Developmental History of Winsor Square
In the early 1920's, the parcel, which
became Windsor Square, was a
tract of nearly vacant agricultural land
owned by the Barringer family. Only a
few homes appear to have existed in the
area prior to the subdivision, including
two modest Bungalows in the
Lamson subdivision on Colter Street.
The formal origins of Windsor Square
can be traced to the announcement on
February 5, 1929 that the Barringer
property at Central and Camelback was
purchased by the Owens-Dinmore Company.
Typical of the era, the company proposed
to build a prestigious suburban
development. The subdivision was to
feature a creative curvilinear street
layout. The Phoenix firm of Holmquist
and Maddock, along with W. Lee Woollett
from Albany, New York, were retained to
design the street plan. Also retained,
as a consultant was John R. Case, a
planner from Los Angeles who specialized
in subdivisions. The developers intended
to create a "state-of-the-art"
residential neighborhood with curbs,
sidewalks, ornamental lights,
landscaping, and a water system.
Despite its promotion and high
expectations, sales did not meet the
anticipated level. The neighborhood
quickly fell victim to the onset of the
Depression and its developer,
Owens-Dinmore filed for bankruptcy.
Windsor Square would experience its
major growth period in the 1940's,
during which time most of the available
lots were developed. William Rasmussen
would ultimately build the majority of
homes in Windsor Square. In 1944, he
created the Cuesta Vista Subdivision,
which forms the northern portion of the
district.
Significance of Windsor Square
Windsor Square is significant as a
neighborhood that provides
evidence of the northern limits of the
speculative land development patterns
occurring in Phoenix during the late
1920's. The district contains several
excellent examples of Period Revival
style architecture and has unique
architectural merit due to the
concentration of homes built after 1939
and through World War II. The emergence
of custom-designed Ranch Houses is
particularly notable in Windsor
Square.
