hss la casa pacifica

La Casa Pacifica

San Clemente, California

Photo Credit: Nixon Foundation’s Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/nixonfoundation/page312/

Background

• La Casa Pacifica was the home of the 37th

President of the United States, Richard Nixon

• Given the nickname “The Western White House”

• After he resigned the Presidency in 1974, Nixon spent over 5 years in this house to escape the public and remain secluded

• Remains a private home to this day, so details about the house are limited

The Estate

• Inspired by a similar style house in San Sebastian, Spain1

– Architect was Carl Lindbom

– Originally constructed in 19263

• The previous owner, a Democratic Party backer, once had President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a guest

• Purchased by Nixon in 1969 for $1.4 million2

• $700,000 in upgrades paid for by United States government– Swimming pool and protective wall

• Spanish Colonial Revival Design

– Smooth white stucco walls, red clay tile roof, and Spanish decorative tile

• Originally sat on 29 acres of oceanfront property

1Source: http://news.google.comnewspapersnid=1356&dat=19800210&id=2xlOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6g0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5744,4525009

2Source: Ocala Star-Banner; February 10, 1980 (Library of Congress) http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19800210&id=2xlOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6g0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5744,45250093Source: San Clemente City Archives

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19800210&id=2xlOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6g0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5744,4525009

Amenities

• Swimming Pool

• Security Gazebos

• C-Shaped Wall for protection and seclusion

• Overlooking Pacific Ocean

Uses of Property

• Used by the President to get away from Washington during his presidency

• Used to host celebrities and world leaders– Hosted Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev on June

23, 19731

• Following president and period of seclusion, used to host parties– Ex. Republican Party fundraising events, former

POW parties, and book release parties2

1http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=38782http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19800210&id=2xlOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6g0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5744,4525009

Photo credit: thenewnixon.org(http://thenewnixon.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/NixonHouse-SanClemente.gif)

View of Front of Home

SecurityGazebo

Multiple trees for privacy

Model of La Casa Pacifica

Photo Credit: Bob Fairbankshttp://www.worldisround.com/articles/186962/

Aerial View of La Casa Pacifica


Example of Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture within Home


Another View


Inside the Home

Living Room in La Casa Pacifica

First LadyPat NixonPresident

Richard Nixon


What We Can Learn from the Home

• This house, being very elegant and impressive in nature, was clearly meant to entertain important guests. This is true considering the original owner of the home played host to a former President of the United States and the second owner was a President of the United States himself. One can only imagine the numerous influential and important people who were guests in this home. While very little is known of the interior of the house except for a few pictures, one can only imagine that it is quite elegant as well. The fact that little is known of the interior of the house is important to note, however, because it shows that President Nixon valued his personal and private space and wanted to keep it separate from the public space in his home used to entertain. While this aspect of the home is indicative of an earlier time period, it is still very prevalent during this time period as well as today. Additionally, the exterior wall surrounding the property as well as the security gazebos clearly indicate, if one did not know already, that an extremely important person lived there. These were intended for the protection of the President, his family, and his guests. Overall, La Casa Pacifica was used much more as a private retreat and personal space for President Nixon, which is evident through the design of the estate. The exterior of the house, however, was clearly meant to impress and was used as a status symbol for President Nixon’s rise from humble beginnings.

During the Presidency of Richard Nixon, the first astronauts were placed on the moon as a part of the lunar mission Apollo 11. On July 20, 1969, President Nixon used the phone showed above to speak with these astronauts, which represented the first phone call from the Earth to the Moon. The phone call was placed from the Oval Office and was received by the astronauts in space. The President was quoted during this conversation saying, “This certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made.” This telephone is now on display in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Source: http://www.space.com/19176-nixon-space-legacy-national-archives.html

hss la casa pacifica

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