Richard Nixon House: Inside La Casa Pacifica, the Western White House
Richard Nixon House, La Casa Pacifica, sits on 5.45 acres of prime San Clemente coastline with 450 feet of beachfrontage. Nixon purchased the Spanish Colonial Revival estate in 1969 for $1.4 million and used it as his Western White House throughout his presidency. The 15,000-square-foot compound includes nine bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and hosted 17 world leaders.
More than four decades after Nixon sold it, the estate is still owned by the same family and, as of 2026, has just marked its 100th year standing on the bluff.
Quick Facts
| Location | San Clemente, California (Cottons Point Estates) |
| Built | 1926, for Hamilton H. Cotton |
| Architect | Carl Lindbom |
| Style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Purchased by Nixon | 1969, for $1.4 million |
| Lot size today | 5.45 acres (two parcels) |
| Living space | ~15,000 sq. ft. total (9,000 sq. ft. main house) |
| Bedrooms / Bathrooms | 9 / 14 |
| Beachfront | 450 linear feet |
| World leaders hosted | 17, including Leonid Brezhnev |
| Sold by Nixon | 1980, to Gavin S. Herbert |
| Current owner | Herbert family (46 years and counting as of 2026) |
| Public access | Private residence; not open for tours |
What Makes La Casa Pacifica Different From Other Presidential Homes
Nixon bought La Casa Pacifica in 1969, shortly after taking office. The name means “house of peace” in Spanish. Unlike Camp David or other presidential retreats, this became Nixon’s official voting residence and his most frequented escape from Washington.
Origins Under Hamilton Cotton
The estate was built in 1926 for Hamilton H. Cotton, one of San Clemente’s founding financiers. Cotton, a prominent Democratic Party supporter, had previously hosted Franklin D. Roosevelt at the property during the 1930s. Architect Carl Lindbom designed the home in Spanish Colonial Revival style, modeling it on a country house he’d seen in San Sebastián, Spain, with white stucco walls, red tile roofs, arched colonnades, and wrought-iron balconies.
How Nixon Found the Property
Finding the place wasn’t left to chance. Early in his term, Nixon asked a young campaign aide, Fred Divel, to scout the Southern California coastline for a private presidential retreat. Divel landed on the Cotton estate at the quiet southern edge of San Clemente, right against the northern boundary of Camp Pendleton — a detail that would later make the property far easier to secure and access by air.
Turning the Estate Into a Presidential Compound
When Nixon purchased the estate from Cotton’s widow, he transformed it into a fully functional presidential operations center, replacing a tennis court with a swimming pool, adding a 1,500-foot protective wall, and equipping the grounds with presidential-grade security and communication systems, including a helipad and secure telephone lines.
The estate originally sat on 28 acres when Nixon owned it — more than five times its current footprint, before later development carved up the surrounding land.
Nixon’s Purchase Price and Financial Controversy
Nixon initially claimed he paid $340,000 for the property with a $100,000 down payment. Investigators revealed in 1973 that Nixon had actually paid at least $1.4 million for the 26-acre property and received a $450,000 loan from close friend and industrialist Robert Abplanalp.
The discrepancy became ammunition for Nixon’s opponents during the Watergate investigation. A 1974 House committee found that the federal government had spent $1.7 million on La Casa Pacifica and another Nixon house in Key Biscayne, Florida, with critics highlighting expenses like:
- $2,000 for a flagpole
- $100,000 for shrubbery and landscape improvements
The financial scrutiny reflected broader questions about Nixon’s personal finances and the blurred lines between personal retreat and government facility.
The Property’s Layout and Features Today
The compound spans two parcels totaling 5.45 acres. The estate includes:
- A 9,000-square-foot main house with nine bedrooms and 14 bathrooms
- A 3,000-square-foot entertaining pavilion with a guest wing
- A detached two-bedroom guest house
- Multiple staff buildings where the Secret Service used to operate
Grounds and Gardens
Additional amenities include an oceanfront swimming pool, a lighted tennis court, a putting green, a greenhouse, and formal gardens. One planting in particular carries its own piece of presidential history: Pat Nixon had a magnolia seedling brought over from the tree Andrew Jackson planted at the White House — the same magnolia that appears on the back of the $20 bill — and had it rooted in the estate’s rose garden, where it still grows today. The entire property sits behind high walls and fences, providing complete privacy.
Interior Details
The main residence features beamed ceilings and panoramic waterfront views. At nearly six acres with 9,000 square feet of living space, the estate now features ocean-view offices, an entertainer’s pavilion, and a master suite with a magnificent bathroom.
The architecture maintains its period craftsmanship with hand-painted ceramic murals and tiles throughout the property. Original installations include patterned ceramic tiles characteristic of early California, Spanish, and Moorish designs.
World Leaders and Celebrities Who Visited
Six U.S. presidents have set foot on the property over its history, starting with FDR’s visits to Hamilton Cotton decades before Nixon ever bought it. But it was during Nixon’s five turbulent years in office that La Casa Pacifica became a genuine diplomatic stage, hosting no fewer than 17 heads of state, including Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and Japanese premier Eisaku Satō, along with countless celebrities from John Wayne to Frank Sinatra.
The 1973 Brezhnev Summit
The most notable diplomatic moment occurred in 1973, when Nixon hosted Leonid Brezhnev. The summit advanced the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) and was a milestone in Cold War diplomacy.
Other Notable Guests
Other notable visitors included South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu, President Lyndon Johnson, and Nixon’s close friend Bebe Rebozo. The relaxed coastal setting provided a different backdrop for high-stakes diplomatic conversations compared to the formal White House environment.
The casual yet secure environment made it ideal for confidential conversations with both American advisors and foreign leaders. Unlike the formal setting of the White House, La Casa Pacifica’s ocean breeze and laid-back ambiance encouraged open dialogue.
How Nixon Used the Western White House
Nixon used La Casa Pacifica as his domicile of record and the location where he voted in elections during his Presidency. He would retreat here for periods ranging from a week to a month several times a year.
Nixon traveled to La Casa Pacifica by helicopter after landing at nearby Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps base whose border sits right against the estate’s grounds — a big part of why the location worked so well for a sitting president’s security detail. Special orders were given to local police to retrieve a black briefcase first if Nixon’s helicopter were to crash. The briefcase contained a code to order the launch of nuclear weapons.
Presidential Business From the Coast
The president handled real work from the estate. From this estate, Nixon made key decisions on Cold War strategy and domestic policy. His administration’s groundbreaking steps toward détente with the Soviet Union and the opening of relations with the People’s Republic of China were discussed and advanced here.
Press photographs of Nixon at San Clemente were striking for the president’s awkwardly formal approach to relaxation. He strolled the beach in his wingtip shoes and sat poolside reading newspapers in a lounge chair—again in his wingtips.
Former city police chief Albert Ehlow recalled: “Before Nixon, we were just a stop on the way to San Diego. He put San Clemente on the map. We liked him, we liked the way he was running the country”.
Nixon’s Exile Years at La Casa Pacifica
When Watergate finally forced Nixon to resign on August 9, 1974, he flew home to San Clemente, and his oceanfront retreat became his place of exile. Nixon settled in San Clemente with a small staff, including Ron Ziegler, Marine Col. Jack Brennan, Frank Gannon, and Diane Sawyer, where he pursued work on RN: The Memoirs Of Richard Nixon.
The famous Frost/Nixon interviews were originally planned for La Casa Pacifica. Radio signals from the Coast Guard’s neighboring navigational-aid transmitters interfered with the TV gear, so the interview had to be moved to the nearby home of a Nixon supporter.
The 1979 Moon Landing Anniversary Party
Nixon’s last major event at La Casa Pacifica came in 1979 when he hosted a Mexican-themed pool party, complete with a mariachi band, for 15 astronauts and 450 other guests to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first lunar landing.
After resigning in 1974, Nixon and his wife Pat returned to La Casa Pacifica, where he worked on his memoirs and continued to host friends and dignitaries. The Nixons sold their home to Allergan founder Gavin S. Herbert and his business partners and moved to New York City in 1980 before resettling in Park Ridge, New Jersey, in 1982.
Current Ownership and Market History
Herbert and his wife Ninetta have owned the estate ever since — 46 years and counting as of 2026. He and his partners developed most of the surrounding land into a gated subdivision with 14 other homes, keeping the main estate itself as their own residence.
The property has come close to changing hands more than once, but a sale has never actually closed:
| Year Listed | Asking Price | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| April 2015 | $75 million | Pulled from market, September 2015 |
| 2016 | $69 million | No buyer |
| 2017–2018 | $63.5 million | No buyer |
| 2019 | $57.5 million | Pulled from market |
| April 2021 | $65 million | Pulled, December 2021 |
The property has not been actively listed since 2021.
100 Years and Still in the Family
In July 2026, the Herberts marked the estate’s 100th year with a gathering of Orange County political and civic figures, including Governor Pete Wilson and Nixon’s granddaughter Melanie Eisenhower, co-hosted with the Richard Nixon Foundation. Herbert has framed the family’s long ownership as stewardship rather than investment, saying their goal is to keep the property protected from development for future generations. The city’s 2009 Historical Property Preservation Agreement, aimed at protecting the home long-term, reflects that same push to keep the estate intact rather than subdivided further.
The estate remains a private residence and is not open to public tours. Its location within a gated community ensures privacy for the current owners.
Why La Casa Pacifica Matters for San Clemente?
Nixon’s presence transformed San Clemente from a quiet coastal town into a place of national prominence. Nixon’s residency led to national attention and economic growth for the town, including road improvements and increased tourism. Local lore is filled with stories of Marine One flying overhead or Secret Service agents spotted in town — and the town’s connection to that era is written directly into its map, with the road running alongside Interstate 5 near the estate officially named Avenida del Presidente, “Avenue of the President.”
Former San Clemente restaurant owner Jorge Olamendi, 65, recalled that Nixon said, “I want the world to someday be in peace”.
The estate’s legacy extends beyond Nixon’s presidency. While Ronald Reagan’s Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara embraced rural solitude, Nixon’s Western White House blended statesmanship with coastal prestige—a model echoed in later private retreats used by American leaders.
Preservationists have advocated for including La Casa Pacifica on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its role in American political history and Cold War diplomacy.
Conclusion
La Casa Pacifica represents more than real estate. The property witnessed pivotal moments in American history, from Cold War negotiations to Watergate’s final days. Nixon purchased this coastal retreat for sanctuary from Washington’s pressures, yet it became another stage for presidential operations.
The estate’s architectural beauty and historical significance explain why it commanded asking prices up to $75 million during its various listings, even as none of those attempts led to a sale. A century after it was built, the property remains in the hands of the same family that has owned it since Nixon’s departure — private, protected, and still carrying the weight of the history made within its walls.
