Monument House Joshua Tree - At Park w/ Hot Tub

Summary:
In a valley of boulders just outside the Joshua Tree Park is the historic Monument House. Designed by Josh Schweitzer as a retreat for the owners’ close friends & family, this home is available to the public for the first time. Following in the footsteps of Lloyd Wright’s nearby New City of Mentalphysics, this home continues a rich tradition of experimental and radical architecture in the high desert.
Downtown JT -->5 Min Drive
Joshua Tree NP --> Min Drive
Pappy & Harriet’s -->20 Min Drive

The Space:
***ALERT: The oven is currently non-operational.. We are working quickly to repair this issue. We apologize for the inconvenience!

Recently featured in The New York Times & Dwell Magazine, as well as on the covers of numerous books, Monument House is exactingly specific to this space and place, its location inseparable from the design and its historical time of conception and architectural experimentation. The result is a liberating and unique artistic expression, reinventing the idea of a modern desert domestic dwelling.

HIGHLIGHTS
► 1 bedroom; king size mattress
► 1 full bathroom; w/ vanity & walk in shower
► Secluded backyard w/ fire-pit & loungers
► 5+ acres to explore
► Hot tub, nestled in the boulders
► Fully equipped kitchen; modern appliances
► Washer & dryer w/ supplies provided
► Large living room w/ fireplace, books, games + endless views (No TV)
► Outdoor gazebo w/ dining table set for 4
► EV charger
► Pet friendly
► High-speed WiFi for remote work + entertainment
► One mile to the Joshua Tree National Park entrance
► Professionally hosted by Homestead Modern™


All Homestead Modern Homes include:
- Full-time, local support team
- Locally roasted coffee & pantry essentials
- Parachute towels & linens and Public Goods natural body products
- Concierge-like support to help you unplug, unwind, & engage with the High Desert

Learn more @HomesteadModern

Here Are a Few Kind Words From Our Recent Guests:

-”The house has been beautifully integrated into the natural surroundings, featuring a stunning indoor and outdoor design. The outdoor space was immaculate and truly complemented the overall charm of the place.” -Nico

-”We loved staying at this architectural marvel! The stargazing from the hot tub, cooking a meal on the grille, and ice cream by the fire pit are memories we will have for a lifetime. Highly recommend booking here.” -Macy
—--

30 years on “The Monument House” is still equally jarring and relevant. It is nestled amid the giant boulders near the entrance of Joshua Tree National Park (known as Joshua Tree National Monument when the house was designed). The desert sun creates dramatic, choreographic shadow play with the right angles of the architecture and perforations. As a highly conceptual shelter, it is an extreme contextual marriage of location and organic postmodern architecture, an unprecedented alien style as distinctive as the landscape surrounding it.

"Everyone thinks of the desert as monochromatic. But when you look carefully, there are all these amazing colors: a vivid green lichen growing on a rock, a bright red flower, and the impossibly blue sky. This compound takes those colors and builds them at the scale of man, which is bigger than the flower, but a lot smaller than the rocks." - Architect, Josh Schweitzer

The cubic shape, with trapezoidal openings, mirrors the surrounding landscape, which is dominated by fragmented monzogranite boulders. Three vertical cubic pavilions, each boldly painted in deep desert colors and punctuated by random trapezoidal openings and windows huddle together in both animated and natural harmony with the exaggerated and surreal surrounding landscape. This house comes from, stands outside of, and comments on both the natural and the man made landscapes. The forms may seem primitive, but they are derived from Schweitzer's former employer, Frank Gehry.

The most recent custodian of the house was composer Harold Budd. The house was his muse for 20 years and the shelter under which he composed many musical pieces and poetry. “Although its aura is ethereal and unworldly, Budd's music is actually an exemplary form of humanly useful music.” An apt description of his work and one that beautifully encapsulates this historic house as well.

LIVING SPACE
Open living area, focused on verticality in a landscape of horizontal expanse. There is comfortable couch seating and throw blankets alongside an electric fireplace, books, games and a bluetooth speaker. There is no TV at Monument House.

BEDS & BATHS
-King-size bed in primary bedroom with black-out roller shades
-Bathroom with a large vanity and walk-in shower
-Washer and dryer

ALL HOMESTEAD HOMES INCLUDE
✓Essential toiletries provided, including Public Goods shampoo, conditioner, & body wash
✓Hair dryer
✓Parachute towels & linens


KITCHEN & DINING
The kitchen and dining area is surrounded by carefully placed window frames with a view of the mountains but in a cut-off angled manner, so that the desert is seen through hexilated snapshots.

-Indoor dining table by Roy McMakin for Domestic Furniture and dining chairs by the architect Josh Schweitzer, with seating for 6
-Outdoor dining table for 6 people in the gazebo
-Premium baking sheets, pots and pans
-Toaster, blender and vintage melamine plates and drinkware
-Cooking oil, salt & pepper, a few spices, sugar-in-the-raw and locally roasted Wonder Lake coffee is included
-A drip coffee maker, French press, stove-top espresso maker and tea kettle
-Propane BBQ grill and tools

OUTDOOR SPACE
The outdoor space had been arranged to optimize engagement with the desert. The orange gazebo is actually an outdoor room, a place for dining, a place of shade and one of idiosyncratic pattern.

-Hot tub w/ views, hidden on a deck in the boulders
-Propane fire-pit and loungers
-Native & ancient landscaping surrounding the home

ESSENTIALS
Monument House includes High Speed WiFi, heating, and air conditioning.
Parking is available for 4 vehicles w/ an EV charger

Please contact us if you have any questions about the home or the area in general. We hope to welcome you soon!


This home is very well known and is quite attractive to people visiting the area. There is no trespassing allowed and ample warning signs leading up to the house regarding this. Authorities will be called if someone approaches the house for a photo. However, please know their desire to take a photo of the architecture is a compliment to the home and to your great taste and we appreciate your understanding as management deals with people who cannot read signs and respect boundaries.

ACTIVITIES/ATTRACTIONS
Visitors come to the High Desert for its unique landscape, culture, and recreational opportunities, as well as for the weather - hot and dry summers and mild winters at our high altitude. Joshua Tree and the communities surrounding the Joshua Tree National Park include Flamingo Heights, Pioneertown, Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, and Landers. You’ll be close to all the action at Josh Schweitzer's Monument House. Some of our favorite options available to you:

–Joshua Tree National Park: 800,000 acres of mystical beauty - Joshua Tree National Park is one of the world’s most incredible natural desert treasures. Sweeping, grand in scale and populated by granite monoliths and voluptuous rock and boulder formations. This quiet land, conducive to meditation and roaming, was carved by extremes in climate - wind, rain and an ever-present, relentless sun. Diverse forms of plant life are found everywhere, but none as unique or prevalent as the park’s namesake: the Joshua tree, standing majestically across the vast topography.

–Pioneertown: Step back in time to thus rustic Old West-style village. Wander through the historic buildings, visit unique shops, catch a live music performance at Pappy & Harriets, and experience the Wild West charm.

• The Integratron: New age-y healing destination with a sound bath, originally designed by ufologist George Van Tassel with the goal of reversing the aging process.

Everything at your fingertips and more, when you book with us today

Guest Access:
You will have the entire house and property to yourself. Only registered guests are allowed, unless specifically agreed upon during the booking process. 2 extra day guests may be approved, but the county restricts occupancy to 4 after 8pm. Any unannounced guests will be asked to leave and the reservation may be canceled at will. We do have a security camera fixed on the driveway of the property to monitor the number of people arriving.

While we encourage taking walks on this property and in the National Park, please do not wander into our neighbor's backyards in the surrounding area as you will be trespassing on private property.

Also note, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO USE OF OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLES (OHV) IN THIS AREA.

Getting Around:
This is a remote location down dirt roads, so please take it slow. While a car is required to get around, a four wheel drive car is not, but note that roads will often have ruts, particularly after a rain.

Other Things to Note:
• EVENTS & COMMERCIAL PHOTOSHOOTS: Are not permitted without prior approval, applicable permit and additional fees.

• DOGS: Dogs are welcome and there is a one time fee of $100. Maximum of 2 Dogs allowed. No other types of animals are authorized.

• CELL SERVICE: Cell phone service availability and quality in the high desert varies by service provider. This is particularly true in the more remote areas of Joshua Tree, Pipes Canyon, and Pioneertown. Please be prepared by enabling wifi calling or downloading a VOIP program.

Interaction with Guests:
Our property manager, Homestead Modern, is local and has staff available from 9am-9pm.