La Casa Pacifica facts for kids
La Casa Pacifica is a beautiful mansion right on the beach in San Clemente, California. Its name means "The Pacific House" or "The House of Peace" in Spanish. This amazing home looks out over the Pacific Ocean. It's famous because it was once President Richard Nixon's "Western White House." This meant it was a special place where he could live and work when he wasn't at the main White House in Washington, D.C..
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History of La Casa Pacifica
Building the Mansion
The large Spanish-style mansion was built in 1926. It was designed by architect Carl Lindbom. The house looked like a country home in San Sebastian, Spain. It was built for Hamilton H. Cotton, who helped start the city of San Clemente. Mr. Cotton was a supporter of the Democratic Party. He often had important guests, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, visit his home.
Nixon Buys the Estate
When Richard Nixon became president in 1969, he wanted a quiet place to work outside of Washington. He asked an aide, Fred Divel, to find a special spot along the coast of Southern California. Divel found the Cotton estate in San Clemente. It was right next to the large Camp Pendleton Marine Base.
President Nixon bought the estate in 1969 from Cotton's widow. He named it "La Casa Pacifica." The news reporters quickly started calling it "The Western White House." President Nixon liked this name, and it became a common term for other presidential homes outside of Washington.
Changes to the Home
After buying the estate, President Nixon made some changes. These changes were for his family and for the Secret Service, who protect the president. For example, the old tennis court was replaced with a swimming pool. A long, C-shaped wall was also built around much of the property.
Today, the estate is almost six acres big. The house itself has about 9,000 square feet of living space. It has beautiful tile and wood floors. You can see arched doorways and special curved ceilings. One important part of the house is the office President Nixon used, which has a great ocean view. There's also a large room for entertaining guests. The main bedroom has a bigger bathroom and closet area. The formal living rooms open up to a classic Spanish-style courtyard. This courtyard has a pretty fountain with hand-painted tiles. A modern tennis court has also been added back to the property.
Important Visitors
During President Nixon's time in office, many important people visited La Casa Pacifica. These guests included leaders from other countries, like Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz. The Prime Minister of Japan, Eisaku Satō, also visited. Other important people like Henry Kissinger and Bebe Rebozo were also guests at the home.
Life After the Presidency
After some difficult times in his presidency, President Nixon decided to leave office. He and his wife, Pat Nixon, moved to La Casa Pacifica in San Clemente. While living there, President Nixon wrote his life story, called his memoirs. Many people in the local community still showed their support for the former president during this time.
An interesting fact is that the famous Frost/Nixon interviews were first planned to happen at La Casa Pacifica. However, radio signals from a nearby Coast Guard station caused problems with the TV equipment. So, the interviews had to be moved to a different house nearby.
In the late 1980s, the Nixons moved to Park Ridge, New Jersey. They sold La Casa Pacifica to Gavin S. Herbert and his business partners. Mr. Herbert was a strong supporter of the Republican Party. He kept the home for himself and helped develop the area around it into a neighborhood of luxury mansions.
La Casa Pacifica Today
La Casa Pacifica is still a private home and is not open to the public. However, its history as a presidential retreat is still a source of pride for the city of San Clemente. The road next to Interstate 5 in the area is even called Avenida del Presidente, which means "Avenue of the President."
The estate is located just north of some of the best and most famous surfing spots on the West Coast. These spots stretch for four miles, from San Onofre State Park through Lower and Upper Trestles, ending at Cotton's Point. Cotton's Point itself is known for having some of the best big summer waves along the entire coast.
In December 2009, the city of San Clemente approved a plan to help restore and preserve this historic building.
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