across the u.s.mid-century modernnevada

Paradise Palms, Las Vegas

Paradise Palms is a 1960s desert modern neighborhood in unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, built around today’s Las Vegas National golf course about two miles east of the Strip. Irwin Molasky and Merv Adelson’s Paradise Development broke ground on March 21, 1960; Hugh Taylor designed the first models, Palmer & Krisel followed from 1961, and other builders added tracts into the 1970s. Clark County made part of it the county’s first Historic Neighborhood Overlay in 2017 and expanded the overlay to 963 homes in 2022.

The housesThe rulesBefore you buy

  • locationunincorporated Clark CountyWinchester and Paradise townships
  • built1960–1979most tracts by 1965
  • homes963in the county historic overlay
  • architectsPalmer & Kriselplus Hugh Taylor and others

the houses

What makes them distinctive

  • Palmer & Krisel modelsParadise Homes built Palmer & Krisel designs from 1961 to 1963 and opened a furnished model center on Dakota Way in November 1961.
  • Hugh Taylor’s first homesLas Vegas architect Hugh Taylor designed the first 77 houses in 1960–61, with shed, flat or gable roofs and decorative block, according to the neighborhood history.
  • RooflinesHouses of about 1,200 to 2,200 square feet with butterfly, flat, folded-plate, pyramid and open-gable rooflines.
  • Post-and-beam detailsPost-and-beam construction, shoji doors, floating kitchen islands and sunken tubs in Palmer & Krisel houses, and lava rock on the 1963 “Hawaiian” elevations.
  • Many buildersLater tracts include Americana Homes by architect William M. Bray, the all-block Miranti Homes, Stellar Greens, Tropical Estates and Fontainebleau Estates; the last tract was built in 1978–79.
  • Golf course planThe houses surround the former Stardust golf course, now Las Vegas National.

protection

Designation and the rules

  • County, not cityParadise Palms lies in unincorporated Clark County, so its historic overlay was adopted by the Clark County Commission as a zone change, not by the City of Las Vegas.
  • Two-step designationThe overlay first covered 216 homes in February 2017; on April 20, 2022, the commission added 747 homes, bringing it to 963 homes on about 241 acres.
  • What gets reviewedLocal TV reported that the overlay gives residents notice of major changes and a free county review of renovations, with additions over 10% reviewed but not details such as door color; another station reported stricter limits on exteriors, so confirm current rules with Clark County planning.
  • Not an HOAA county commissioner said the overlay isn’t a government homeowners association, and the original park HOA had disbanded by the 1970s.

before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Identify the tractBuilders and roofs vary across the neighborhood, from Palmer & Krisel flat, gable, folded-plate and butterfly roofs to shake roofs on Americana Homes and rock roofs on Miranti Homes; the tract and model number set expectations.
  • Look for hidden originalsOne 1962 Palmer & Krisel house had been enlarged from 1,720 to 2,892 square feet with its butterfly roofline hidden, which later owners uncovered; plans and permits show what has changed.
  • Glass and roofOriginal floor-to-ceiling glass, roof surfaces and anything built on the roof deserve close inspection.
  • Plan additions earlyAdditions over 10% go through overlay review, so check expansion plans with Clark County before closing.
  • Golf course edgesA county commissioner said in 2022 that no covenant ties Las Vegas National to the surrounding homes, and the overlay may not prevent changes to the course.
property nerd note

Sources disagree on scale (about 1,000 homes on 720 acres in the original plan, or 963 homes on 241 acres in the overlay), on how many houses Palmer & Krisel designed (about 400 or “the vast majority”), on when building ended and on how strictly the overlay limits exterior changes.

sources

Where this comes from

Checked October 20, 2026.

questions

Questions we hear

Is Paradise Palms in the City of Las Vegas?

No. It lies in unincorporated Clark County, in the Winchester and Paradise townships, and its historic overlay was adopted by the Clark County Commission.

Did Palmer & Krisel design every house?

No. Hugh Taylor designed the first models, and later tracts came from other builders and architects such as William M. Bray; the neighborhood history counts about 400 Palmer & Krisel houses.

Does the historic overlay work like an HOA?

A county commissioner said it isn’t a government homeowners association; it provides notice of major changes and a review of larger additions, and current rules are best confirmed with Clark County.

more to learn

Keep going

General information from the sources listed, checked October 20, 2026; not legal, preservation or construction advice. Confirm designation and permit rules with the local preservation office before you buy or remodel. The Boyenga Team represents buyers and sellers in Santa Clara County, bay-side San Mateo County and San Francisco.

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