Sunmoor

Sunmoor is a remarkably intact collection of midcentury modern homes constructed in the mid-1950s and early ’60s. For a sleepy neighborhood in central Palm Springs, it has some lively tales in the history books. Prominent tract-home developer Robert Higgins tapped out after completing only 11 homes in his much-publicized Sunmoor Estates subdivision that broke dirt in 1955. These modernist gems are by the architectural firm of Wexler & Harrison.

 

The Alexander Construction Company picked up the shovel and erected post-and-beam houses to form an affordable modern development advertised as Enchanted Homes. These are a deft hybrid of floor plans by architect William Krisel and façades by Los Angeles architect Richard Leitch. Two more modern-era builders, Jack Meiselman and Smith & Rapport, fill out this neighborhood where the town’s cowboy Mayor Frank Bogert was one of the first buyers.

 

Each year, select Sunmoor homes to enjoy some limelight during Modernism Week tours when enthusiasts hear about the neighborhood’s role in World War ll. Sunmor is the site of the old Palm Springs Airport and Army Air Field. Among the post-war architecture and peaceful cul de sacs, tie-down pads used to anchor military planes during the war are marked as historical sites. Sunmoor’s time-stands-still streets unfold between Farrell Drive on the west and two architectural landmarks on the east: Albert Frey-designed City Hall and Donald Wexler-designed Palm Springs International Airport.