New Owners To Preserve Ford Estate

The new owners of the mid-century-style compound of the late President Gerarld and First Lady Betty Ford plan to preserve the estate, a Realtor announced today.

The Ford estate was recently sold to John McIlwee and his partner Bill Damaschke for $1.675  million, according to Realtor Nelda Linsk of HK Lane Real Estate.

“You should never significantly alter something that has architectural integrity, “ McIlwee said. "Don’t turn a mid-century marvel into a monstrosity it was never meant to be. We found a box of (architect) Welton Becket’s original plans in the garage. We intend to study them to find out what could have changed over the years. Before we make any decisions. It’s our intention that anything we do, we want people to believe it was, or could have been, original.”

McIlwee said he and his partner Damaschke, who is chief creative officer of DreamWorks Animation, does plan to do some updates to the interiors.

Betty Ford passed away July 8, 2011 at the age of 93. President Ford died on Dec. 26, 2006, aslo at the age of 93.

The Ford compound served as the California retreat for President and Mrs. Ford after the Fords left the White House. There are five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, two partial bathrooms, his and hers offices.

The sale of Ford's "official office," which was used as a command post for U.S. Secret Service agents on Sand Dune Road, is pending, according to Linsk.

Tyler Morgan of Capitis Real Estate of Palm Springs, represented John McIlwee in the transaction. Nelda Linsk of HKLane Real Estate of Palm Desert, and Lindell Campbell of Warwick Properties Group represented the Ford estate.