Deepwell

In 1926, scientist Henry Pearson dug a well on his South Palm Springs property. After hitting the water at 100 feet, curiosity took over and Pearson kept on drilling. He stopped more than 630 feet below his yard, having created the deepest well in the Coachella Valley. Two years later, investor Charles Doyle purchased a neighboring apricot-farm-turned-dude-ranch and called it Deep Well Guest Ranch. The name has stuck. More than most, Deepwell is a true neighborhood in every sense of the word.

 

Many homeowners reside here year-round, relishing the social aspect as much as the setting. The houses, almost all built in the 1950s and ’60s, are neatly landscaped and seldom cloaked behind a hedge. California ranch-style homes intersperse those with clean midcentury lines, often accompanied by artful, drought-tolerant native plantings. A minimalist modern home of steel, glass, and concrete by noted San Francisco architect Jim Jennings joins historical eye candy by Donald Wexler, William Krisel, William Cody, and Stan Sackley. Deepwell has been home to celebrities and celebrity architects. Loretta Young, Jerry Lewis, William Holden, Marjorie Main, and Tippi Hedren owned here. One of the oldest neighborhood associations in Palm Springs actively promotes neighbors knowing neighbors. To that end, Deepwell Estates Neighborhood Organization (DENO) sponsors a host of events, from cocktails and a potluck to a garden walk. This indoor-outdoor paradise is a mecca for bicyclists, joggers, and dogs walking their owners. On the map, Deepwell offers a great connection to downtown but makes it just as easy to zip down the valley.