This is a list, which includes a photographic gallery, of some of the remaining historic structures and monuments in Mesa, Arizona. Mesa is a city in Maricopa County located east of Phoenix. Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson.
__TOC__
Brief history
The early Mormon pioneers founded a settlement which they named Utahville. They soon renamed their settlement Lehi. They rebuilt the ancient canals that the Hohokam tribe had built, and the area became successful as an agricultural haven. On March 5, 1877, the pioneers built a fort using adobe bricks which they named "Fort Utah" to protect their families and fields from the Apaches who attacked them. In 1886, the town Post Office name was changed to Zenos. In 1889, the Post Office Department finally allowed the name Mesa City. There was a flood in Lehi in 1891, which destroyed Fort Utah and carried away acres of valuable farmland in low-lying areas.History of Mesa
There are numerous historical properties in Mesa which have either been listed in the National Register of Historic Places or on the list of the Mesa Historic Properties. The city's Mesa Historic Preservation Program facilitates public knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the city's historic past.National Register of Historic PlacesCheck out Mesa’s historic homes Mesa Historic Properties
The city of Mesa cannot ultimately prevent private owners of the properties from demolishing them. Before a structure in a historic district or landmark can be demolished it must receive approval from the Historic Preservation Officer. A permit of demolition will be provided if the property represents an immediate hazard. Other requests will be held for a period of six months, during which the Historic Preservation Officer will look for possible reasons to save the structure. The structure may be demolished if by the end of the six months no plan to save the structure has been established Mesa Historic Properties Historic Preservation
Included in this list are the historic properties located in what once was Williams Air Force Base. The base was formerly a training base for the United States Army Air Forces, which later became the United States Air Force. The base closed in 1993. Part of the base was annexed by Mesa and part by the city of Phoenix. The area in which the base was located has been converted into a civilian airport called the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and an educational campus anchored by the Arizona State University and Chandler-Gilbert Community College. On May 19, 2016, the "Falcon Field World War II Aviation Hangars" were listed in the National Register of Historic Places,reference #16000266
Images of some of these properties with a short description follow:
Old Fort Utah Fort Utah – built in 1877. the remains of the old fort are located at 2331 N Horne Rd. The fort was a pioneer post established in 1877, by the Mormon Lehi Pioneers in present-day Mesa.It is known as Old Fort Utah. A flood in Lehi in 1891, destroyed Fort Utah and carried away acres of valuable farmland in low-lying areas.History of Mesa, Arizona The 1884 Lehi School Bell
Buildings
The following buildings and houses of religious worship which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and/or the Mesa Historic Properties are pictured in this section with a brief description of the same. The Arizona Museum of Natural History was actually built where the city hall, jail and courthouse were once located. The museum kept the 1884 Territorial jail cells and has them on display.Fun with history Also, pictured is the 1926 Town Center Clock located at the NE corner of W. Main and Macdonald. This clock was originally across the street at 61 West Main but, was moved to this corner in 1932. The clock mechanism has been updated. The replica of the original Lehi School was built in 1880. The Pomeroy Building was built in 1891 by the sons of Francis Pomeroy, one of Mesa's founding fathers. It is located at 138 West Main St. This building housed one of the city's earliest businesses.Mesa Walking Tour The Alhambra Hotel which was originally built in 1893 and reconstructed in 1922. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 31, 1991. The Abell, Wilbur and Company Warehouse built in 1898 located at 166 W. Main Street. The Lehi School, built in 1913. Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event, Architect, builder, or engineer: WPA, Architectural Style: Moderne, Mission/Spanish Revival, Area of Significance: Architecture, Community Planning And Development, Entertainment/Recreation, Education. Period of Significance: 1950–1974, 1925–1949, 1900–1924. The Nile Theater Building located at 105 West Main Street opened in 1924, this was Mesa's first air-conditioned building. Blocks of ice were put in a container in the back of the building and a large fan behind the ice distributed the cool air to vents under the theater seats. The theater existed until 1951. The Mesa Women's Club, built in 1931 (NRHP) Historic Significance: Event, Area of Significance: Social History, Period of Significance: 1925–1949. Irving School was built in 1936 and it is located at 155 N. Center St. The Irving School is a rare surviving example of Federal Modern style architecture applied to an elementary school. The school was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 2000, reference number 00001323. The Post Office/Federal Building, built in 1937, (MHP). The Buckhorn Baths Motel was built in 1939 and is located at 5900 Main St. in Mesa. The Buckhorn Baths Motel is a complex consisting of fourteen buildings including a bathhouse, a main office building, and individual room units. The motel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 10, 2005, reference number #05000421. The Grain Elevator Frihoff Peter Nielson & Sons built the 100-foot-tall Flour Mill, Grain Silo and Grain Elevator, the largest of its kind in the Valley, in 1938. It is located on the corner of Macdonald and Broadway Road. Grain Silo Reminder of Mesa’s Agricultural Roots History The Citrus Growers Warehouse built in 1930 and located at 254 Broadway Road. Individual room units of The Buckhorn Baths Motel . The Information Technology Department Building was built in 1959 and is located at 59 E. 1st St. It was built as the Mesa Public Library, it is an early example of post-World War II modern formalism architecture. It is listed in the Mesa Historic Property Register. The two Falcon Field World War II Aviation Hangars built in 1941 and located within 4800 E. Falcon Dr. The hangars were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 19, 2016, reference #16000266.
Houses of Religious Worship The First United Methodist Church was built in 1894 and is located at 15 E. First Ave. The Methodist Church is the oldest one still in continuous use in Mesa. In 1893, Dr. E.W. Wilbur paid $300 for two parcels where the church was to be built. In 1893, the church was chartered and it was first constructed in 1894. It is listed in the Mesa Historic Property Register. The Mount Calvary Baptist Church was built in 1918 and is located at 1720 E. Broadway Ave. Mt. Calvary Baptist Church is the oldest predominantly Black Church in Mesa. In 1918, the late Reverend J.B. Bell organized the mission into a formal church. These early members gave the church the name it bears today, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. The church is listed in the Mesa Historic Property Register. The Mesa Arizona Temple was built in 1919. This temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the namesake of, and central structure in the Historic Mesa Temple District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Queen of Peace Church was built in 1947 and is located at 141 N MacDonald Rd. It is a non-Indian parish that has had a few Maya Indian parishioners.
Houses The following is a brief description of the houses pictured in this section.
The Sirrine House was built in 1896 Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Architect, builder, or engineer: Sirrine, Joel E., Architectural Style: Queen Anne, Area of Significance: Architecture, Period of Significance: 1900–1924, 1875–1899. The Kent House was built in 1900 and is located at 454 East 1 st. Ave. Dr. Melvin Kent worked in the South-side Clinic and was known for his work ethic and nightly house calls. The Angulo-Hostetter House was built in 1902 (NRHP) Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Architectural Style: Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Area of Significance: Architecture, Period of Significance: 1925–1949, 1900–1924. The Strauch-Fuller House, built in 1906 (NRHP) Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Architect, builder, or engineer: Unknown, Architectural Style: Mission/Spanish Revival, Area of Significance: Architecture, Period of Significance: 1900–1924. The Robert Scott House was built in 1909 and is located at 2230 E. Grandview St. in Mesa. The residence belonged to Robert Scott, a wealthy Mesa sheep farmer and large landowner, who was a co-founder of the Salt River Bank. The Scott House originally stood within the original Mesa townsite on the corner of First and Sirrine Streets, and when completed was among the few large formal residences in Mesa. Commercial expansion and downtown redevelopment projects during the past twenty years have changed the character of the townsite area. The original site of the Scott House was sold for commercial development in 1972, and the house was subsequently moved six miles to a residential subdivision where it is now located. The property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 8, 1982, reference #82002079. The Max Viault House was built in 1908 and is located at 156 N. MacDonald Road. The house belonged to Max Viault who served as Mayor of Mesa from 1914 to 1916. The Spangler-Wilbur House, built in 1915, (NRHP) Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Architect, builder, or engineer: Home Builders Inc., Architectural Style: Colonial Revival, Mission/Spanish Revival, Area of Significance: Architecture, Period of Significance: 1900–1924. The James A. Macdonald House, built in 1916–1918 (MHP). Macdonald was an early Mesa Pioneer. He was a former police officer, farmer, and builder and helped in the construction of the Arizona LDS Temple. The Dr. Lucius Charles Alston House, built in 1920 (NRHP). The Dr. Lucius Charles Alston House is associated with the history of the development of the African American community in Mesa. The house served as Dr. Alston's office while practicing medicine in Mesa. The Mesa Journal – Tribune FHA Demonstration Home. Also known as Charles A. Mitten Home. Area of Significance: Commerce, Community Planning And Development; Period of Significance: 1925–1949 (NRHP). The Tibshraeny House was built in 1932 and located at 215 N. Robson. The Tibshraeny's were one of several well-known Lebanese families who owned businesses in early Chandler. Jay Tibshraeny's grandfather, Michael Ferris Tibshraeny, immigrated to the state in 1913 from Lebanon and subsequently settled in 1918, opening a Western and clothing store in downtown Mesa.East Valley Tribune The Fitch Farm House was built in 1933 and is located at 945 N. Center Street. The farm belonged to Larkin Fitch. 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 example of a Tudor Revival style house (MHP). The Drew House was built in 1935 and is located at 461 E. 1st. Ave. The Ellsworth House was built in 1938 and is located at 444 E. 1st. Ave. The small Tudor-styled cottage was built for German and Mary Ellsworth. The Killian House was built in 1940 and located at 440 E. 1st. Ave. The Killian family were ranchers who played an important role in the development of the farming industry in Mesa.