The West Side-Clark Addition Historic District encompasses four contributing single-family residential subdivisions, platted between 1930 and 1947, as well as a post-war, non-contributing townhouse subdivision platted in 1973.
- West Side Addition (platted 1930)
- Monte Vista Addition Amendment (platted 1935)
- Clark Addition Amendment (platted 1946)
- Clark Addition No. 2 (platted 1947)
These subdivisions are characterized by long, narrow blocks with straight streets oriented to the cardinal directions. The streetscapes feature regularly spaced, small, one-story houses on evenly sized lots with narrow frontages. Three of the subdivisions include parkways that buffer sidewalks from the streets, though no formal street tree plan was implemented. The district retains much of the character it had when the subdivisions were largely completed in 1958. While some post-historic-period infill has occurred, it remains generally compatible in size and scale. Despite numerous remodels, most houses maintain facades and yards that reflect the mid-century suburban neighborhood character.
The West Side-Clark Addition Historic District is significant for its association with three key periods of residential growth in Mesa: 1927 to 1931, 1935 to 1940, and the post-WWII era. This district plays a crucial role in illustrating the expansion of residential development on Mesa's west side beyond the original townsite. The creation of these subdivisions beyond the townsite marked a pivotal shift in Mesa's community development, contributing to the city’s growth and shaping the residential character of the area.
West Side Addition:
The West Side Addition was among the first subdivisions established on the west side of Mesa’s original townsite, making it a key development in the West Side-Clark Addition Historic District. Platted in the 1930s. it was developed after Joseph W. Clark and Mary A. Clark began planning the area in the spring of 1930. In April of that year, they contracted with S.M. Morse of the Morse Engineering Company to prepare the subdivision plat, which was completed in May. The plat was officially filed with the Maricopa County Recorder on June 7, 1930, by attorney Elijah Allen.
Joseph W. Clark was an influential Arizona pioneer and prominent leader in Mesa. Born in Salt Lake City on November 14, 1864, he moved to Arizona in 1881, where he developed a large ranch in the Salt River Valley between Mesa and Tempe. After returning to Utah in 1884, he married Mary Adeline Noble and later moved with her to Mesa in 1892. Clark founded a brick factory, engaged in cattle ranching and farming, and organized the Mesa Dairy and Ice Company. He held various civic roles, including trustee for the local high school, deputy sheriff, first lieutenant in the Arizona National Guard, and bishop of the Third Ward of the Mesa LDS church. Mary A. Clark was a dedicated community leader, serving as president of the Third Ward Relief Society for 20 years and as a leader in the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association. She also worked at the Arizona Temple. Mrs. Clark passed away in 1943, followed by Mr. Clark in 1948.
Monte Vista Addition:
The Monte Vista Addition, the second subdivision to be platted during the 1927-1931 boom in the West Side-Clark Addition Historic District, shares similarities with the West Side Addition in its planning and execution. Like the West Side Addition, Monte Vista was conceived during a period of economic optimism but developed after the stock market crash. Located just north of the West Side Addition, the Monte Vista Addition was also surveyed by S.M. Morse, who completed his survey in January 1931. Herman and Hazel Shaver platted the subdivision in February 1931, and it was officially recorded with the Maricopa County Recorder on March 25, 1931.
Herman Shaver, born in Walker County, Georgia in 1895, moved to Mesa in 1923 and founded the Arctic Ice Company. He married Hazel, a native of Tennessee who had relocated to Arizona in 1919. In addition to his ice business, Shaver was heavily involved in real estate development, with notable projects including the Desert Sage Tract and Desert Sage 2, rural agricultural subdivisions developed in 1947 and 1948, located east of Mesa. Herman Shaver passed away in 1957, and Hazel Shaver died in 1969.
The Monte Vista Addition was created from agricultural land and originally consisted of sixteen large residential lots and one elongated business lot along Mesa Boulevard (now Country Club Drive). The residential lots, which measured about 132 feet in width and 140 feet in depth, were spacious, with two lots near Mesa Boulevard being slightly wider at 148 feet. The subdivision represents a shift from agricultural land to residential development during a time of economic transition.
Clark Addition:
The Clark Addition, the first of two post-war subdivisions in the West Side-Clark Addition Historic District, was initiated by family patriarch Joseph W. Clark before the end of World War II. In August 1945, Clark contracted with surveyor Harold W. Yost of Yost and Gardner Engineers to prepare the subdivision plat. As a widower looking ahead to the future, Clark filed the plat on September 14, 1945, on behalf of his son, Leigh W. Clark, and daughter-in-law, Sadie O. Clark. Leigh, a war veteran, would follow in his father’s footsteps and become involved in real estate development upon his return.
Due to a legal issue regarding Joseph Clark serving as attorney-in-fact for his son, the subdivision had to be re-platted in January 1946 as the Clark Addition Amended. By this time, Leigh had returned from the war and was able to file the subdivision with the original signatures of both him and his wife, Sadie Ollorton Clark.
The subdivision comprised three streets: West First Street, which ran east-west between North Mesa Boulevard (now Country Club) and Date Street; King Street, which originated at Date Street and traveled west (now Pepper Place); and Meadow Lane, a short north-south street that connected First Street with King Street. Joseph Clark named King Street after his daughter, Mrs. Thomas King. The residential lots in the subdivision typically measured 60 feet in width, with depths ranging from 111 to 122 feet. Larger lots were situated along the south side of First Street and along Meadow Lane. All residential lots were oriented north-south. Additionally, three commercial lots were positioned along what is now Country Club Drive, oriented east-west.
Clark Addition No. 2:
Joseph W. Clark prepared a second subdivision in the post-war years, known as Clark Addition No. 2. Work began in October 1947 when Clark again enlisted surveyor Harold W. Yost of Yost and Gardner Engineers to create a subdivision plat for land at the east end of King Street, which had been excluded from the original Clark Addition. By this time, however, Joseph Clark's health was declining. Before the plat was filed, Clark made arrangements to sell the subdivision to members of the West family, who would then handle the sale of the lots. Although the agreement was made in October, it was not finalized until November 15, 1947. Joseph Clark passed away on September 1, 1948.
Initially, Clark intended to sell the property to Karl B. West and his wife, Irma H. West. However, shortly before the deal was completed, Karl’s brother, E.J. West, acquired the property instead. E.J. West and his wife, Veralda West, platted Clark Addition No. 2 in October 1947, and filed the plat with the Maricopa County Recorder on November 19, 1947.
Karl B. West, born in Snowflake, Arizona in 1891, was a dairy farmer, rancher, and builder. He and his wife operated a hotel in Lakeside, a cafe and service station in Show Low, as well as motels, apartments, trailer parks, and office buildings in Phoenix, Mesa, and Gilbert. Karl West died in 1974, and Irma West passed away in 1993.
Clark Addition No. 2 was a small subdivision consisting of just nine residential lots along King Street (now Pepper Place). The lots on the north side of the street were 72 feet wide, while those on the south side measured 62 feet in width. The average lot depth was 122 feet. In addition to the residential lots, the subdivision included two large business lots fronting on Mesa Boulevard (now Country Club), and a long rectangular lot located behind the residential lots on the north side of King Street.