Robert J. Barnes' House

Mr. Barnes joined the Estée Lauder Companies in 1964 as the West Coast sales manager for its flagship brand and rose to become president and chief executive of the biggest division, Estée Lauder U.S.A. He held those titles from 1981 until 1990, when the division's annual sales were estimated to be about $1 billion. He retired in 1991.

Mr. Barnes, who started his career working on commission peddling the Dorothy Gray cosmetics line, specialized in obtaining and holding onto the best locations for Estée Lauder counters on the bustling main floors of department stores.

Leonard A. Lauder, chairman of the Estée Lauder Companies, recalled his frustration in the early 1960's at being unable to dislodge the Dorothy Gray products from prime locations in California stores.

A native of Kalamazoo, Mich., Mr. Barnes graduated from Northwestern University in 1939. During World War II, he served with the First Marine Division on Guadalcanal.

He passed away in 2003 and the home is now owned by his wife.