New Historic District
Pierson Place Historic District - Check out today's arictle in the AZ Republic!
Pierson Place fast-tracks to historic designation
Angela Cara Pancrazio
The Arizona Republic
May. 9, 2006 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
May. 9, 2006 12:00 AM
The Pierson Place neighborhood is the latest Phoenix neighborhood to go historic.
Because of its proximity to light rail, developers were pressuring homeowners to sell their homes in the Pierson Place neighborhood so they could replace single-family homes with high-rise buildings.
The neighborhood faced a now-or-never decision on a historic designation for their central Phoenix enclave.
Because of its proximity to light rail, developers were pressuring homeowners to sell their homes in the Pierson Place neighborhood so they could replace single-family homes with high-rise buildings.
The neighborhood faced a now-or-never decision on a historic designation for their central Phoenix enclave.
"We had to fast-forward; whole blocks were getting offers from developers," said Barbara Stocklin, historic preservation officer.
"We moved it forward," Stocklin said, "ahead of other designations."
Pierson Place is between Camelback Road and the Grand Canal from Seventh to Central avenues.
The neighborhood is considered an "early residential suburb" built by mom-and-pop builders. The first subdivision within the neighborhood dates to 1924, when it was outside the Phoenix city limits but within a 10-minute drive to downtown.
Newspaper ads from 1926 announced half-acre lots for "$400 and up, city conveniences and no city taxes."
Since the neighborhood was built in fits and starts, the homes are an eclectic mix of styles that represent the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Those styles include a number of adobe houses, which are rare, as well as Art Moderne and the ranch house, the emblem of Phoenix postwar construction.
In 1928, the opening of nearby Brophy College Preparatory was a selling point, but in the 1930s, construction waned during the Great Depression.
Construction started again in the late 1930s and the neighborhood was built out by the mid-1950s.
When residents found out that the neighborhood was eligible for historic designation, they contacted the city's Historic Preservation Office.
"They wanted it desperately," Stocklin said.
Being so close to light rail meant a lot of good development opportunities. And with all the high-rise zoning on the edge of the neighborhood, Stocklin said, some property owners were hoping to expand high-rise zoning.
"It was a tricky designation."
"Our policy is to have at least two-thirds of the neighborhood sign a petition for historic designation. We had three-fourths within a week," Stocklin said.
So in honor of Pierson Place becoming an official historic district, the blue-and-white historic district sign was unveiled this month, which also coincided with National Historic Preservation Month.
Reach the reporter at angela.pancrazio@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8126.
"We moved it forward," Stocklin said, "ahead of other designations."
Pierson Place is between Camelback Road and the Grand Canal from Seventh to Central avenues.
The neighborhood is considered an "early residential suburb" built by mom-and-pop builders. The first subdivision within the neighborhood dates to 1924, when it was outside the Phoenix city limits but within a 10-minute drive to downtown.
Newspaper ads from 1926 announced half-acre lots for "$400 and up, city conveniences and no city taxes."
Since the neighborhood was built in fits and starts, the homes are an eclectic mix of styles that represent the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Those styles include a number of adobe houses, which are rare, as well as Art Moderne and the ranch house, the emblem of Phoenix postwar construction.
In 1928, the opening of nearby Brophy College Preparatory was a selling point, but in the 1930s, construction waned during the Great Depression.
Construction started again in the late 1930s and the neighborhood was built out by the mid-1950s.
When residents found out that the neighborhood was eligible for historic designation, they contacted the city's Historic Preservation Office.
"They wanted it desperately," Stocklin said.
Being so close to light rail meant a lot of good development opportunities. And with all the high-rise zoning on the edge of the neighborhood, Stocklin said, some property owners were hoping to expand high-rise zoning.
"It was a tricky designation."
"Our policy is to have at least two-thirds of the neighborhood sign a petition for historic designation. We had three-fourths within a week," Stocklin said.
So in honor of Pierson Place becoming an official historic district, the blue-and-white historic district sign was unveiled this month, which also coincided with National Historic Preservation Month.
Reach the reporter at angela.pancrazio@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8126.