La Casa Pacifica
| La Casa Pacífica | |
|---|---|
Mission Revival | |
| Address | 4100 Calle Isabella San Clemente, California |
La Casa Pacifica (
The large Spanish-style California
Around the time Nixon took office in 1969 he asked a young campaign aide, Fred Divel, to search the coast of
After purchasing the estate Nixon made a number of alterations to the original home, done for both personal preferences and for the needs of the Secret Service. The tennis court was replaced with a swimming pool and much of the estate was wrapped by a 1,500-foot (460 m) C-shaped wall.[3] The rose garden contains a magnolia that Pat Nixon brought as a seedling taken from the magnolia tree that Andrew Jackson planted at the White House.[4]
Today the almost six-acre (2.4 ha) estate includes about 9,000 square feet (840 m2) of living space, with tile and hardwood flooring, arched doorways and detailed groin-vaulted ceilings. Among its key features is the ocean-view office used by Nixon, an entertainer's pavilion, and a master suite with an expanded bathroom and closet area. Formal living spaces open to a classic hacienda-style patio courtyard with a hand-painted tile fountain in its center. The missing tennis court has since been replaced with a modern one.
During Nixon's tenure as chief executive, the home was visited by such VIP guests as
It is an interesting historical footnote that U.S. Coast Guard LORAN Station San Mateo Point[5] (located in southernmost San Clemente[6]) would play a part in the Watergate scandal of the 1970s, which ultimately led to the resignation of President Nixon (ostensibly to avoid impeachment). According to the US Government Printing Office Web Site:
In May 1975, the Watergate Special Prosecution Force (WSPF) decided that it was necessary to question former President Richard M. Nixon in connection with various investigations being conducted by the WSPF. Mr. Nixon was questioned over the period of two days, June 23 and June 24, 1975, and the testimony was taken as part of various investigations being conducted by the January 7, 1974, Grand Jury for the District of Columbia (the third Watergate Grand Jury). Chief Judge George Hart signed an order authorizing that the sworn deposition of Mr. Nixon be taken at the Coast Guard Station in San Mateo, California with two members of the grand jury present.[7]
Following the president's resignation, both he and his wife retired to the San Clemente estate, where Nixon composed his memoirs. During those years many in the local community still displayed their loyalty to the embattled former president despite the public embarrassment of the collapse of his political career.
The Nixons sold their home to Allergan founder Gavin S. Herbert and his business partners and moved to New York City in 1980 before resettling in Park Ridge, New Jersey in 1982.[citation needed] A strong Republican donor, Herbert kept the home as his own while developing the area around it into an enclave of individual luxury mansions.[3]
The home has remained a private residence and was closed to the public; however, its legacy as a presidential retreat is still used as a calling card for the city of San Clemente.[3] The road adjacent to Interstate 5 in the area is called Avenida del Presidente (Avenue of the President).
The estate sits just north of some of the West Coast's best and most well known
In December 2009, the city of San Clemente passed a "Historical Property Preservation Agreement"[9] to restore, improve, and preserve this historical building.
Gavin Herbert publicly listed La Casa Pacifica for sale in April 2015, with an asking price of $75 million. He removed the property from the market in September.[10] He relisted the property for $69 million in April 2016 and again received no offers, withdrawing it from the market in October. In 2017[11] and 2018,[12] Herbert again offered the property at a reduced price of $63.5 million. In May 2019, the property was relisted at a discounted price of $57.5 million, but it had been removed from the market by early 2020. In April 2021, it was relisted for $65 million.[13]
See also
References
- ^ Richard Nixon, 183 – Remarks at a Reception for General Secretary Brezhnev in San Clemente, California, June 23, 1973.
- ^ It may also be interpreted as a mistranslation of "Pacific (Ocean) House".
- ^ a b c d e f Powers, Ashley (January 22, 2007). "Nixon's legacy still splits city". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
- ^ McMillian, Elizabeth (1996). Casa California. Rizzoli. p. 198.
- ^ "Loran Station San Mateo Point". Loran History. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- ^ "United States Coast Guard Loran Station, San Mateo Point". Wikimapia. 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- ^ "Nixon Grand Jury Records". United States Government Publishing Office. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- ^ "Nixon Talks". Time. May 9, 1977. Archived from the original on May 12, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
- ^ "San Clemente City Archive" (PDF). San Clemente. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
- ^ Green, Dennis (February 2, 2017). "No one wants to buy Richard Nixon's 'western White House'". Business Insider.
- Orange County Register.
- ^ "Richard M. Nixon's Western White House is back up for sale at $63.5 million". Los Angeles Times. May 28, 2018.
- ^ Block, Fang. "Richard Nixon's Former 'Western White House' in San Clemente, California, Relists With a Price Hike". www.mansionglobal.com.
External links
- The Western White House, a photo tour of the home by a guest.
33°23′28″N 117°35′49″W / 33.390989°N 117.597081°W
