# Howard Lapham

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**Howard P. Lapham** (May 11, 1914 – April 16, 2008) was an American architectural designer active in the [Coachella Valley](/source/Coachella_Valley) of [Southern California](/source/Southern_California) from the 1950s through the 1980s.[1][2] He is recognized for residential commissions in Thunderbird Heights and other country club communities, commercial work in [Palm Springs](/source/Palm_Springs,_California), and for the hillside [Mayan Revival](/source/Mayan_Revival_architecture) residence *Ichpa Mayapan* (Cook House) in [Rancho Mirage](/source/Rancho_Mirage).[3]

## Early life and education

Lapham was born in [Oklahoma City, Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma_City,_Oklahoma), on May 11, 1914.[1] Before moving to California he lived in [Stamford, Connecticut](/source/Stamford,_Connecticut), where he worked in building-related trades including carpentry, drafting, and contracting.[1] He relocated to the Coachella Valley in 1954, to pursue opportunities in building and design.[2]

## Career

Lapham was professionally active from the mid-1950s through the 1980s.[1][2] Many of his early clients were associated with the [Thunderbird Country Club](/source/Thunderbird_Country_Club) in Rancho Mirage.[2] Several of these houses, including the Hyatt Robert von Dehn, John Kiewit, Clarke Swanson, and Morrow residences, were featured in *[Architectural Digest](/source/Architectural_Digest)* in the early 1960s.[2][4][5] He also contributed to a remodel of the Thunderbird Country Club clubhouse in 1961.[4]

In Palm Springs, his commercial projects included a new façade for [the Chi](/source/The_Chi) Chi Club in 1959,[2] and involvement in the Palm Springs [Greyhound Bus Terminal](/source/List_of_Greyhound_Bus_stations), completed the same year.[6][7] He also designed the Desert Star Apartments in 1956,[8] a small-scale hotel complex later recognized in 2016 as a Class 1 [Historic Site](/source/Historic_site) by the Palm Springs City Council.[9] Lapham also built a large residence at 650 East Tachevah Drive in 1966, which included high ceilings, a [cantilevered](/source/Cantilever) roof, and [terrazzo](/source/Terrazzo) floors.[10][11]

In Rancho Mirage, Lapham designed Lord Fletcher's English Pub (1966), a Tudor-style restaurant on Highway 111.[12] His residential work there included *Ichpa Mayapan* (Cook House), a hillside house completed in 1970 with Mayan Revival influences.[1][3]

From 1959 to 1963, Lapham collaborated with Romanian-born architect [Haralamb H. Georgescu](/source/Haralamb_H._Georgescu) on several projects.[13][14]

## Notable works

- Hyatt Robert von Dehn Residence (1960), Rancho Mirage[2]
- Kiewit Residence (1960), Rancho Mirage[2]
- Clarke Swanson Residence (1961), Rancho Mirage[2]
- Morrow Residence (1961), Palm Desert[2]
- Thunderbird Country Club clubhouse remodel (1961), Rancho Mirage[4]
- Chi Chi Club façade renovation (1959), Palm Springs[6]
- Greyhound Bus Terminal (1959), Palm Springs[7]
- Desert Star Apartments (1956), Palm Springs[9]
- Lord Fletcher's English Pub (1966), Rancho Mirage[12]
- 650 East Tachevah Drive (1966), Palm Springs[10][11][15]
- Ichpa Mayapan (Cook House) (1970), Rancho Mirage[3]

## Personal life

Lapham married Rita Leeney in 1956, and they had two sons, Lawrence and Robert.[16] He died in Palm Springs, California, on April 16, 2008, aged 93.[16]

## Legacy

Lapham's designs have been documented in regional historic resource surveys and archives.[1][2] Some of his buildings have been preserved, including the Desert Star Apartments, while others, such as the Hyatt von Dehn residence, have been demolished.[2][17] The collection of his papers are held by the [Palm Springs Art Museum](/source/Palm_Springs_Art_Museum).[1] Local preservation organizations have highlighted his work, and several of his houses are featured during [Modernism Week](/source/Modernism_Week) tours.[18]

## See also

- [Desert Modernism](/source/Mid-century_modern)
- [Palm Springs, California](/source/Palm_Springs,_California)
- [Thunderbird Country Club](/source/Thunderbird_Country_Club)

## References

1. ["Howard P. Lapham Collection Finding Aid"](https://cinco-prd.s3.amazonaws.com/media/pdf/Howard_Lapham_Finding_Aid.pdf). *Palm Springs Art Museum Archives*. Palm Springs Art Museum. 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Historic Resources Survey Final Report"](https://cms3.revize.com/revize/ranchomirageca/CITY%20STAFF%20USE%20THIS%20FILE/Department%20Files/Planning/Historic%20Preservation%20Commission/Final-Report.pdf). *City of Rancho Mirage*. City of Rancho Mirage. February 3, 2003. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. Tyrnauer, Matt (March 22, 2017). ["Look Inside Michael S. Smith's Rancho Mirage Residence"](https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/michael-s-smith-james-costos-palm-springs-home-article). *Architectural Digest*. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Thunderbird Country Club — Palm Springs, California"](https://archive.architecturaldigest.com/article/19610901044). *Architectural Digest (archives)*. September 1961. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Thunderbird Country Club"](https://calisphere.org/item/690f0b9b030a4b0fe06bc7b81d6e58a5/). *Calisphere*. Huntington Library, Maynard L. Parker Collection. 1961. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Greyhound Tells Plan of New Terminal; City Council Okeh Signals Start of Construction Work"](https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19590828.2.46). *California Digital Newspaper Collection*. University of California, Riverside. August 28, 1959. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Greyhound Bus Terminal"](https://www.pspreservationfoundation.org/greyhound-bus-terminal/). *Palm Springs Preservation Foundation*. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. Ditmars, Hadani (2015-02-09). ["Top 10 modernist hotels in Palm Springs, California"](https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/feb/09/top-10-design-hotels-palm-springs-california-modernism-week). *The Guardian*. [ISSN 0261-3077](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2025-09-27.

1. ["City Council Staff Report: Class 1 Historic Designation of "The Desert Star Apartments" (HSPB 102)"](https://palmsprings.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?clip_id=2348&meta_id=215004). *City of Palm Springs*. October 5, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Living Large"](https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/real-estate/living-large/). *Palm Springs Life*. January 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. Baum Lagdameo, Jennifer (October 2, 2019). ["This Midcentury Home for Sale Is the Grandest Palm Springs Has Ever Seen"](https://www.dwell.com/article/650-east-tachevah-palms-springs-midcentury-real-estate-93a14076). *Dwell*. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Lord Fletcher's Inn Opening Photo Caption"](https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19660513.2.117). *California Digital Newspaper Collection*. University of California, Riverside. May 13, 1966. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Haralamb H. Georgescu papers, 1907–1992 (Finding Aid)"](https://www.getty.edu/research/collections/static/pdf/2008.M.35.pdf). *Getty Research Institute*. J. Paul Getty Trust. 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Haralamb H. Georgescu papers, 1907-1992, bulk 1931-1977"](https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:%2F13030%2Fc8x92c43). *OAC University of California*. Retrieved 2025-09-27.

1. ["This enormous Palm Springs compound may be the biggest midcentury house ever built in the city"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170704073813/https://la.curbed.com/2017/7/3/15918370/palm-springs-midcentury-modern-big-house-movie-colony). *Curbed LA*. July 3, 2017. Archived from [the original](https://la.curbed.com/2017/7/3/15918370/palm-springs-midcentury-modern-big-house-movie-colony) on July 4, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["Howard Lapham Obituary"](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thedesertsun/name/howard-lapham-obituary?id=23860671). *The Desert Sun (via Legacy.com)*. April 20, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2025.

1. ["LOST ARCHITECTURE | Preservation Mirage | Rancho Mirage, California"](https://www.preservationmirage.org/lost-architecture). *Preservation Mirage*. Retrieved 2025-09-27.

1. ["Celebrating a Decade of Palm Springs Modern Living by James Schnepf: A Special Home Tour | Modernism Week 2025"](http://modernismweek.com/2025/home-tours/celebrating-decade-of-palm-springs-modern/). *Modernism Week*. Retrieved 2025-09-27.

## External links

- [Howard P. Lapham Collection – Palm Springs Art Museum (OAC)](https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fc82z1dgd)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Howard Lapham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Lapham) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Lapham?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.