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Historic Palm Springs rock house lists for $1.5 million

February 19, 2026

A view of the great room. (Photo by HAUSPIX.COM by clarkandvalentine)

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A view of the great room. (Photo by HAUSPIX.COM by clarkandvalentine)

A historic Palm Springs home that blends in with the rocky hillside is on the market for $1.5 million.

Known as Casa Contenta, this rustic 1,600-square-foot residence in the quiet Araby Cove neighborhood features a main house and two detached studio casitas, totaling three bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Records show Orca Gold USA Inc., a corporation managed by former Canadian Football League All-Star Peter Dyakowski and his brother, Alex, bought the property in September 2024 for $625,000.

The brothers have since modernized the historic home without altering its character.

Completed in 1929, the single-story main house features a flat roof, a natural, rugged stone facade and interior walls and recessed windows. Hand-carved doors, exposed ceiling beams and two fireplaces, including one with a preserved stove pipe add to its character.

Perle Martin Wheeler, the original owner who named the house, carved her initials into the patio, and they still remain.

Inside the house, the great room features a large picture window.

New appliances grace the kitchen, which includes a corner for a table and chairs.

The primary suite has direct access to the outside with its meandering pathways, along with updated irrigation and landscaping by Paul Ortega, president emeritus and co-founder of the Desert Horticultural Society of the Coachella Valley.

Take in the expansive desert views from the patio space, Cowboy Pool and rooftop deck.

Each casita has a bedroom with an attached bathroom.

Jason Cochran of Desert Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.

Casa Contenta is one of four Araby Rock Houses, collectively known as the Hopi Village, by R. Lee Miller. As a master builder and craftsman with no formal architectural training, his rustic designs have been hailed as “unique and artistic embodiments of the Palm Springs spirit during the 1920s and 30s” by the city.

Palm Springs’ Historic Site Preservation Board designated Miller’s Hopi Village as a Class 1 Historic Site in February 2022.

The city adds, “His constant use of rock spoke to his affinity for native desert materials.”

Casa Contenta may qualify for Mills Act property tax savings, according to the listing.

Historic Palm Springs rock house lists for $1.5 million Orange County Register

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Historic Palm Springs rock house lists for $1.5 million

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