Alvarado Historic District

Located along the intersection of Monte Vista and Alvarado roads, extending north to the Oak Street alignment, east to Third Street and south toward Palm Lane.

Period of Significance: 1907-1933

The Alvarado Historic District is a residential neighborhood located in central Phoenix, Arizona. North of the downtown, the area is roughly bounded by Central Avenue, Oak Street, Third Street and Palm Lane. The district consists of 33 substantial homes situated, for the most part, on large flat lots. As the area was subdivided, then replatted and built up over a 40-year period, there is some variation in the individual lot sizes as well as the placement and orientation of each home. This pattern of development also created slight irregularities in the area's generally rectilinear street plan. A circular median at the intersection of North an East Alvarado Roads also distinguishes the district's street pattern.

As one of the oldest residential areas in the city, the district contains mature vegetation in both the yards an along the public rights-of-way. Some of the streets are lined with towering palm trees which gives a visual cohesiveness to the streetscapes. Houses are set on the front parts of their lots with unfenced shallow front yards. This placement, along the relatively narrow street, accentuates the architecture as the dominate feature of the district and further contributes to its feel as a cohesive unit.

The Alvarado Historic District is one of the largest concentrations of historic urban estate homes. Built for the elite of the community and designed by prominent local architects, the houses are among the finest example of early residential building within Phoenix. The properties have been well-maintained over the years with only minimal alterations or modifications. Thus, the houses, individually and as a collection, exhibit a high degree of integrity of design, setting, materials and workmanship.

Seventy-five percent of the houses in the district were constructed during the period, 1924-1932. This building is representative of the range of picturesque styles commonly classified as Period revival architecture. Custom homes that were individually designed, the houses contain architectural elements from a variety of stylistic traditions. Typical of construction in the southwest during this time, the majority of the homes built freely mix elements from the Spanish Colonial, Mission, Mediterranean, and Monterey Revival styles. The buildings in this category are both one and two story with stucco and painted brick exteriors. Roofs are gabled and hipped clad with the characteristic red clay tile. Eaves treatment includes exposed rafters or molded cornice; Windows are wood, double-hung and casement, with a variety of divided light configurations. Wood shutters or arched openings frequently set off the windows. Entries are central, off-set and recessed with heavy wood paneled doors. Almost all exteriors are further enhanced with a diverse assortment of stone, tile and wood ornamentation and detailing.

Distinctive examples of Elizabethan/Tudor and American Colonial Revival styles also were constructed during this period. One and a half and two stories, these homes are of brick construction, occasionally sheathed with stone or stucco. Most of the roofs are high-pitched gables with wood shingles. A premier example of the Elizabethan/Tudor style, the Carter Gibbes House at 2233 North Alvarado Road, features a slate roof along with half-timbering and a stone two-story bay window. Windows found in other homes in this category are wood both casement and double-hung. Entrances are almost all centrally located with distinctive glass treatments and wood doors.

Six houses were constructed in the district in the late 1930s and 1940s. Like the earlier era of building, these are large custom homes, designed and constructed by well-known architects and contractors. Although the houses are primarily one-story ranches, their styling attests to the continuing popularity of the Period Revival, influence even after World War II. Easily distinguished from the builder-produced ranch houses of the time ( hese houses contain the roof forms, window treatments and detailing associated with earlier European an American Colonial Revival traditions. The similarity in materials and ornamentation, as well as the quality of construction and design, helps to blend the later infill construction with the original houses of the district.

Source: https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/b36ea72b-c4e5-4c47-b935-3327545741f4a>.