No key is needed to unlock the front doors of this $3.5 million historic home in the Arizona town of Paradise Valley.

They’re a throwback to artist Lon Megargee, who built this home and studio in 1928. Known for his paintings of the desert landscape, American Indians, and cowboys, Megargee died in 1960. But his presence still looms large in this fascinating home.

“The front doors themselves are just the first showstopper, because they’re wooden with glass panes. If you look at the front, you notice there’s no lock, so you can’t use a key on those front doors,” explains listing agent Marianne Bazan, with Arizona Best Real Estate. “When you close it from the inside, there’s an iron bar that hangs from one of the doors and fits over a loop on the other door to secure it.”

The unique latching mechanism is just one of the original features in the 4,061-square-foot adobe house. Others include the fortress-like walls.

“The hallmark of adobe is to build very thick walls. Some of these walls are 30 inches thick in the main house, and you can see in some of the window wells just how thick some of the walls are,” Bazan explains.

Today, the exterior is preserved with stucco and most of the interiors are treated with milk paint.

Previous owners “did leave a small rectangular square in the house with exposed adobe just as a little reminder of what the house really is,” she adds.

Inside, the flagstone floors and many of the fireplaces are original. Wood used throughout the house was sourced from old bridges

The main home has three bedrooms, and there’s a detached, one-bedroom guesthouse.

A loft area once served as Megargee’s art studio. Many of his paintings are on display in the state Capitol building.

Previous owners saved the home from destruction in the 1980s, according to Bazan. They handed it over to subsequent owners who have taken pains to preserve the home.

“The current buyers are absolutely in love with this home,” she says. “They own a number of historic properties, and they understand what it means to own a property that has its quirks like this one does.”

Megargee came to Arizona when he was 13 and worked as a cowboy. Later, he became an artist and painted the desert landscape and other local subjects.

He was quite the lady’s man and married at least seven times, according to local lore. He built this home—which he named Casa del Sol—for one of his many wives named Lilly. She remained in the house after they divorced, and it stayed in her family for years.

“The original gate is still there and the header has ‘Casa del Sol’ carved into it,” Bazan says.

Megargee also built Casa Hermosa nearby, which is now a hotel called the Hermosa Inn.

There are reports Megargee haunts the Hermosa Inn, where guests and staff say they’ve seen him around wearing a cowboy hat.

Bazan helpfully notes that Casa del Sol may also be home to a wandering spirit.

“The current owner [of Casa del Sol] says he hasn’t seen any apparitions, but he has heard classical music playing and what sounds like a one note, like a violin string,” she says.

News of a wandering spirit did not dampen interest in this unique property. Multiple offers rolled in, and the place is now pending sale.

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