The Legacy of the Alexander Construction Company in Palm Springs

 

 

he Alexander Construction Company, founded by George Alexander and his son, Robert Alexander, had an enormous impact on the residential development of Palm Springs from 1956 to 1965. After proving to his father, with the success of a small development in Los Angeles, that there was an untapped market for moderately priced modern homes, the Alexander Construction Company began to purchase empty desert land in Palm Springs. They hired talented architects versed in the modern vernacular and developed faster methods of building, which also was more economical and profitable. Building continued until 1965, when tragedy struck the family and Bob, George, and their wives, Jimmie and Helene, were among 8 passengers killed in a Lear jet crash near Palm Springs. The construction of these homes significantly increased the size of Palm Springs and caused the city to take on a new shape, direction, and character as an enclave of modern architecture, now referenced as mid-century modern style. These houses, collectively known as “Alexanders” have come to be appreciated for their rational designs, modernist style, and innovative construction.