Donaldson Futuro

Sold as a house that could go anywhere, it spent most of its life going nowhere. Stan Grau assembled it in San Diego in November 1969 as a Futuro salesman and moved it around for exposure, once to an Escondido mall as an Air Force recruiting office. From 1974 it sat locked behind the Design Center on Fifth Avenue, painted green and used for storage. Milford Wayne Donaldson bought it in 2002, two years before becoming the state's historic preservation officer, and moved it to Pine Cove in 2004. House and plaque stand on private land.

What the plaque says

Donaldson Futuro The Donaldson Futuro is significant as an example of America's collective confidence as a leader in space flight, technological advancement, and economic prosperity. Designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, this space-age home was the first Futuro to arrive in California, in 1969, and the only Futuro in California to obtain a building permit for residential occupancy. Its modern futuristic space-age design, materials, and workmanship retain a high level of integrity from its period of significance. The property is identified as the Donaldson Futuro in recognition of owners Wayne and Laurie Donaldson's extensive restoration effort that successfully preserved this fragile resource and raised the profile of early mid-century plastic buildings. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 1062 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with architect Milford Wayne Donaldson FAIA; the Idyllwild Area Historical Society; and the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, John P. Squibob Chapter and the Billy Holcomb Chapter, April 16, 2022. Donaldson Futuro 1969 has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior January 4, 2021

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Palm Springs — 12 mi
  Cahuilla homeland, checkerboard reservation, mid-century playground, and the square mile the city burned.
• San Gorgonio Mountain — 24 mi
  The highest ground in Southern California, and the only summit down here that stands clear above the trees.

More markers nearby

• Site of Indian Village of Pochea — 12 mi
• Ramona Bowl, Site of the Ramona Pageant — 12 mi
• Soviet Transpolar Landing Site — 13 mi
• Hemet Maze Stone — 18 mi