This incredible structure was built by Cabot Abram Yerxa (1883-1965) in Desert Hot Springs, California. Constructed over several decades using salvaged items that he acquired throughout the desert, Cabot's story is fascinating and worth reading into. Yerxa opened his Hopi-style pueblo in 1945, with his inspiration found in the Pueblo Revival Style of architecture.
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It's worth noting that the odd shapes and layout of the structure is a result of Cabot using many of the salvaged pieces he found "as is". The pueblo boasts 35 rooms, 150 windows, 65 doors, and 5000 square feet of space. Also known as Cabot's Old Indian Pueblo Museum, the location houses some of Yerxa's original artwork, as well as American Indian and early desert homesteader artifacts. I was also given a private tour of the interior, but more on that to come.
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Wood paneling on the walls, mismatched couches next to a well-used ping-pong table, and stacks of vintage vinyl set the scene for the Rumpus Room at Medalta - a throwback currently setup in the Yuill Family Gallery. Last week I stopped in to check out one of their vinyl sharing nights hosted in the space, and had a blast snapping a few pictures. It rings true that if you wait long enough, the tacky becomes cool, and the old becomes new again.
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