The City of Indian Wells is pleased to announce its first official home on the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of America’s historic locations! The Desert Bel Air Showcase House was inducted on April 7, 2026.

The home was designed in 1962 by modern architect William F. Cody and is part of the Desert Bel Air Estates community developed by Fillmore Crank and Robert Higgins. Cody was an influential architect who worked throughout California, Mexico and Cuba, incorporating regional materials into his modern designs and creating his own version of Desert Midcentury Modernism. Cody designed many other houses within the Desert Bel Air Estates.

The Desert Bel Air Showcase House highlights Cody’s unique Desert Midcentury Moderism design throughout the 2,025-square-foot home, including stunning floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing panoramic views of Mount Eisenhower and the Santa Rosa Mountains, an open floor plan that caters effortlessly to indoor-outdoor living and a reflecting pond with a fountain. It features three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a spacious backyard with a pool and a glass passageway that connects the entertaining space and private living wings of the house for seamless indoor and outdoor living. The home also boasts numerous traditional midcentury modern features, such as wide roof overhangs, walnut wood paneling and a distinctive round kiva fireplace. 

Rehabilitation over the decades has been guided closely by Cody’s original plans and professional preservation standards, and it looks much as it did when completed in 1962. Minor updates, such as energy-efficient window glazing, restored kitchen cabinets and a modern battery backup system, have been carefully integrated without changing the character of the original design. 

The National Register began in 1966 after the passing of the National Historic Preservation Act and is run by the National Park Service as a way to designate places across the nation that should be preserved due to their historical significance. As of 2025, the National Register lists over 100,000 properties, with almost every county in the United States home to at least one historically recognized location.