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Willo Historical District History Plus Light Rail Access
Nestled in the very heart of urban Phoenix, Willo
was once the epitome of suburbia - a collection of
subdivisions on the outskirts of the small, but thriving
metropolis of Phoenix. The Willo neighborhood
between 7th and Central Avenues can be divided into two
sections. J. P. Holcomb used a Homestead Patent in 1878
to acquire and settle the southern portion of Willo
between Encanto Blvd. and McDowell. Mr. Holcomb acquired
the northern portion, between Thomas Rd. and Encanto
Blvd. in 1886 through a Timber Culture Land Patent.
For the next 20 years or so, the land was primarily for
agricultural purposes and lay on the outskirts of town.
In the early 1900's, four subdivisions were platted,
containing home sites with long narrow lots. In the
early 1920's, Home Builders, a residential construction
firm, built 41 homes in the Bungalow style. During the
mid to late 1920's Phoenix, like the rest of the West,
experienced tremendous growth and a building boom.
Standards were set for residential construction, and
"exhibition houses" (now called model homes) were
developed to market the new construction. Most of the
building activity in Willo during this period occurred
in the N. Kenilworth and Broadmoor subdivisions, and
included a "Spanish Rancho Home" exhibition house.
During the 1930's the Period Revival movement brought
tremendous variety in architectural styles, including
Tudor Revival, Greek Revival, American Colonial Revival,
Spanish Colonial Revival and Pueblo Revival. However,
the Depression brought construction to a near
standstill. The mid to late 1930s and the development of
the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) brought
construction back to Willo. Construction from this
period and later years often featured French Provincial
and Monterey styles, with an architectural design that
would eventually become what we know today as the Ranch
Style house. Construction was also more standardized due
to the influence of the FHA and other government-imposed
standards. Most of these newer homes are found in the
northern section of Willo.
In all, 22 separate subdivisions were platted and
developed in Willo by various entrepreneurs from the
turn of the century up to the beginning of WWII.
Eventually, with the growth of Phoenix over the last
century, the individual subdivisions platted by early
developers were forgotten and the area blended into one
cohesive whole. Unfortunately, the amazing growth of the
city resulted in the encroachment of commercial
development on what were once quiet suburbs. In the
1980's, residents of Willo successfully lobbied for
status as a special conservation district, achieving
historic status and assuring that this beautiful part of
Phoenix history will be preserved for the enjoyment of
future generations.
Development Influences
The historic development of Willo was the result of
deliberate actions that shaped and controlled the
neighborhood's visual and social characteristics. Many
parties, including the local and national real estate
trade, prominent civic leaders and the federal
government, were responsible for these actions.
Over 700 homes were constructed in Willo, making it one
of Phoenix' largest historic neighborhoods. Seventeen
subdivisions were platted in Willo, each indicative of
the land development and architectural trends of their
time. This brochure describes how the resources of
public agencies, private firms and organizations were
used to create the Willo community.
Home Builders
In the early 1920’s, most of the Willo area was
undeveloped agricultural land on the outskirts of the
city. It was difficult to attract families to build
their homes in Willo because of its somewhat isolated
nature. Home Builders, a speculative residential
construction firm, saw great opportunity in this new
area.
Through the large-scale construction of homes, the
company had the opportunity to create a new community,
an atmosphere that encouraged people to purchase a
house. Home Builders constructed 41 residences in Willo
between 1920 and 1925, each in the same architectural
style. The company was also responsible for the
marketing of these residences, offering an affordable
time payment plan, which appealed to middle class
homebuyers. Home Builders thus set the standard for the
appearance of the neighborhood, the quality of buildings
to be located there and the economic and social
characteristics of the area's residents.
Home Builders, like other builders of that time,
constructed homes in the Bungalow style. Bungalows have
large porches and broad roof overhangs and are usually
one story. Wood clapboard, wood shingles, and stucco or
brick masonry form exterior walls. The Bungalow style
easily accepts simple plan variations and emphasizes the
use of common building materials such as brick and wood,
making the Bungalow simple and inexpensive to construct.
The Roaring 1920's
During the mid to late 1920’s, Phoenix witnessed
phenomenal growth in its population and a great
expansion of its city limits. Consequently, there was a
growing concern over how the City should accommodate
this growth without losing its unique qualities. Civic
leaders and members of the local real estate trade
agreed that haphazard development would be detrimental
both to the current residential population and to
property values. The residential building developers of
Willo used four strategies to accomplish their goal of
forging an economically and socially viable community:
deed restrictions and protective covenants; platting
large-scale subdivisions; constructing model homes and
supporting the local zoning movement. Unlike Home
Builders, these early developers only sold residential
lots; they did not build speculative homes.
Subdividers controlled land values by placing building
restriction clauses on the lots sold. For example, a
building cost restriction of $2,500 would prevent those
of modest means from building there and would dictate
the quality of materials chosen for the structure. Other
restrictions regulated specific building materials and
types of building use, such as excluding an apartment
house from a subdivision. As in many parts of the
nation, racial restrictions were imposed as well. These
restrictions gave Willo an upper middle class identity.
Many store owners; professionals and upper echelon
public service employees were the initial homebuyers in
Willo.
Developers also set the tone of development in Willo
subdivisions with the use of "model homes." The National
Association of Real Estate Boards, local real estate
firms and the American Construction Council sponsored a
national program of model home construction during this
period. This program emphasized the American Dream of
home ownership as a marketing tool. New building
technology was promoted in the model home campaign as
well, offering added convenience and low building costs
for homebuyers.
The "Spanish Rancho Home," the first building
constructed in the Broadmoor Subdivision, was an
"exhibition house." The house received wide publicity
during its construction and opening. The interior was
decorated, and the latest electrical, plumbing and
heating systems installed and brought to the attention
of the visiting public. After the house had successfully
attracted prospective lot buyers to the subdivision and
had set the architectural standard for the area, the
building was sold to a private buyer.
Most of the building activity in the late 1920's
occurred in the large North Kenilworth and Broadmoor
subdivisions. Both were platted in 1928. By purchasing
lots in large subdivisions, prospective homeowners were
assured of neighbors who would meet the same deed
requirements as they did, thereby guaranteeing social
homogeneity in the area. The large size of the
subdivisions offered the opportunity for a creative
layout of lots and streets. The curvilinear street
pattern of Broadmoor was touted for its design along 11
artistic lines" in keeping with the city beautification
and planning movement of the period.
While deed restrictions assured Willo residents that
nearby buildings would be of a character similar to
their own, there was no means by which residents could
control development immediately beyond the boundaries of
their subdivision. However, by the 1910’s, large cities
adopted zoning ordinances which granted municipalities
the authority to regulate development within their city
limits. Following suit, Phoenix civic leaders recognized
that a zoning ordinance was an essential feature of a
modern city.
Therefore, the city hired a prominent San Francisco
consultant to draft a zoning code for Phoenix. The first
zoning ordinance was passed in 1930. Zoning was
supported by the local realtors for its ability to
stabilize property values. William Hartranft, the first
chairman of the Phoenix Planning Commission and a
longtime resident of Willo galvanized their support.
With the exception of a few lots zoned 11 neighborhood
commercial" at major street intersections, all the Willo
area was designated for single- family residential use.
An exception was the provision for modest apartment
buildings (such as the El Encanto Apartments) along
Central Avenue, which was the historic edge of the Willo
neighborhood.
Period Revival Architecture
The "Spanish Rancho Home's" design reflects the
influence and popularity of the Spanish Colonial style
through the mid and late 1920’s. By the early 1930’s,
the Period Revival movement introduced a range of
historical styles reflecting picturesque images of early
American or European domestic architecture. Period
Revival was the dominant style in California at the
time, a factor that influenced design trends in Phoenix.
The Spanish Colonial Revival style was first exhibited
before the American public at the 1915 Pan-American
Exposition in San Diego. Characteristics of these low,
horizontal one or two story buildings include simple
stucco or plaster walls and chimneys, low-pitched red
tile gable roofs, arched window and door openings and
modest detailing from several earlier eras of Spanish
and Mexican architecture.
Tudor/Elizabethan Revival buildings have their
origins in medieval England. The style, which was often
described as picturesque and romantic, is characterized
by its irregular shape; steep roof with sharp gables
accented with half-timbering details; large chimney;
cast concrete or stone-framed doors and various
combinations of sheathing materials such as rough stone,
stucco and brick. An interesting variation of the Tudor/
Elizabethan Revival found in Willo is the Cotswold
Cottage. The style's most distinguishing feature is its
curved wood shingle roof, which suggests the appearance
of a historic English thatched roof.
Also found in Willo are examples of the American
Colonial Revival style.
Although American Colonial is the nation's most
popular revival style, it is not extensively
represented in Phoenix. Characteristics of the style
include Greek Revival door and window surrounds;
shuttered, multi-paned windows; low-to-medium pitched
gabled roofs, usually with the broadside facing the
street and wood clapboard or brick outer walls.
The Impact of the FHA
The worst years of the local economic depression, 1931
through 1935, are illustrated by the virtual standstill
of real estate development and construction activity in
the Willo neighborhood. The National Housing Act of 1934
rejuvenated residential growth in Willo. The purpose of
the Act was to "improve nationwide housing standards,
provide employment and stimulate industry, improve
conditions with respect to home mortgage financing, and
to realize a greater degree of stability in residential
construction." The Act created the Federal Housing
Administration (FHA) that stimulated new construction by
insuring residential mortgages, thus making them easier
to obtain. In return, the FHA required that housing
built with insured loans meet certain design and
construction standards.
The development of Willo during this period was a direct
consequence of Phoenix' zoning regulations converging
with the policies of the FHA. The City's zoning
regulations established types of land uses in Phoenix.
The FHA policies mandated a specific palette of building
materials and designs, which could be used to qualify
for financing programs. The program also encouraged
speculative development in large subdivisions by
limiting the risk of mortgage foreclosure and by
increasing demand for houses based on the FHA's low
interest rates. As a result of these influences, like no
other time in Phoenix history, there was a uniform,
coordinated and controlled vision for developing new
residential areas of the city.
The FHA's directives gave developers a blueprint for the
most cost efficient and marketable designs. The FHA
sought uniformity in their subdivisions in hopes of
creating stable, secure and attractive communities.
Building components and styles were mass-produced,
thereby cutting costs. Developers were able to plat and
subdivide property confidently, for they were assured of
financial backing from the banks.
In an effort to boost the public's awareness of their
mortgage financing and to show future homeowners the
advantages of the program, the FHA, with local lending
institutions and building contractors, sponsored the
construction of two "demonstration houses" in the Willo
neighborhood. The houses, built in the summer and fall
of 1936, were constructed for private owners but were
opened for public inspection to demonstrate the ultra
modern dwellings achieved through FHA financing." The
prominent and prolific Phoenix architectural firm of
Lescher and Mahoney designed both of these homes. The
P.W. Westerlund House, designated the "House of
Romance," was the first of three houses to be built
Economy of construction and convenience were billed as
the main features of the house. The "Home of Happiness"
was the second FHA sponsored demonstration home in
Willo. The Arizona State Fireman's Association sponsored
the "Miracle" demonstration home in Willo. This home,
which was endorsed by the FHA, promoted the use of
fireproof construction materials such as adobe, cement,
steel and asbestos.
Unlike the architecturally diverse subdivisions
developed during the 1920’s, the subdivisions developed
in Willo during the New Deal years are more uniform in
appearance. This uniformity was a response of local
developers to federal housing initiatives.
FHA era houses were constructed in two basic styles:
French Provincial and Monterey. The FHA borrowed the
general shape of their homes from the Period Revival
styles but stripped the houses of elaborate exterior
details, ornamentation and finishes. Built when the
private automobile had become the dominant mode of
transportation, these buildings incorporate garages or
carports into their design.
The most distinctive feature of the Phoenix-FHA
interpretation of the French Provincial style is its
steeply pitched, hipped roof. These one-story buildings
are asymmetrical in plan and have interlocking wings,
giving the appearance of a rambling farmhouse. The
Phoenix version of the FHA Monterey style is a
forerunner of the modern Ranch style house. These are
one-story structures with a low, horizontal orientation
and an asymmetrical front facade. Exterior walls are
covered by stucco or plaster. They have low-pitched
gabled roofs usually sheathed in Spanish tile, and have
adjoining garages.
Preserving Neighborhood Character
The effort to maintain the Willo neighborhood's
character still continues. In 1986, Willo residents and
city officials prepared the Willo Neighborhood
Conservation plan, addressing such quality-of life
issues as the development of high-rise office buildings
in the area. In 1990, a neighborhood coalition
successfully promoted designation of Willo as a local
historic district. With the continuing commitment of its
residents, the Willo neighborhood will remain proud of
its past and preserving the neighborhood's unique
qualities for the future.
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