Every year, in honor of Preservation Month (May), PHNC publishes the "enDangered Dozen" list. The list features properties in the City of Phoenix that are threatened by demolition or neglect. The enDangered Dozen list has been picked up by the Arizona Republic, CBS 5 and other local media outlets and seen by thousands of Arizona residents. Our hope with the list is to spread the word about these significant endangered properties. We hope to help find preservation minded buyers or educate the current owners about these special historic gems.
Since we are a historic neighborhood coalition our list focuses primarily on residential structures from 1950 and prior. Preservation efforts for commercial, industrial and institutional buildings are generally headed up by our friends at Preserve Phoenix. Postwar architecture preservation and education is generally lead by our friends at Modern Phoenix.
***The 2014 enDangered Dozen List will be published soon***
W.L. BOBO HOUSE (1241 E. Roosevelt St.) ~ Located in the McKinley Park subdivision of Garfield Historic District. The current owner applied for a demolition permit and the stay expires in early October 2013. A craftsman bungalow, it sits on a very large parcel of land which is zoned R-5 (which allows for multi-residence housing). It is listed on the PhoenixHistoric Property Register. Update: Demolished
CHARLES PUGH HOUSE (356 N. 2nd Ave.) ~ Built in 1897, this is Queen Anne style building is one of the few remaining Victorian homes left in the downtown area. Pugh was the editor and proprietor of the Southwestern Stockman. Additions to the two-story brick building in the rear probably occurred when there was a restaurant in the building (Goldie’s 1895 House). The building has been vacant for a number of years and is boarded up. It is listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.
DUPLEX (2947 N 2nd St) ~ What is notable about this vintage structure is that it was the site of one of Phoenix’s most notorious crimes: the grizzly double murder of Agnes Ann LeRoi and Hedvig Samuelson in 1931. Did Winnie Ruth Judd commit the crime? Speculation abounds. This house, along with others adjacent to it on 2nd St. have been rumored to be demolished and turned into parking lots off and on for years.
DUPPA-MONTGOMERY ADOBE (116 W. Sherman St./715 S. Second Ave.) ~ This ca. 1895 adobe was built after “Lord” Bryan Phillip Darrell Duppa (who is credited with naming the city “Phoenix”) sold his property. It is boarded up and fenced off, but subject to deterioration due to the elements. It is listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.
JONES-MONTOYA HOUSE (1008 E. Buckeye Rd.) ~ This is the oldest known house inPhoenix (ca. 1879) and was built by an Anglo-Mexican couple that farmed the adjacent land. Chicanos por la Causa, Inc., the owner of the structure, has built new offices around the house, but it remains vacant and in deteriorating condition. Although CPLC has made commitments to rehabilitate it, its deteriorating condition and historic significance necessitates prompt action. It is listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.
LOUIS EMERSON HOUSE (623 N. 4th St.) ~ This 1902 Queen Anne/Eastlake style residence is one of the few remaining residences in the Evans Churchill neighborhood. It was picked up and moved once before prior to the construction of the nearby Arizona Center retail development. The expansion of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, while a positive development for the city and state, may threaten this and several other vintage and historic buildings. Alternatives to demolition must be considered and carried out. It is listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.
MRS. NEAL HOUSE (140 E. Willetta St.) ~ This 1921 Lescher & Mahoney designed residence is boarded up and subject to vandalism. The structure falls within the Transit Oriented District (TOD) overlay.
SACHS-WEBSTER FARMSTEAD (75th Ave. & Baseline Rd.) ~ This ca. 1909 farmstead, owned by the City of Phoenix, is isolated in south Phoenix with the potential for vandalism. It is listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.
STEINEGGER LODGE (17 E. Monroe St.) ~ The 1889 Steinegger Lodge, adjacent to the 1931 Professional Building, is of brick construction and in very poor physical condition. It is the second oldest commercial building in the downtown core, and for some time was a Single Room Occupancy motel. As part of a previous mid-2000s hotel development project, it was slated for demolition. At this point, it is hoped that the current property owners will incorporate the Steinegger Lodge into the design of their boutique hotel project.
WILLIAM R. NORTON HOUSE (2222 W. Washington St.) ~ Built in 1895, this rare QueenAnne Victorian was designed by William Norton, a local architect credited with the founding of Sunnyslope. The building has had a troubled life in its more recent history. A portion burned a number of years ago and the current owner has not undertaken any significant repairs and upkeep. Due to its proximity to Interstate 17, it is more prone to vandalism. It is listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.
WHITACRE HOUSE (6301 N. 20th St.) ~ Located near Granada Park in the Tonka Vista neighborhood, this 1950s era residence was designed by noted local architect Fred Guirey, FAIA. It is currently unoccupied and subject to deterioration and vandalism.
8430 N. 15th Ave. ~ Designed by local architect Robert J. Peterson, this 1964 kiln-fired adobe brick house with an unusual spiral beehive chimney, is located in the Royal Palms neighborhood. Situated on a one-acre lot, it was recently purchased by developers who indicate that they plan to place at least two new homes on the property. Update: Demolished.
*** The 2014 enDangered Dozen list will be published soon. ***
All photos linked on this page are courtesy of the Arizona Republic