Albert Frey's Cree House

You guessed it. Curated Mid-Century Modern Home Listings.

For most, California’s Coachella Valley is known for its eponymous music festival. As fun as dusty crowds, flower crowns, and overpriced water bottles sound, we’ll keep our focus on the region’s architectural gems.

Past issues have highlighted a number of iconic Palm Springs structures, including the Palm Springs City Hall (1952) designed by Albert Frey. Far lesser known is Frey’s Cree House.

Swiss-born architect Albert Frey was a student of pioneers Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, before making his way to America in 1928. He played a pivotal role in the development of Palm Springs and the ‘Desert Modernism’ movement. Frey’s work has received widespread praise and attention - The Cree House was largely overlooked though.

Sometimes called ‘the Forgotten Frey,’ the remote home had been privately owned with no public access or tours granted. Frey originally designed the home for Raymond Cree, a school superintendent who dabbled in real estate development. A rugged desert setting between Palm Springs and Catherdal City was selected, providing dramatic San Jacinto views. The concept is unmistakably Frey with a number of similarities to Frey’s own home (Frey House II) - thin steel columns, overhanding deck, fiberglass siding etc.

The home was restored, extensively photographed, and sold for $1,693,000 in 2022.

Photos by Lance Gerber

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