In Orange, Southern California, there is a place where as many as 140 early Eichler Homes, built in 1960, line the streets. Joseph Eichler, who made his mark as a developer, sought out attractive plots of land and built architecturally refined homes on them, offering them at relatively affordable prices. Beautiful yet functional, these Eichler Homes were available to anyone regardless of race or religion, and even after half a century, they continue to be cherished.

Most Eichler Homes were built in Northern California, where Joseph Eichler himself resided. In particular, over 2,700 homes were constructed in Palo Alto, located in the Bay Area near San Francisco, making it the city with the most surviving Eichler Homes.

Although these homes, which began construction in the 1950s, were primarily single-story, there are rare examples of two-story versions.

While not as numerous as in Palo Alto, many early Eichler Homes still remain in Orange, Southern California.

The Robert Arwood Residence, built in 1960, is surrounded by a total of 140 Eichler Homes. This area, too, can be considered an “Eichler town” due to the concentration of valuable properties.

Among them, the Robert Residence is a particularly notable example, designed by Anshen & Allen, showcasing the distinctive style of early Eichler Homes both inside and out.

The property sits on approximately 225 tsubo (about 7,440 square feet) of land, with a 58 tsubo (approximately 1,920 square feet) house built on it. When it was purchased six years ago, the floors, kitchen, plumbing, and garden were renovated, but everything else remains original from the time of construction.

The mahogany walls in the living room, the fireplace, and even the psychedelic wall in the sanitary area are all original features—an astonishing state of preservation.

Every Eichler Home was built based on a specific model plan, and the Robert Residence follows the LA-81R layout. Unlike other models, one of its unique features is the inclusion of a separate dining room.

Next to that dining room is a door that leads to a built-in garage. What looked like a wall shutting out the outside world was actually a garage designed in the mid-20th century.

Eichler, like Frank Lloyd Wright who frequently used carports, also favored them. However, it was not uncommon for Eichler Homes to be equipped with built-in garages, as seen in the Robert Residence.

PHOTO｜Kazutoshi AKimoto 秋元一利
TEXT｜Kazutoshi AKimoto 秋元一利
PUBLISHED｜2025
SOURCE｜アイクラーホームズ＆ミッドセンチュリーデザイン
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