There's your clue.
Figured it out yet? No, not a nice ride parked there, it's something
else.....that turbine vent coming out of the ground.
Yes, this home's
secret is it's covering another home, underground! No, and not a small one
either, it's space is over 15,000 sf. with a 6,000 sf. home!
The original home
(underground) was built in 1978 by Girard Brown Henderson who had made his
fortunes with underground cable TV (Carmel, CA in 1950), Avon and later
Gulfstream Aircraft to name a few. He was known as a philanthropist and created
the Alexander Dawson Foundation and Schools that provide a traditional liberal
arts degree. He was also interested in technology, and with cold war threats he
became intrigued with underground living.
In 1964 Jerry
teamed with two Plainview, Texas subterranean contractor pioneers, Kenneth and
Jay Swayze, and built his first underground home at, or should I say under, his
350 acre property in Colorado. That same year he sponsored an Exhibit at the
1964 - 65 New York World's Fair for his newly formed Underground World Home Corporation and
covering the topics "Why live underground?"
and "How to build
underground".
That company
didn't turn out to be a success and was closed in a short amount of time.
It didn't seem to stop Jerry from thoughts of underground living. Fourteen years
later he built this lavish 3 bedroom subterranean home here in Las Vegas,
equipped with full hand painted (over 3 years by TX artist Jewel Smith)
panoramic murals, pushbutton lighting that changed a starry night sky into a
sunrise, and an astro turfed and landscaped yard complete with waterfall, heated
pool, two hot tubs, BBQ, and guest house. The interior of the home is done in
retro 60's 'Austin Powers' style shag and decor, and even includes a pink marble bathroom with glowing
pink bathtub! This is all wrapped neatly inside a steel shell with 10" thick concrete ceiling that is earthquake and most importantly, nuclear bomb proof......although it will hopefully never be tested to prove it.
When the home was
first built, passers by would only see a large, well landscaped desert lot. If
they happened by at just the right time, they might see a sophisticated older couple using a
remote control.......to open the 'boulder' t
hat housed the elevator to their secret Las
Vegas hideaway......literally. It was 25' below ground and self sufficient with
it's own generators, HVAC system, and computerized lighting. Jerry passed in
1983 and his wife Mary in 1989. The home was quietly passed on to distant
relatives, the newer home built on top of it, and for a short time had been
made available for rent for corporate functions by then owner Thomas 'Tex' Edmondson. Unfortunately that is no
more as the home changed hands again in 2005, and there are no public
tours and the talk of it being turned into a museum seems to have disappeared.
It's even an unwritten law for Vegas locals not to divulge the secret location,
but I will dispel that one myth that often comes up.....it is NOT under a
casino or on the Vegas Strip.......obviously.
Travel Channel / HGTV did a
segment on the home in 2003
2003 Story in Las Vegas
Mercury
Jerry B. Henderson Bio from
Henderson Family Tree
I also have to
wonder if the 1998 comedy "Blast From The Past" starring Sissy
Spacek, Christopher Walken, Brendan Fraser, and Alicia Silverstone had at least
some inspiration from this unusual Las Vegas secret abode.
If you are
interested in relocating to Las Vegas
or would like information on Las Vegas real estate, please email me roberta@search4lasvegashomes.com or call me at 702-354-8988
;)
;)
