Western White House
22974 Bear Valley Road
This building was Richard Nixon’s Western
White House. It was located on a U.S. Coast Guard base next to
Richard Nixon’s home, “Casa Pacifica,” in San
Clemente. Within the confines of these nine modular units,
decisions were made that affected lives around the
world.
This complex was declared surplus to the
government and was purchased and moved to this site by the Apple
Valley Unified School District in 1979 for use as the school
district offices. The cost was $150 per modular unit, plus
approximately $10,000 in relocation costs; still less than one
third the cost of new construction.
Art Bolding, Apple Valley School District
business manager at the time, said the District needed more space
as the Board was meeting in a barn used to house buses.
The current Board Room was President
Nixon’s office. The original teakwood paneling is still in
this room, and indentations from the flags of the military branches
can still be seen in the carpet. Others who worked in this building
include John Erlichman, Chief Domestic Affairs Advisor, Bob
Haldeman, Chief of Staff, and Henry Kissinger, Secretary of
State.
- From the brochure Historical Points of Interest in
AppleValley
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