Raymond Kalra
IDYLLWILD, Calif. (KESQ) – Tucked into the mountains of Idyllwild is a piece of Dolly Parton’s life that has remained largely untouched – down to the furniture, photographs, dishes and even bottles of Coca-Cola still sitting inside the refrigerators.
Following Parton’s passing, the current owners of her former mountain home say they are thinking more deeply about how to preserve – and potentially one day share the history she left behind.
Brian Vassallo and his wife purchased the property in 2025 after searching for a mountain getaway. Vassallo said they knew about the home’s connection to Parton before buying it, but that connection was especially meaningful to him because he grew up in the South listening to her music.
“Her voice filled the walls of our home from Thanksgiving to New Year’s every year,” Vassallo said. “I can’t remember a Christmas in my life that Dolly isn’t a part of.”
That history shaped the couple’s decision before they even finalized the purchase.
“The house is exactly as Dolly left it when we came into the house,” Vassallo said. “If we were going to be the stewards of this property, we were going to keep it just how she left it.”
According to Vassallo, nearly all of the furnishings inside belonged to Parton. The chairs, tables, dishes, silverware and pictures hanging on the walls remain, along with personal photographs he says were found tucked away in drawers throughout the home.
Some of those photographs show Parton on tour, performing on stage and traveling around the country. Vassallo said the couple even discovered an old Rolodex containing contacts ranging from friends in Nashville and Hollywood to her gardener and doctor.
One of the more unusual details can be found inside with the home’s refrigerators.
Vassallo said there is a refrigerator on each level of the three-story home, with two on one floor. According to the story passed down with the property, Parton wanted Coca-Cola nearby wherever she was in the house.
“And every fridge is stocked with her bottles of Coca-Cola,” Vassallo said. “And they are still there. To this day, every fridge is still stocked with the bottles of Dolly’s Coke.”
Tiffany Raridon, broker-owner of Idyllwild Properties, has been connected to the property through multiple sales. She said previous owners made necessary repairs and improvements to the exterior but largely left the inside untouched.
“Nothing has changed,” Raridon said. “Everything in it is still as Dolly left it.”
Dolly Parton’s connection to Idyllwild
While Parton is most closely associated with Tennessee, Raridon said the mountain setting of Idyllwild reminded her of home.
She said stories have long circulated in the community about Parton walking from the cabin into town and visiting local businesses rather than hiding away from residents.
“She would walk down there in her high heels,” Raridon said. “I’ve heard a lot of stories about how she was just frequently seen, and she didn’t hide away like a lot of celebrities do.”
The cabin also served as a creative space.
Raridon said Parton spent time in the home’s loft writing songs and playing music.
“She actually spent time writing up in the loft,” Raridon said. “That was her favorite place to write songs and play music.”
For Vassallo, however, owning the property has never felt like simply purchasing a celebrity’s former home.
“We don’t even refer to it as our house,” he said. “It’s Dolly’s house. It will always be Dolly’s house. We’re very fortunate to just be the stewards of that home.”
What could come next
Vassallo said he and his wife have discussed the future of the property more seriously since learning of Parton’s passing.
For now, it remains their private mountain retreat. But he believes there may eventually be a way to allow others to experience some of the history preserved inside.
“The house, it needs to be shared,” Vassallo said. “And how we do that, we don’t know. We haven’t figured that out yet.”
Whatever comes next, Vassallo said preserving the home has taken on even greater meaning.
For a man who grew up with Parton’s music filling his childhood home, he now sees himself as responsible for protecting one small piece of the legacy she left behind in the Southern California mountains.
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Courtesy: Yuma Police Department
