Mark Puopolo. Available for rent on VRBO.
1947 - The Isenagle House Alterations, 1028 East San Jacinto Way, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Sold to Jack Frohman and Howard Gottlieb. Sold in 2009 to Margret Dietermann.
1947 - The Levy House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1947 - The Leventhal House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1947 - The Nichols House Alterations, East Paseo El Mirador, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1947 - The Rosenthal House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1947 - The Somalia House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1947 - The Stutz Apartments, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1947 - The Imes House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1947 - The Villa Hermosa Housing Project, 155 Hermosa Place, Palm Springs CA. Commissioned 1945. 21 apartments around a pool and recreational facilities. Designed for C. K. Fulton, it was an apartment-hotel for winter visitors. Edgar Kaufmann stayed there while his Neutra-designed house was being built. Updated in 1956 by Frey. Converted into condos in 2003. Example photo of Unit 9, sold in 2016.
1948 - The James A. and Jane Lyons House, corner of San Gorgonio Trail and Saturmino Road, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs, CA. The Lyons house was deemed too modern and Frey was banned from building in Smoke Tree Ranch for almost 3 years. Frey also designed a pool in 1972 and an addition in 1982. Deeded to Barbara Ann Lyons, owner as of 2022.
1948 - The Besser House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs, CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Additions by Frey in 1974, 1980, 1981, and 1982. Standing as of 2022.
1948 - The August (Gus) and Lilian K. (Tommie) Cortissoz House, 71346 Sahara Road, Rancho Mirage CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Destroyed with other properties between 1997 and 2001 for car dealerships.
1948 - The Sanders House Addition. Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1948 - The Hoover House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. More additions in 1951, 1984, 1986, and 1993. Status unknown.
1948 - The Jennings House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1948 - The Maloney House, Kalamazoo MI. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1948 - The Floyd and Bertha Turner House, Smoke Tree Ranch #A, Palm Springs CA. Frey did an addition in 1957, pool in 1958, and other additions in 1974, 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1986. Designed with John Porter Clark. Standing as of 2022.
1948 - The Wells House, Rancho Mirage CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1949 - The Henderson House Addition, 844 North Mission, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Built in 1955, renovated in 1986, not by Frey. Sold in 2022 to Matthew Charles Bousquette.
1949 - The Frank and Lorena Le Gro House Guest House, 354 West Stevens Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Addition in 1951. Frank died at the home in 1954, Lorena in 1966. Sold to Iris Callie and William Kaufman. Sold in 2002 to Arthur Good and Kathryn Tomasino. Sold in 2012 to Martin Kovacevich and Steven Breslow. Sold in 2013 to Bonnie Bedelia and Michael Macrae. Sold in 2020 to Terrence Rupert.
1949 - The Halberg House II, Port Angeles WA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1949 - The Tobin House, Port Angeles WA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Status unknown.
1950 - The Ernest
Alschuler House Addition, 421 Santa Rosa Drive, Palm Springs
CA. Designed with
John
Porter Clark.
Original home built in 1939 for Katherine Romer, designed by
F. Nelson Breed. Sold in 1954 to Sydney Schiff.
Remodeled in 1954 by E. Stewart Williams (needs
verification). Sold in 1976 to Jose and Maria
Marroquin. Sold in 1983 to Trommel Mining
Company/Irving Green.
1950 - The Louis Benoist Guest House, 385 Alta Vista Road, Palm Springs CA. Benoist was co-owner of Almaden Winery in Northern California from 1940-1967. The original main house was designed in 1928 for Wright Ludington. Frey designed an addition in 1953. The guest house is a one-room studio with a bathroom and fireplace. Benoist loved the spirit of the guest house and the quality of light so much that he used it for an office and rarely allowed guests to stay there. Sold in 1977 to Suzanne Somers and Alan Hamel. Sold in 2023.
1951 - The Virginia P. Dollard House, 3 Temple Court, Rancho Mirage CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Sold in 1992 to Raleigh and Carol Debow. Deeded to Carol Debow / Debow Family Trust. Destroyed.
1951 - The Jason Joy House, 73355 Grapevine Street, Palm Desert CA. Commissioned in 1951. Designed with John Porter Clark. An addition was designed by John Outcault who worked in Frey's office; landscape design by Chester (Cactus Slim) Morton. Sold to Donald and Rita Wade. Sold in 2020 to Mario and Rose Mary Hernandez. Destroyed in 2021, photos by Linda Holden Clode.
1951 - The Adrian Pelletier House, 73297 Grapevine Street, Palm Desert CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Commissioned in 1951. Photos by Julius Shulman. Sold in 1996 to Michael Fedderly. Sold to Abraham and Inna Tuler.
1951 - The Irving S. Brecher House, 723 East Vereda Sur, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Sold to Mary S. Dietrich. Sold in 2020 to Jack B. and Laetitia Gomm. Photos by Michael Locke.
1951 - The Walter Lockwood House, 3217 San Pasqual, Pasadena CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Sold to William Walker. Sold in 1988 to Kou-Jou and Hui Yang. Sold in 1996 to Stanley Szetoe. Sold in 1997 to Limburgh and Edith Wong.
1951 - The Ohrbach House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1951 - The A. E. Schwabacher House, Jackson Hole WY. Designed with John Porter Clark. Probably an addition or renovation to their ranch.
1951 - The Arnold Turonnet House Addition, 734 North Prescott Drive, Palm Springs CA. Designed with John Porter Clark. Destroyed.
1952 - The William Scholl House Addition, 211 East Morongo Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers and John Porter Clark. Original house built 1941. Scholl died in 1968. Sold in 2008 to Robert Kunesh.
1952 - The Warren House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers and John Porter Clark. Unbuilt.
1953 - The Armand Turonnet Art Gallery, 707 Palm Canyon, Palm Springs CA. Commissioned 1951. Became the Trio Restaurant.
1953 -
The Charlie Farrell House Addition, 630 East Tacheveh, Palm
Springs CA. Designed with
Robson Chambers and
John Porter Clark. Additions in 1956 and 1962.
Original house built in 1933 for Charlie Farrell. Sold to
Carrie Grence and Jerome Snyder. Sold in 2011 to John and
Jill Manley. Sold in 2020 to Kenneth Blakely and Quentin
O'Brien.
1953 - The Schwabacher House Addition, 368 East Portal, Palm Springs CA. Original house built 1945. Alterations in 1960. Designed with Robson Chambers and Clark. Sold to Marjorie Conley Aikins.
1953 -
The West House Addition, 414 East Valmonte Sur, Palm Springs
CA. Designed with
Robson Chambers
and
John Porter Clark.
Original house built 1946 either by or for J. H. Herman.
Sold c1947 to Florence McRory. The West's must have been the
next owner. For sale in 1979, 1988. Sold c2001 to William J,
Sylvia, and Joseph William Layne. Attachments 3 & 4.
1954
- The Carlson House, 521 West Linda Vista Drive, Palm
Springs CA. Designed with
Robson Chambers and
John Porter Clark. Sold
to John B. Casteix. Sold in 2000 to Nicholas Dibari. Later
to Ashley Dibari, trustee. Sod in 2015 to Rollin Ransom and
Christopher Lacroix.
1954 -
The Herbert Carpenter House Addition, 333 West Merito Place,
Palm Springs CA. Designed with
Robson Chambers
and
John Porter Clark.
Addition in 1958. Original house 1933. Sold in 1975 to
Jack and Linda Marlin. Sold to Toni and John Fitts.
Sold in 2012 to Don and Linda Sherwood.
1954 - The Henderson House Addition, 4 Warm Sands Place, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers and John Porter Clark. Sold to Joane Levitski and Samuel Haynes. Sold in 2009 to Richard Hutcheson and Robert Kincaid. Sold in 2017 to Jimmie Dewayne Burns.
1954 - The Sam Hinton House, 9420 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla CA. Designed with Robson Chambers and Clark. Hinton was a former director of the Palm Springs Art Museum. Extensive renovations. Sold in 2021 to the Andrew Mestyanik Trust.
1955 - The Raymond Cree House II, aka Cree II, aka Hill House, aka Forgotten Frey,
67389 East Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City CA.
Designed with
Robson Chambers and
Clark. In 1947 Cree commissioned Frey to design the Desert Hills Hotel plus nine houses on this same site. Photos by Brad Dunning. Constructed entirely of industrial materials except for the stone fireplace. Sold in 2018 to Samuel Harris / Harris Family Trust.
Sold in
2022 to Niki and Rene Delacueva.
1955 - The James House, Palm Desert CA. Designed with Robson Chambers and Clark. Unbuilt.
1956 - The Laura Carey House, aka the Carey-Pirozzi House, 651 West Via Escuela, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers and Clark. Frey solved the problem of building on a rocky site by lifting the house on steel tubes to rest on the rocks, resembling a lunar landing probe that appears to float over the landscape. Sold in 1972 to Vincent and Karen Pirozzi. Frey did alterations in 1983 and 1992. Photos by Michael Locke. Status unknown.
1957 - The Bernet House Addition, 1163 North Calle Rolph, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Status unknown.
1959 - The Frelinghuysen House, 707 West Panorama Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Altered. Restored around 2000. Sold in 2012 to J & K Vacation Club California.
1959 - The Haskin House Addition, 2427 Tuscan Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Renovated down to the studs at some point. Sold in 2021 to Henry Weil and Marla Kennedy. For sale in 2024. Original house 1951, renovation in 1981.
1959 - North Shore Beach Estates, North Shore, Salton Sea CA. Unbuilt. Frey did design a Sales Building (later altered) and Clubhouse for the community, although the clubhouse was not built to his original design. Destroyed.
1959 - The Ryan House, Bermuda Dunes, Palm Springs CA. Designed with
Robson Chambers. Unbuilt.
1960 - The Schiff House Addition, 2743 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. This is a condo unit in the Racquet Club. Photos by Brad Dunning.
1961 - The Wilbur D. and Bertha Ethel Clark House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Frey also did additions in 1965 and 1976. Status unknown.
1962 - The Hugo and Dolores Steinmeyer House, 318 West Pablo Drive, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Steinmeyer was chief counsel for Bank of America. Designed with Robson Chambers. Sold in 1974 to Ethel (Mike) Vetterli. For decades, Vetterli was known for throwing three very important parties each year: spring, October, and Christmas. Sold in 2018 to Brian Sandquist and James Kisel.
1963 - The Albert Frey House II, 686 Palisades Drive, Palm Springs CA. Addition in 1972 by Frey. He lived there until his death in 1998 and willed the house to the Palm Springs Art Museum for architectural learning and research. Gated area; no access. Featured in GA Houses 40. Open to visitors with arrangement through the Museum. Photos 2 and 3 by Jackie Craven. Featured in Real Housewives of Orange County in 2021.
1963 - The William Hollingworth House I, 187 West San Marco Way, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Unbuilt.
1963 - The Silliano House, Desert Hot Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Unbuilt.
1963 - The Robert Smallman House, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Status unknown.
1964 - The Armstrong House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Unbuilt.
1964 - The Henry Thornton House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Additions in 1969 and 1971. Status unknown.
1964 - The Wahl House, Lake Tahoe CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Unbuilt.
1964 - The Milner House Addition, aka the 1925 O'Donnell House, 447 West Alejo Road, Palm Springs CA. Original architect Charles Turner. Designed with Robson Chambers. Sold in 2020 to Ghpsi (Ron Burkle).
1965 - The Saunders House Addition, 421 West Mariscal Road, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Original home built in 1956. Significantly altered several times. Sold in 2020 to Anythony Nguyen.
1965 - The Fisher House Addition, 375 West Vista Chino, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. Status unknown. Original house built 1948. Likely readdressed as 1600 North Via Norte. Sold in 2020 to Ron DeHart and Keith Gran. Needs verification.
1965 - The Murray Doinwick House, 711 Tamarisk Lane, Palm Springs CA. Designed with Robson Chambers. May be 733 Tamarisk. Needs verification.
1966 - The William Hollingsworth House II, aka Hollingsworth Tennis Estate, aka Hidden Frey, 155 West San Marco Way, Palm Springs CA. Commissioned in 1964. Additions in 1972 and 1976 by Frey. Altered. Sold in 1999 to Billy Wayne Cross and Dennet M. Withington. Sold to Thomboy Properties.
1966 - The Harold R. Newton House I, Palisades Drive, Palm Springs CA. Unbuilt.
1966 - The Frank and Gertrude Wells Brennan House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Addition of a small room and complete interior remodel to the 1941 Knight Residence at Rock 15. Status unknown.
1966 - The Lund House, Cherry Valley CA. Unbuilt.
1967 - The Gilmore House II, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Standing as of 2022.
1967 - The Owens House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1967 - The Harold R. Newton House II, 698 Ramon Road, Palm Springs CA. Unbuilt.
1968 - The Schiff Ranch House, La Quinta CA. Unbuilt.
1969 - The Frank and Gertrude Wells Brennan House, 3820 West Esther Way, Jackson WY. Commissioned around 1966. The house is entirely built out of cedar, with the rafters and beams made of cedar glue-lam. Sold in the mid-1970s.
1973 - The Moore House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Frey did more additions and alterations 1979, 1980, and 1983. Possibly Garry Moore, the game show host. Needs verification.
1973 - The Sawyer House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1974 - The Roy Ryan House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Addition by Frey in 1975. Standing as of 2022.
1974 - The Siva House, 200 West Vereda Sur, Palm Springs CA. Unbuilt.
1975 - The Shane House Addition, 501 Santa Rosa Drive, Palm Springs CA. Unbuilt.
1975 - The Wasserman House, 1011 West Cielo Drive, Palm Springs CA. Interiors only. Built. Status unknown.
1976 - The Evans House, 2240 East Smokewood Avenue, Palm Springs CA. More renovations in 1978. Status unknown.
1976 - The F. Supple House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Additions in 1985 and 1995. Status unknown.
1976 - The Skelton House, Spring Crest, Mountain Center CA. Status unknown.
1977 - The Beirne Addition, 395 South Patencio Road, Palm Springs CA. Original house designed by Richard J. Wheeler in 1961, built in 1962. Addition in 1979. Sold in 2006 to Brent Harris. Renovation 2006-2013 by Brad Dunning, which included 2009 landscape architecture by Robert Royston. Photos by Brad Dunning.
1977 - The Lilley House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Frey did another addition in 1979, 1985, and 1988. Status unknown.
1977 - The Robert H. Phinny Guest House and Studio, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Additions by Frey in 1984 and 1985, needs verification. Status unknown.
1977 - The Smoke Tree Ranch Guest Cottages, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Alterations by Frey in 1979. Standing as of 2022.
1977 - The Terhune Guest House,
2300 North Palermo Drive, Palm Springs CA. Frey did additions to the main house in 1978 and 1986; guest house was unbuilt. Sold in 2001 to Thomas Digiammatteo and Daniel Nicodemo.
1978 - The William J. Rose Addition,
1053 San Lucas Road, Palm Springs CA. Original house built in 1950. As of 2015, still owned by the Rose family.
1978 - The John Tyler House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Another addition by Frey in 1985. Status unknown.
1979 - The Hankins House Renovations, 840 North Prescott Drive, Palm Springs CA. Paul Laszlo was the original architect. Sold in 2002 to Stephen and Penny Gundry. Sold in 2005 to Nancy Bjerkman, Kathryn and Kyle Corwin. Sold in 2010 to Laurence Weiss. Sold in 2012 to Richard Oboyle.
1979 - The C. Supple House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1979 - The Eric and J. Irwin Hoffman House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Addition in 1998. Status unknown.
1979 - The Stanley R. and Barbara Rawn Jr. House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1980 - The George W. Bryant House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Unbuilt.
1980 - The Stanley Phinny House, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Unbuilt.
1980 - The Stanley Phinny Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Built. Status unknown.
1980 - The Richmond House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1980 - The Sherwin House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Another addition in 1984. Status unknown.
1981 - The Ralph and Ruthmarie Harpham Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1981 - The Davis House Addition, 2222 Del Lago Road, Palm Springs CA. Original house 1979. Renovated again 1987, not by Frey. Sold in 2018 to Kenneth and Joanne Zenker.
1983 - The William J. Lawrence Jr. House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1983 - The Harry Wilson House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown. Other additions in 1985 and 1986.
1983 - The Yates Remodel, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1983 - The Yantis House Addition, aka Adam West House, 296 Hermosa Place, Palm Springs CA. Original house built in 1954. Frey enlarged the master suite with 2 marble baths, stone fireplace, and cabinetry. Frey designed the bar in the living room which features a pass thru window to serve from and to view the flat screen TV while enjoying the patio outdoors. Sold around 1970 to Adam West, who famously played Batman in the 1960s TV series. Sold in 2013 to Carl Bradley. Top two photos by Michael Locke. Sold in 2023 to Bruce and Lynne Gibson.
1983 - The Yates House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1985 - The Bauman Renovation, aka Frey Eight Five,
1105 East Cactus Drive, Palm Springs CA. Remodeled in 2006. Sold in 2015 to Andrew Teufel. Sold in 2020 to 1105 E Cactus LLC, aka Christopher Alexander Thelen, London.
1985 - The Broderick Addition, 289 South Via Las Palmas, Palm Springs CA. Original home built in 1946. Sold in 1968 to Edwin Morris and renovated by Arthur Elrod. Renovated in 1985. Sold in 1989. Sold in 1994 to James Galanos. Sold in 2015 to Wade Weigel and Jeffrery Ofelt.
1985 - The Firring Addition, 2065 South Tulare Drive, Palm Springs CA. Sold in 2012 to Todd Plath. Sold in 2021 to Michael Paul Lutz.
1985 - The Gordon House Addition, 829 Inverness Drive, Rancho Mirage CA. Part of Mission Hills. Original house built 1980, one of four models when the development started. Sold in 2020 to Robert and Valerie Spaak.
1985 - The Alan Green Jr. House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1985 - The Ivers Cabin, Pinyon Crest, Mountain Center CA. Unbuilt.
1985 - The Moore House Addition, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1985 - The Shea House Addition.Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1985 - The Vaughan House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1986 -
The Frenzel House Additions, 501 North Cantera Circle, Palm
Springs CA. Original house built in 1977. Sold
in 2010 to Ken Seeley, became the Ken Seeley Detox Center.
1986 - The Owens House Addition, 2013 Rim Road, Palm Springs CA. Original house built around 1930. Sold around 1960 to Madge Holderman. Sold to Richard Owens. Sold in 2015 to Carolyn Rivard.
1986 - The Embury House Addition, In 1984, owner Naywert and a house painter were murdered there, and case was never solved. 530 West Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs CA. Original house 1948, original owner Mrs. Charles Fredric Blue J. Sold to Charles Naywert, a jeweler. In 1984, owner Naywert and a house painter were murdered there, and case was never solved. Sold to David Greenfield. Sold in 1999 to Steven Cheroske. Sold in 2005 to Patricia Fearey and Paul and Pamela Schell. Sold in 2007 to Richard and Carol Meier. Sold in 2011 to Gordon and Josie Smith. Sold in 2014 to Douglas Urbanski and Osterman Trust. Sold in 2022 to Ghpsi (Ron Burkle).
1988 - The John Martin (Jack) and Marion Witte Shea Addition, 1690 Ridgemore Drive, Palm Springs CA. Original house built in 1976 designed by John Walling. The Sheas used the house to display their extensive art collection and to host philanthropic events. The house structure contains more than 40 tilt-up exposed aggregate concrete Sold in 2019 to Adam Bonnett and Daniel Krug.
1988 - The Cravens House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1988 - The Lehman House Additions, Smoke Tree Ranch, Palm Springs CA. Status unknown.
1988 -
The Newgard House Addition, 974 La Jolla Road, Palm Springs
CA. Original house built in 1957. Sold to
Sarah Riess Graham. Sold in 2012 to Hart Levy and William
Yount. Sold in 2014 to Sarah Ashton and Kari Hovland.
1990 - The Di Pietra House Addition, 789 East Racquet Club Road, Palm Springs CA. Address doesn't exist. Needs verification.
1990 - The Harris House, Rim Rocks Drive, Cathedral City CA. Unbuilt.
1990 -
The Durgam House Addition, 333 West Via Sol, Palm Springs
CA. Original house built in 1972. Sold in 2012 to John
Kobzeff and George Price.
1990 - The Foster House Alterations, 943 Avenida Olivos, Palm Springs CA. Original house built in 1937. Status unknown.
1990 -
The Frink House Addition, 1230 Via Monte Vista, Palm Springs
CA. Possible original client, 1950, Benjamin Goldberg.
For sale in 1977. Sold in 2013 to Barbara Caldwell and
Gerald Titus.
1991 - The Chandler House Addition, Thunderbird Heights, Rancho Mirage CA. Status unknown.
1995 - The Brad Dunning and Ann Magnuson Patio Remodel, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.
1997 - The Brad Dunning, Tom Ford, and Jim Moore House, aka Vacation Cottage, Palm Springs CA. Each person wanted the same small guest house design for three properties in different parts of the country. They asked Frey to design something he always wanted to do but hadn't ever been able to with his trademark materials and philosophy. Above photo is of a model. This was the last house Frey designed. Unbuilt.
Sources include: The Albert Frey Collection at Palm Springs Art Museum; Albert Frey, Inventive Modernist, by Brad Dunning; Luke Leuschner.