The Willows was original built for William Mead, wealthy banker and member of the Los Angeles Water Board. The Willows was designed by Dodd and Richards, one of the most famous architectural and engineering firms in Los Angeles, in the early 20th century, and and later known for the Hearst Examiner Building. Soon after being completed, The Willows became the winter home of Samuel Untermyer, famous New Yorker attorney, and nemesis of J.P. Morgan. Untermyer was involved in bringing Einstein to the United States and Einstein visited the desert to stay with his friend in Palm Springs in the 1930s. Several pictures exist of Einstein at the property and in Palm Springs.
The bronze Historic Site Preservation Board plaque near the gate reads:
Constructed of stucco, concrete, and steel with parts of the foundation resting on boulders, the home features a mountain waterfall and has finishes including mahogany doors, wood floors, wrought iron, and handmade tiles.
“Clinging to the sides of Mt. Jacinto, California, in a cactus-covered arroyo, Samuel Untermyer, the well-known New York attorney, has built himself a large, rambling Spanish hacienda, in which are all the comforts of a Manhattan home.”
—Physical Culture magazine, August 1932
Historical Articles
The articles contain more information on The Willows and its early owner, Samuel Untermyer.
- Californians Escape to the Desert, National Geographic, November 1957
- A Picture Journey Through California, Southern Pacific Company
- The Boutonnieres of Mr. Untermyer, The New Yorker, May 18, 1940
- Untermyer Dead in His 82nd Year; Long Had Been Ill, The New York Times, March 17, 1940
- To the Desert for Sun and Air!, Physical Culture, August 1932
- Orchid-Lover, Nature Magazine, January 1931
- Little Giant, Pt. 1, The New Yorker, May 17, 1930
- Little Giant, Pt 2, The New Yorker, May 23, 1930
- Facing the Worst, The New Yorker, May 14, 1927
- Front Page Stuff, American Mercury, February 1927
- Talk of the Town, The New Yorker, June 16, 1926