Journey Through the Phoenix Historic Districts - Coronado Historic District

Metropolitan Phoenix has a wealth of historic districts, each with its own unique features, and residents who care about preserving and sharing their historic homes. Since this is also an interest of mine, I’ve decided to start a series of articles so others can learn about and enjoy these fascinating neighborhoods.

The first neighborhood on the tour is Coronado which had its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century. Local leaders and investors were negotiating with the federal government to build the Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River to control seasonal flooding and ensure that Phoenix had a consistent supply of water. Once the development of the dam was under way, real estate development boomed. In 1908, Dwight B. Heard, one of those who had pushed for the dam, petitioned for subdivision of the area that would become the Coronado neighborhood.

This area, whose boundaries were defined by McDowell Road, Seventh Street, 12th Street, and a canal that ran down Oak Street, was intended to be a “streetcar suburb.” Since land values were determined by the distance to Central Avenue and the downtown, Coronado’s location dictated more modest buildings that drew working class families.

Building lots ranged from $375 to $650 including electricity, water, sewer, and gravel streets. A young family could buy a house and lot for $1,900 to $2,700.Following World War I, Phoenix drew hundreds of new residents, most of them white-collar and blue-collar middle class families, and many settled in the Coronado subdivision. It was an era when building “spec” houses was a progressive idea, and many of them were in Coronado which was both desirable and affordable. “Ranchitos Bonitos” (”pretty little ranches”) was one of the first subdivisions in Coronado, and exhibited the charm of this neighborhood built from the 1900’s to the 1930’s. During those years, the residential styles in Coronado favored Bungalow, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival.

The Great Depression brought a new trend as development slowed in Coronado and the rest of the Phoenix community. While some homeowners were forced to sell, others converted their garages to living quarters. The owners moved into the garage and rented out the main house as a means to hold on to their property and weather the economic storm. When the country rose out of the Depression, these residents were able to move back into their homes and then rent out the converted garages as living quarters. The Depression also influenced the architecture of Coronado as it slowed development. When construction began again, styles had shifted and the result can be seen today in two distinct areas within the Coronado district. In the area between 7th and 12th Streets, styles date back to the 1920’s, while the rest of the district dates to the late 1930’s and 1940’s.

In late 1939, Coronado became the home of the first planned, mass-produced subdivision of tract homes in Phoenix. Developer Andy Womack built the Womack Subdivision and led the way to development of the remaining tracts in the Coronado Neighborhood east of 12th Street by others who followed his success.

In the Country Club Park neighborhood, you can see the main styles built following the Depression. Built entirely during World War II, Country Club Park has well preserved examples of 1940’s development.

There is a great deal of pride in this neighborhood for the preservation efforts of homeowners. Volunteer efforts over several years were rewarded in 1986 by the Coronado Historic District being placed on the National Register of Historic Districts.

Each spring, some Coronado homeowners open their houses to the public for the Annual Coronado Historic Home Tour. In the western part of Coronado, tour guests can see that the predominant building style is the Bungalow along with some Ranch and Spanish Colonial styles scattered throughout. In the eastern portion of the neighborhood are many examples of Tudor Revival and English Cottage style. Whatever part of Coronado you visit, you will be treated to a visual history of the development of this unique Phoenix area neighborhood.

Source: The Coronado Neighborhood Association http://www.gcna.info/

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