Evergreen Historic District
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in July
5, 1999
The Evergreen Historic District consists of subdivisions that
were platted beyond the original town site of Mesa. This process of
subdivision outside the original town site was an important factor
in the expansion of Mesa. This was a significant change in the
community development of Mesa and the Evergreen Historic District is
importantly associated with the process. This evolution is based on
the local and national economic trends described in the historical
overview.
The Evergreen Historic District is significant for its
association with the development of a cohesive neighborhood of
middle and upper class families in Mesa from 1910 to 1948. Most of
the buildings in the historic district were built between 1910 and
1948 within two subdivisions that encompass most of the Evergreen
Historic District.
The
two subdivisions are the North Evergreen Subdivision, platted in
1910, and the Vista Garden Subdivision, platted in 1947. Additional
homes were built outside or organized subdivisions in the Evergreen
Historic District on lots created from larger parcels of land.
In 1910 Edwin M. LeBaron and James Miller, Jr.,
platted the North Evergreen subdivision. LeBaron and Miller were the
proprietors of the Arizona Land Company which specialized in land
speculation. Edwin M. LeBaron platted one other subdivision in Mesa
in 1910, the LeBaron Addition to Mesa city. His brother, W.J.
LeBaron, platted an additional subdivision in 1920.
LeBaron and Miller converted forty acres of
agricultural land north of Mesa into eight blocks, each containing
twenty-four lots. Two parallel streets served the lots, Michigan and
Grand Streets. Grand Street formed the eastern boundary of the
subdivision. The numbered cross street followed the numbering
pattern established in Mesa starting with Lewis Street (later Fourth
Street then University), then 5th, 6th, and 7th Streets to the
north.
To sell the lots, LeBaron and Miller held two
auctions, the second of which was announced with a large
advertisement in the Arizona Republican newspaper of Phoenix. The
developers called it a "beautiful new addition" to the town of Mesa.
The ad copy emphasized graded street, water and gas connections, and
the surrounding agricultural land which gave the subdivision a
"natural park" setting. Another advantage cited by the developers
was the suburban location which freed the property owners from city
taxes.
LeBaron and Miller had the intention of creating an
exclusive residential subdivision. To accomplish this, the
developers reinforced the exclusivity of the subdivision through
deed restrictions. Restrictions that applied to buildings included
30-foot setbacks, and minimum home costs of from $1,000 to $1,500.
Uses such as saloons, blacksmiths, stables, and stores were
prohibited. The deed restrictions applied to property owners as
well. LeBaron and Miller noted "only white Americans can own lots in
this addition."
A companion subdivision, Evergreen Acres, was also
surveyed and platted in 1910 by LeBaron and Miller. This subdivision
was located about one block north of the northern boundary of North
Evergreen. The lots in Evergreen Acres were larger than those in
North Evergreen. This subdivision, outside of boundary of the
Evergreen District, was subsequently re-subdivided into smaller lots
by later purchase and has thus lost much of its historic character.
From
1910 to 1914 a number of houses were constructed in the North
Evergreen subdivision. The activity was spurred by actions of the
developers which included the installation of electric and telephone
lines in the alleys laying of concrete sidewalks, and planting of
Arizona cypress trees between the curbs and sidewalks.
The growth of North Evergreen during World War One
was slowed as promoter Edwin LeBaron took time off to serve his
country in the military. Upon his return, LeBaron associated himself
with Clarence M. Paddock, a homebuilder. Paddock constructed several
houses in the subdivision on speculation. LeBaron resumed his
advertising blitz, again promoting North Evergreen as "Mesa's only
restricted district...restricted as to race and color." The new
partners increased the minimum house cost to $4,000. The advertising
campaign and construction of houses on speculation generated a
renewed interest in the subdivision.
Over the next few decades additional houses were
constructed in the North Evergreen subdivision as Mesa passed
through cycles of economic growth and depression. The neighborhood
west of Grand Avenue gradually became in-filled with additional
housing stock. With the exception of two homes on the east side of
Grand, at 535 and 565 N. Grand Street (#121 & 123), and three houses
on the north side of W. University (formerly Lewis Street), the area
east of Grand Street remained u developed until after World War Two.
The subdivision of Val Vista Manor No. 2 spurred a
second cycle of growth in the Evergreen Historic District. The
subdivision was surveyed in 1946 by engineer F.N. Holmquist. It was
platted and recorded in 1947 by A.H. and Madge Stone, who owned a
large parcel of u developed land area. Mr. and Mrs. Stone were not
professional real estate speculators, but simply the owners of a
large parcel of land who wanted the property divided and sold to
realize a profit.
The Stone's excursion into real estate was not
without its difficulties. Because the name they selected for their
subdivision was very similar to the name of another Mesa
subdivision, Val Vista Manor Plat 2, Mesa City officials and
Maricopa County officials objected to the proposed name. The Stones
solicited the Phoenix Title & Trust Company for advice. Phoenix
Title & Trust subsequently changed the name of the subdivision to
Vista Gardens. Vista Gardens consisted of fairly large lots,
measuring 66 feet wide by 147 feet long. Vista Drive, 50 feet wide,
extended east from Grand Street down the center of the subdivision.
Vista Drive is now known as west 7th Place.
The Subdivision of Vista Gardens encouraged a number
of other property owners in the area east of Grand Street to divide
their property into smaller parcels for sale. This area does not
appear to have a formal subdivision plat, but is rather the result
of lot splits. A cohesive neighborhood of post-war ranch homes
quickly developed in the area south of Vista Gardens and east of
Grand Street in the years following World War Two.
The nature of these two subdivisions color the
appearance of the Evergreen Historic District. Those in the original
North Evergreen subdivision are the oldest houses. These represent
the first extension of Mesa outside its town boundary line. The
Vista Gardens subdivision, platted after the end of the World War
Two, represents the era of rapid construction and population
expansion that characterized Mesa after the war.
The
Evergreen Historic District is a good example of the process
twentieth century suburban development in Mesa. This change was an
important part of the community of Mesa as residents required more
housing than the original plan could provide. The Evergreen Historic
District is an excellent example of the process of community
development which changed Mesa from a pastoral, agricultural
community to more closely match the growing urban populations of
Phoenix, Glendale, and Tempe.
The character-defining elements for the National
Folk/Vernacular style is the lack of decorative ornamentation or
details.
A great number of the homes in the Evergreen
Historic District fall under the architectural style---Bungalow.
This style of architecture, originating in California in the early
1900's, was popular in Mesa from 1910-1940. Characteristics of the
Bungalow style include single story simple, box-like massing with
medium-pitched hipped or gabled roofs. Large front porches and
symmetrical facades with pairs of double-hung windows are also
character-defining elements of style. The Bungalow style is
subdivided into three substyles contains the primary
characteristics, i.e., gabled roofs, deep overhangs, front porches,
but differ in the detailing. The Craftsman Bungalow is far more
ornate with exposed wood trim, especially heavy timber trusses,
beams, brackets, and rafter tails. The porches are usually supported
by massive masonry or stone piers. Front "Chicago" style windows,
single picture window flanked by narrow double-hung windows, is also
found in many Bungalows. The Classical Bungalow usually has an
offset front porch wrapping around the house to create a
porte-cochere. The windows many times will contain multiple planes
in the upper lights. The Craftsman Bungalow is most represented
within the Evergreen Historic District.
In the mid 1920's, a whole sequence of stylistic
treatments drawing from large segments of the historical range of
European housing styles, known as Period Revival styles began to
crop up in the Mesa townsite. The first of these styles is the Tudor
Revival style which stems from medieval English building traditions.
The Tudor Revival style can be characterized by its rectangular or
"L" shaped plans and very high-pitched roofs. The front facades are
usually asymmetrical in layout. Small portals or vestibules are
common rather than large front porches. The roofs are generally
sheathed with wood or slate shingles. The roofs are generally
sheathed with wood or slate shingles. The windows can be
characterized as small-paned casements in flat-topped, Tudor,
Gothic, or round-arched openings. A second Period Revival style
found in the Mesa townsite is the Spanish Colonial Revival style.
This style stems from an interest in the region's heritage,
including its historic links to Spain, Mexico and indigenous
American cultures. Characterized by its stucco walls and tile roofs,
the Spanish Colonial Revival home is rectangular in plan, one to two
stories in height with asymmetrical facades. The roof forms are
often combinations of flat roofs with parapets and low-pitched
gables. Small porches with arched openings and occasional pergolas
or porte-cocheres can be found in this style. The tall double-hung
or casement windows sometimes have small panes in the upper sashes.
Occasionally the windows and doors appear within Roman or
semi-circular arched openings. Typical ornamental features of the
style include applied terra cotta, tile or cast concrete ornament,
decorative iron trim for scones, grillwork, brackets, railings,
balconets, and fences.
The Pueblo Revival style, derived from late 18th and
early 19th century Southwest Pueblos of the Rio Grande Valley, New
Mexico and northern Arizona, blended aspects of both Native American
pueblos and early structures built by Spanish colonists in Mexico.
Although a truly regional style, Pueblo Revival buildings were first
introduced in California where actual pueblos were not built. Pueblo
Revival style homes were constructed in Mesa during the late 1920's
through the modern-era. Characteristics of the style include one
story of combination one-two story buildings with irregular or
rectangular plans. The low-horizontal, asymmetrical facades with
rounded forms present an overall natural or organic feeling. The
second story masses are usually stepped back from the front facade.
Flat roofs are concealed behind irregular plastered parapets. Door
and window openings are usually flat-topped with heavy timber
lintels. The windows are small wood casements or double-hungs. The
front doors are usually constructed of large wood planks. Decorative
elements include exposed log roof beams (vigas), hewn timber beams,
posts and lintels, and water scuppers (canales).
The last of the Revival styles found in the
Evergreen Historic District is the Colonial Revival style. This
style is typically the least popular of the Revival styles found in
Mesa. As the name suggests, the decorative vocabulary of early
America was used to dignify small homes. Homes of this style stem
from residential architecture of New England in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. Characteristics of the homes found in Mesa
include single story rectangular or L-shaped buildings with the long
facade facing the street. The simple box-like massing has light
colored walls of wood siding, stucco, wood shingles, or painted
brick. The roofs are usually low-to-medium-pitched gable with the
broadside facing the street. A gabled of flat shed roof porch is
supported by wood posts. The door and openings are usually
rectangular in shape to receive multi-pane over multi-pane
double-hung windows.
In the mid-1930's, a new style loosely based on
early Spanish Colonial buildings modified somewhat from earlier
Period Revival style buildings, gained popularity in California.
This style, the Ranch style of housing first appeared in Mesa in the
mid-to-late 1930's, but became dominant during the years following
World War II. Ranch style homes, the second most popular style in
the district, reflect the resurgence of residential development in
Mesa following the depression years. The Ranch style is
characterized by one story, rectangular or L-shaped structures with
low-pitched gable or hipped roofs. Small wood frame porches occur
over the entry or at the juncture of the intersecting roofs. A
variety of materials can be found with this style including brick
masonry, painted or unpainted; stucco over wood frame; and concrete
masonry units, painted or unpainted. The windows are usually steel
casement or fixed with multiple lights. Occasionally, corner windows
can be found. Decorative elements include horizontal wood siding at
gable ends and occasionally wood shutters flanking windows.