Season Kickoff Cocktail Reception

WILLIAM F. CODY (1916-1978) was an influential desert modern architect working in Palm Springs during the peak of the Mid-Century Modern (MCM) movement. Like many local architects at the time, Cody designed a wide range of projects, including country clubs, residences, hotels, a library, and church projects in Palm Springs, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, and in Southern California, Arizona, Mexico, and Cuba. His residential projects illustrated simplicity of form, natural light, and large windows displaying a smooth connection between interior and exterior.

William F. Cody's PETRIE HOUSE was built in 1965 and originally intended for Filmore Crank and his wife, actress Beverly Garland. They left town for Beverly's role on The Bing Crosby Show, and Paula Vickers Petrie and Jack Petrie purchased and completed the house. Paula was an heir to the Vickers Petroleum Company and they frequently entertained the likes of Arnold Palmer, Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Johnny Bench, Barry Goldwater, Jack Lemmon, and many golf pros. Its original design was a Spanish ranch house until later owners removed the Latin influence to reveal its 1960s mid-century bones, demonstrating the versatility of Cody's designs. Current owners, Sheldon and Stephanie Anderson, are MCM enthusiasts and they fully embraced that point of view to make the place their own. The home updates were included in Master of the Midcentury: The Architecture of William F. Cody by Catherine Cody, Jo Lauria, and Don Choi, published in 2021.