Mesa Historic Properties
|
Alhambra Hotel, aka Pioneer Hotel - 43 S. Macdonald Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 1991
(N)
National
Register of Historic Places - 1991
The current Alhambra Hotel is a 1922 commercial building designed
in the Spanish Mission Revival Style, located in the original
downtown area of Mesa. The building exhibits three important
stages in its existence; the remnants of the original 1893 Alhambra
that burned down in 1921, the reconstructed Alhambra of 1922, and a
large addition of rooms on the rest of the property which were
constructed in 1951. The Alhambra Hotel was listed on the
National Register on July 31, 1991.
| Alma
Ward Meeting House, aka Landmark Restaurant - 809 W. Main
Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 2004
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 2006
This building was first constructed by the Mormon Church in
approximately 1910 and was first used as the Alma Ward Meeting
House. In later years an extension of Phoenix College (now
known as Mesa Community College) chose to locate at this site until
they later built their current facility which is located on Southern
Avenue and Dobson Road. In the 1960s there were several
different occupants of the building until it was purchased by the
Landmark Restaurant in 1981.
A portion of the original building, shown in the upper left photo
dated 1911, is located within what is currently
the main dining room. The thirteen-foot ceilings still have
the original tiles and crown molding and many of the original
doorways still exist in various parts of the building.
This site consists of three buildings which contributed to Mesa's
cultural history which is derived from the role that buildings have
played in the formation of religious and educational development in
Mesa.
| Alston
House - 453 N. Pima Street |
(N) National Register of Historic
Places - 2012
Dr. Lucius Charles Alston was the first African American doctor
in Mesa and was an influential member of Mesa’s black community. Dr.
Alston and his family moved to Mesa in 1929. For many years he ran
his clinic out of this house on N. Pima. The Alston House is an 890
square foot 1920s Late Craftsman Style Bungalow with a latter
second-story addition. The house is on a restored concrete
foundation with exterior stucco walls that match the original color.
The casement windows match the original windows used in the house.
|
Angulo-Hostetter House - 150 N. Wilbur Street |
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 2000
The Angulo-Hostetter house is a one-story
structure with an attic. It is a wood frame
building finished off with a sheathing of painted stucco.
This Colonial Revival was constructed in 1902 with an
addition that was constructed in 1938. The home
displays a high degree of architectural integrity.
The home exhibits many Victorian features.
In 1995 it was relocated to its current location on Wilbur Street to
avoid demolition.
.
James A. Macdonald House, aka Antique
Wedding House - 307 E. First Street
Mesa Historic Property Register - 1998
The James A. Macdonald house was built between 1916 and
1918 and is an excellent example of a bungalow/vernacular house.
James A. Macdonald, an early Mesa Pioneer, was born in 1870 and came
to Arizona in 1881. He was a former police officer, farmer,
and builder and helped in the construction of the Arizona LDS
Temple. The house was purchased by Diane Hughes in 1996 and she
completely renovated the house over a two-year period. Until
recently, it was the Antique Wedding House. Because of the
renovation and adaptive reuse, Ms. Hughes received the 1998 Mesa
Historic Preservation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Adaptive
Reuse.
|
Buckhorn Baths Motel and Mineral Wells - 5900 E.
Main Street |
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 2005
The Buckhorn Baths Motel is a complex
consisting of fourteen buildings including a bathhouse, a main
office building, and individual room units. It is
located seven miles east of downtown Mesa at the northwest corner of
Main St. and Recker Road in an area that was outside of the City of
Mesa at the time it was developed. The property
is distinguished from most highway-side motels by the mineral bath
created when drilling in the 1930's tapped a natural source of hot,
mineral water. In addition to the standard motel
features of its time, such as individual room units and a separate
office building, the property includes a large bathhouse that served
as the centerpiece feature making it a spa.
Typical of the motels of its time, the property was designed in
period revival style, in this case Pueblo Revival, evocative of a
broader theme of Southwestern culture.
|
Fitch Farm House - 945 N. Center Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 2010
Tudor Revival Style
The Fitch Farm House was built in 1933-34 by Mr. Larkin Fitch.
The former Fitch Farm included over 400 acres along North Center
Street. The former farm has been replaced over the years with
residential, commercial and industrial developments, including Fitch
Park. Larkin Fitch was born in Huntsville, Arkansas in 1902
and earned a BS in Agriculture from the University of Arizona in
1925. He married Mildred Dobson, daughter of John Dobson.
Larkin Fitch played a prominent role in the farming industry in
Mesa. The Fitch Farm House is an excellent example of a Tudor
Revival style house which is preserved to its original character.
| Irving
School - 166 N. Center Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register
- 2000
(N) National Register of Historic
Places - 2000
The Irving School in Mesa was constructed in 1936 by the trustees
of Maricopa County School District No. 4. the property was
purchased by the City of Mesa from the school district in 1975.
In 1976 the building was converted into a performing arts center
under the direction of local architect Charles Hickman.
The Irving School is significantly associated with several
important historical trends in Arizona. First and foremost, it
is a significant representation of the maturation of educational
institutions in Mesa. Secondly, it is an excellent example of
the architectural expertise of the Lescher and Mahoney firm,
considered as the preeminent architects of school buildings in
Arizona. Finally, the Irving School is a representative
example of the significant impact Federal public works programs had
on local communities in Arizona.
The Irving School is a rare surviving example of Federal Modern
style architecture applied to an elementary school. To our
knowledge, it may be the only elementary school in Arizona which is
designed in the characteristic styles associated with the economic
recovery programs of the New Deal as well as with currently popular
residential architecture. The masterful combination of its two
high styles, one institutional and the other residential, makes
Irving School a summary of the popular architecture of the late
1930s in Mesa.
The Irving School is a good example of this progressive theory of
environmental and psychological effects on education. Its
elongated, one-story plan bridges the evolution of school building
design from the cube-like, three-story school buildings of the 1910s
to the multiple detached one-story buildings and open campus plans
of the late 1940s and 1950s.
| Lehi
School - 2345 N. Horne Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 2001
(N)
National
Register of Historic Places - 2001
Originally built in 1913, the building was expanded in 1939 with
Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds. It is a mixture of
Neoclassical and Mission Revival styles of architecture.
Located in the rural environment of the Lehi Area on a five-acre
parcel given to the community in 1978 by settler Henry C. Rogers,
the site retains much of its integrity of setting, despite
encroaching development. The Lehi School was a center of
education for many years and symbolized the town's independence.
The Lehi area, on the northern fringe of Mesa, was originally
established as a separate settlement and predates the Mesa original
town site that was settled in 1878.
| Mesa
Grande Archaeological Site - West 10th Street and North Date
Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 1978
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 1978
Partially excavated Hohokam site including a large mound which
covers an extensive compound.
Listed on the National Register
on November 21, 1978.
| Mesa
Journal-Tribune FHA Demonstration House, aka Charles
A. Mitten House - 238 W. Second Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 2003
(N)
National
Register of Historic Places - 2003
Minimal Tradition
This house (moved to 238 West 2nd Street in 2002 to save it from
demolition) was the first FHA financed home constructed in Mesa.
Built as the residence for Charles Mitten, publisher of the Mesa
Journal Tribune, the house was built with funds from the FHA program
and the Mesa Journal Tribune as a demonstration to help encourage
construction of residential buildings in Mesa. The Mitten
House was listed on the National Register on December 29, 1988 but
was removed because of the move. It has been re-nominated
based upon its significance and its association with the Robson
Historic District (its new home).
|
Mesa Women's Club - 200 N. Macdonald Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 1991
(N)
National
Register of Historic Places - 1991
Spanish Eclectic 1931
The Mesa Women's Club is significant for the role it played in
the social history of Mesa and its continued use as the Women's Club
of Mesa. The clubhouse was a center for social and civic
activity for many women whose influence was felt throughout the
community. An excellent example of the Spanish Eclectic style.
This building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on August 5, 1991.
| Mount
Calvary Baptist Church - 1720 E. Broadway Avenue |
Mesa
Historic Property Register - 2002
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church was designated a Local Historic
Landmark on August 29, 2002 for its 92 year association with the
community.
African Americans began to appear in Mesa shortly after the turn
of the 20th Century. The first family was the McPhersons in
1905. Around 1910, others included Dr. James Livingston, Cora
Kemp (who was a registered nurse), and a veterinarian. Other
families arriving before 1920 included the Kemps, Moores, Halls,
Mckelvys, and the Fergusons. Settling primarily in the
Washington Park neighborhood, their group was small in number and
their sphere of influence at the time, even smaller. A common
and binding part of their community was the spiritual leadership,
which at first came in the form of missionaries. The first
meeting place was under a tree in the front yard of Clara
McPherson-Lewis. In 1918, the Reverend J.B. Bell organized the
mission as a church and the Reverend James Robison became the first
pastor. A crude rectangular wooden structure was built on East
Broadway (4ths Street at that time) for worship services. In
1940 the church moved to 430 N. Lewis, where it remains today.
Despite the fact that the church, which began as an outdoor
meeting under a tree, moved several times until it arrived at 430 N.
Lewis Street, its importance is nonetheless significant because of
its association with the African American community over a span of
92 years. This very important fellowship and requisite
feelings of belonging transcend physical space. Even though
the church building itself has been in existence for 62 years, the
impact of the parish on the community has existed for much longer.
African American westerners pursued centuries-old twin desires
for opportunity and freedom. In their pursuit of economic
opportunity, these workers became a crucial element in the dramatic
rise of the national standard of living of African Americans. In
their pursuit of racial justice, they helped launch a much larger
expansion of rights for all Westerners, and all Americans, by
contributing to the coming of the Civil Rights Movement of the
1960s. Their foundation for this pursuit has historically been
associated with the spiritual life of African Americans. the
role that churches like Mount Calvary Baptist Church played in major
parts of American history cannot be overstated. Mt. Cavalry
provided a solid foundation for the members of the Washington Park
community to network, worship, and find inner strength.
The leader of Mt. Calvary, Rev. Robison, had a son and a daughter
who both completed high school in Mesa. His daughter,
Mcfraddie Martin, completed her undergraduate work at Arizona State
University and received a Master's degree from USC. Rev.
Robison's son also graduated from USC and became a dentist.
The Freeman's, James and Jewel and daughter Etta (still a
parishioner) arrived with twelve other families in 1924 in a covered
wagon that traveled from Texas. Mr. Freeman purchased a bus
with his own money and picked up the children in Higley and Chandler
to go to school in Washington Park during segregation.
Angie McPherson Booker, another parishioner, is one of the oldest
living early residents of Mesa, at 98 years. Angie arrived in
Mesa with her family in 1910 and has lived next door to the church
since 1912. Angie's father was a veteran of the Spanish
American war and a retiree of the United States 10th Calvary, where
he was a Buffalo Soldier.
Veora Johnson, also a Mt. Calvary parishioner, was the first
black principal in the Mesa School District, chosen in 1945 to head
the Booker T. Washington School. Later, she was named Mesa's
"Citizen of the Year" in 1974, and Veora E. Johnson Elementary
School was named for her.
African American's have long contributed to the richness of the
history of the American West. From Buffalo Soldiers to local
farmers and businessmen, their greatest commonality was often their
spiritual connection to each other. Mt. Calvary Baptist Church
illustrates such importance. Therefore, Criterion 3(e) is
satisfied, based upon the cultural aspects of African Americans
arriving in the Southwest, and further, how spiritual institutions
such as Mt. Calvary Baptist Church played an important role in the
community.
|
Park of the Canals, aka
Hohokam-Mormon Irrigation Canal |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 1975
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 1978
Along Horne Road north from Utah Ditch, south of the Mesa
Consolidated Canal. The site contains remains of two canals
originally excavated by the Hohokam and later re-dug by pioneer
Mormons. Several unexcavated Hohokam mounds like within the
site. Listed on the National Register on May 30, 1975
|
Post Office, aka
Federal Building - 26 N. Macdonald Street |
Mesa
Historic Property Register - 2004
The Federal Building was built in 1937 by the Federal Government
Department of Treasury to become Mesa's first 1st-class post office
and one of the finest buildings in the City at its completion.
The significance of the building was substantiated by the arrival of
the Postmaster General, James A. Farley, who attended the dedication
of the building as the guest of honor at a banquet at the Mezona
Hall. Local postal officials, Democratic leaders, and
other community leaders from all parts of Arizona also attended the
function. James A. Farley was a nationally prominent man, who
not only served as a United States Postmaster General, but also was
chairman of the Democratic National Committee and managed President
Franklin D. Roosevelt's two campaigns for office.
The building was expanded in 1960 to include a two-story
extension and loading dock. In spite of this large expansion,
it became necessary to move the post office in June 1970 to its
current location at 135 N. Center Street.
|
Ramon Mendoza House - 126 N. Pomeroy |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 2001
Ramon Mendoza was the first Hispanic Chief of Police in Mesa.
He was born in Mesa on April 15, 1914, the son of pioneer settler
Ramon S. Mendoza (for which the Mendoza school is named) and
graduated from Mesa High School in 1932. In a time when
segregation was still practiced in the City, Mendoza became a police
officer in 1942 and a coach for the City's Parks and Recreation
Department. Mendoza was appointed Police Chief in 1969 and
served in this capacity until his retirement in 1978. Mendoza
purchased the property at 126 N. Pomeroy in 1946 and lived there
until his death in 1999.
|
Sirrine House, aka Joel
E. Sirrine House - 160 N. Center Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 1995
(N)
National
Register of Historic Places - 1995
Queen Anne Cottage 1896
Built in the spring of 1896 as the residence of Joel E. Sirrine
and his wife, Caroline Hanna Simkins Sirrine. They occupied the
house until about 1905. During that time Sirrine worked as an
engineer for the Mesa Cooperative Milling Company which was owned by
George W. and William L. Sirrine. Joel E. Sirrine came to Mesa
in 1878 as a boy. His father, George W. Sirrine, was head of
one of the "four founding families of Mesa." The best local
example of a Vernacular type house built in the Queen Anne Cottage
Style. Exemplary of the 19th Century residential development
of the Mesa Townsite. The Sirrine house was purchased and
renovated by the City of Mesa and is part of the Arizona Museum of
Natural History. This house was placed on the National
Register of Historic Places on September 11, 1995.
|
Spangler/Wilbur House - 128 N. Macdonald Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 1991
(N)
National
Register of Historic Places - 1993
Colonial Revival - 1915
Before construction of his house, John G. Spangler, cashier for
the Mesa City Bank, lived at 134 North Macdonald Street from 1905 to
1915. The Spangler family lived in the house until 1930 when
it was purchased by Mesa sheep grower George H. Wilbur. The
Wilburs occupied the house through the 1940s. An excellent
local example of a Colonial Revival Style house designed with
Italianate Style influences. This building was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places on
November 1, 1993.
|
Straugh-Fuller House - 148 N. Macdonald Street |
Mesa Historic Property Register - 1991
(N)
National
Register of Historic Places - 1991
Mission Revival 1906
Built in 1906 for Paul E. Fuller, an engineer who was employed by
the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation during the construction of the
Roosevelt Dam. Fuller later worked for the U.S. Department of
Agriculture as an irrigation engineer. The house was sold in
1918. George W. Silverthorn, a Mesa attorney, purchased the
house in 1925. From 1931 until 1936 the house was owned and
occupied by Henry L. Wood. In 1936 the house was purchased by
Donald W. Strauch, a Mesa printer. The Strauch family owned
the house until 1992 when it was purchased by Mark and Candace Reeb.
This house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on
July 31, 1991.
|
Ammo Bunkers (S-1007 & S-1008) - Williams Air Force
Base (now Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport) |
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 1995
These ammo bunkers were building in 1942 by Del
E. Webb Construction Company. Located about one
have mile south of the original base plan, south of the family
housing area, each bunker is a one-story structure.
The structures are roughly elliptical in shape, measuring
150' x 80' and have an arched shaped roof and walls made of
reinforced concrete and covered with dirt. The
two bunkers are approximately 500 feet apart.
The ammo bunkers are significant as a good illustration of a
typical utilitarian military support structure constructed at
military bases in the United States during World War II. The ammo
bunkers are representative of the historic contexts "Williams Field
Training Programs and Wartime Operations, 1942 to 1947" and
"Williams Field Base Plan and Architectural Theme, 1941-1944." They
convey the physical characteristics of the property type,
particularly for its specialized function. The overall design, use
of materials and method of construction, clearly convey military
origins.
|
Flagpole - Williams Air Force Base (now Phoenix-Mesa
Gateway Airport) |
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 1995
Built in December 1941, the Base Flagpole is
significant as an object for its important symbolic and traditional
associations with the origins and history of Williams Air Force Base
and for its location at the focal point of the major axis of the
base plan. It is representative of the historic
contexts "Williams Field Base Facilities Development, 1941-1944" and
"Williams Field Base Plan and Architecture Theme, 1941- 1944."
Erected by Del E. Webb Construction Company,
the flagpole was part of the first phase of development at Williams
Field which took place between June 1941 and February 1942.
This initial development included the construction of 146
buildings and structures, runway construction and flood control, and
drilling a water well and a storage and supply system.
The flagpole construction was based on the Standard Flagpole
design prepared in 1939 by the Office of the Quartermaster General.
|
Housing Storage Supply Warehouse - Williams Air
Force Base (now Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport) |
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 1995
The housing supply warehouse was constructed in
December 1941 by Del E. Webb Construction Company.
The building was constructed using a standard utilitarian
design with Minimal Traditional architectural style influences and
as such is a good representation of the Military Facility property
type. The supply warehouse is located on "A"
Street along the south fringe of the original base plan, were most
warehouses were originally located. The warehouse
is a rectangular, one-story building of wood frame construction and
measures 150' X 60'.
The housing supply warehouse is significant for
its association with the initial development and construction at
Williams Air Force Base. It represents the best
illustration of a typical military support building once common at
the field. It is also a good illustration if its
type, period, and method of construction. The
warehouse is representative of the historic contexts "Williams Field
Base Facilities Development, 1941-1944" and "Williams Field Base
Plan and Architecture Theme, 1941- 1944."
|
Water Pump Station & Water Tower - Williams Air
Force Base (now Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport) |
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 1995
The water pump station and water tower were
constructed in the winter of 1941-1942 by the Del E. Webb
Construction Company. The location and drilling
of a water well was one of the first construction projects
undertaken at Williams Field. Drilling began in
early July 1941. By November 1941 the 250,000
gallon water tank and the 127 foot tall water tower were completed
and construction on the cast-in-place concrete water pump station
was underway. The building was completed in early
January 1942. Stylistically sympathetic
additions, also built of cast-in-place concrete were constructed to
the south and west of the water pump station in 1951.
The water pump station and water tower are good
illustrations of the military facility property type and retain
integrity of design, materials, workmanship, and location.
They convey the physical characteristics of the property
type, including overall design, use of materials and method of
construction, which help to demonstrate the property's specialized
function. The structures visually provide an
association with the initial development of the base and its
significant role during World War II. The water
pump station and water tower possess the associative quality that
connects them to the history of Williams Air Force Base.
The property clearly conveys its function as a water supply
facility and therefore as an integral component of the base's
original World War II-era infrastructure.
|
5 Archeological Sites at Williams Air Force Base -
Restricted |
(N) National Register of Historic Places - 1995
Information on these sites is restricted.
Sources:
Excerpt from Our Town, 1991. Mesa Public Schools
City Wide - Reconnaissance Survey - Ryden Architects, 1999
Evergreen Historic District National Register Nomination -
Ryden Architects
West 2nd Street Historic District National Register
Nomination - Ryden Architects
Wilbur Historic District National Register Nomination - Ryden
Architects
Temple Historic District National Register Nomination - Ryden
Architects
Robson Historic District National Register Nomination - Ryden
Architects
"In Search of African American History in the Southwest,"
Taylor, Quintard, Smithsonian Museum of National History, Behring
Online Center
The First 100 Years: The History of Arizona Blacks, Harris,
Richard. 1983
Minorities in Phoenix, Luckingham, Brandford. 1994.