Building homes in Phelan, Piñon Hills, and Wrightwood, Prentiss and Dorothy Campbell of Phelan have made their mark in the high desert. For over forty years, their construction company Silverton Homes Inc. has produced custom dwellings for the Tri-Community. Owners Dorothy and Prentiss have decided to finally wrap things up. Sawdust in his veins, Prentiss Campbell, started out as an apprentice carpenter and handyman. Before you know it, he was offering affordable price garages and barns, decks and patios, and even remodeling existing homes. Campbell was acclaimed by a local newspaper when his construction company first began stating, “Examples of his work can be found throughout the Tri-Community. His prices are fair, and It won’t cost you an arm and a leg to get that special dream project completed.” Back then, Prentiss Campbell could build you a complete 20X20 foot detached garage for a fair price of $5,900.00. “Quality work at a reasonable price is what you’ll find at Prentiss Campbell Construction,” cited the article. His residency in Phelan was reassuring to homebuyers looking to build a new home. Whether building horse barns or remodeling kitchens, Prentiss Campbell Construction could do it all. Dorothy and Prentiss serendipitously met while experimenting with what they used to call a “Video Dating club.” They had both independently decided they didn’t want to video date but went ahead and picked somebody anyway. A blind date, if you will. The very next day they found out that they had chosen each other! “We were married on the third anniversary of when we met,” said Dorothy. She went back to school after waitressing at a Mexican restaurant for nine years. When the popular restaurant closed, “He (Prentiss) talked me into taking a year of college so I could get an office job and not have to waitress anymore.” Dorothy said about her husband of 23 years. “Then I got a job at a payroll company,” She added. With this new combination of skills, the couple realized Dorothy would be valuable in the Silverton Homes office. With Prentiss in the field, and Dorothy tending the books, the Campbells went forth together in the business of building and selling new homes. When asked if their houses had a distinguishing signature feature, Prentiss mentioned the octagon-shaped window on the model home used for the interview. “Back in the day, if it had one of those windows, it was one of ours.” He knew this because the octagonal illuminated windows were custom-made by him. Now, when you see a stucco-tiled ranch house with an octagon-shaped window in Phelan, Pinon Hills, and even Wrightwood, you will know it’s a Silverton Home.
Currently winding down, Silverton Homes Inc. is still a full-time business for the Campbells. Although they are not taking any new orders on future construction projects, they are enjoying more weekends off together. Dorothy also looks forward to visiting with her daughter in Colorado Springs, CO, and her son in Las Vegas, and Prentiss also has a daughter in Redding, CA. Being one of the first advertisers in Tri-Community NewsPlus, their familiar advertisement will surely be missed in print. With nearly 50 years of building houses, the world is their oyster, and the Tri-Community is their home. Congratulations on your retirement Dorothy and Prentiss Campbell of Silverton Homes Inc.