BACKGROUND + STATUS –

The 1929 Elliott (Garbinski) House is significant as one of the best remaining examples of frame bungalow houses in Tempe. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Bungalow House type of construction. The Elliott (Garbinski) House was built during a construction peak in the Park Tract Subdivision from 1928 through 1930. For some time Tempe had experienced a housing shortage and Park Tract Subdivision was designed to provide relief in the form of comfortable and modern family housing to meet that demand. The bungalow style helped fulfill requirements for economy and efficiency. The Elliott (Garbinski) House is one of only 40 Tempe properties currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Bungalow type of residential construction widely popular from about 1895 until about 1940.

LOCATION –

The Elliott (Garbinski) House is located the neighborhood southwest of the intersection of University Drive and Mill Avenue, within an area known as “Maple-Ash Neighborhood”. The proposed Historic Designation of a 1929 Bungalow-style home, consists of one (1) lot on approximately 0.22 acres, located at 1010 South Maple Avenue, in the R-2, Multi-Family Residential District.  The House occupies Lot 10 of Block 4 of the historic 1924 Park Tract Subdivision.  The Park Tract Subdivision is identified as a Cultural Resource Area in the Tempe General Plan 2030.  A nomination for historic designation and listing of the Elliott (Garbinski) House was submitted to the Tempe Historic Preservation Office by the property owner, Justin Garbinski who also provided a waiver of rights and remedies under A.R.S. § 12-1134. 

CONDITION –
The Elliott (Garbinski) House is in excellent condition and retains the original character-defining features of its classic bungalow form intact.  The house has changed little from its original configuration when its classic bungalow styling became an important addition to the new neighborhood. 

AGE –

The Elliott (Garbinski) House is one of only 6 Tempe properties believed by the Tempe Historic Preservation Office to survive from 1929.  Based on data from the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office and Tempe HPO files, 122 Tempe existing properties are thought to predate the Elliott (Garbinski) House having year-built dates earlier than 1929.  The Elliott (Garbinski) House is within the 99^th percentile of all Tempe properties in terms of age.

CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES -

Bungalow houses share a conscious search for the supposed simplicity of preindustrial times.  Their straight-forward form was meant to counter the excess of the Victorian period and return to a past when the artisan's personal involvement with the work featured prominently.  The major character-defining features of the Elliott (Garbinski) House are the shingled medium-pitched central and porch roofs with gables fronting the house and an intersecting perpendicular medium-pitched roof.  Other significant character-defining features of the house include open gable eaves that are bracketed and feature lattice vents in the peaks.  A short extension of the house to the south also has a medium-pitched roof and bracketed gable eaves.  A low addition at the rear of the house has a low-pitched roof with open eaves and is also covered with clapboard siding.  The front porch covers a single central entry, which has ten-pane sidelights, characteristic of the bungalow form.  The porch roof is supported by two short, tapering pillars, set upon tall, square concrete piers.  Two low concrete piers frame the two-step entry to the concrete-floored porch.  Windows are double-hung and discretely placed.  A single-leaf side entry has a concrete stoop.  A clapboard garage also from the period of significance is at the rear of the property. 

INTEGRITY –

Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance and is evaluated according to aspects which must be present in different combinations depending on the criteria from which historic significance is derived.  For designation and listing in the Tempe Historic Property Register the Elliott (Garbinski) House must maintain specific aspects of integrity to effectively convey significance.  As provided in the research report, the Elliott (Garbinski) House exceeds minimum requirements, retains adequate integrity, and continues to convey significant qualities of design, workmanship, materials, and feeling. 

CONCLUSION –

The Elliott (Garbinski) House is one (1) of only forty (40) Tempe properties currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Biographical information regarding previous owners is not available and the basis for historic designation and listing in the Tempe Historic Property Register as provided by Tempe City Code Sec. 14A-4.  Designation of landmarks, historic properties and historic districts –  

(a)       The following criteria are established for designation of an individual property, building, structure or archeological site:

                        (1)       It meets the criteria for listing on the Arizona or national register of historic places;

                        (2)       It is found to be of exceptional significance and expresses a distinctive character, resulting from:

                                    a.         A significant portion of it is at least fifty (50) years old; is reflective of the city's cultural, social, political or economic past; and is associated with a person or event significant in local, state or national history; or

                                    b.         It represents an established and familiar visual feature of an area of the city, due to a prominent location or singular physical feature; or

(3)     If it has achieved significance within the past fifty (50) years, it shall be considered eligible for designation as a landmark if it is an integral and critical part of an historic district or demonstrates exceptional individual importance by otherwise meeting or exceeding the criteria specified in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this subsection above.  At such time as a landmark becomes fifty (50) years old, it will automatically be reclassified as an historic property.

The Tempe Historic Preservation Office and Planning staff recommend historic designation and listing in the Tempe Historic Property Register for the historic 1929 Elliott (Garbinski) House consistent with its listing in the National Register of Historic Places and on the basis that the quality of significance in American history, architecture, and culture is present in buildings that possess integrity of design, materials, workmanship, and feeling, which embody the distinctive characteristics of a type or period of construction.

REASONS FOR APPROVAL:                        

1.       The Elliott (Garbinski) House has met the criteria established in Section 14a-4(a)(1), the property is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

2.       The location is designated as a “Cultural Resource Area” by the General Plan 2030, with the intent to preserve the underlying zoning and recognize the significance of identified post World War II subdivisions in our community.

3.       Historic Preservation Commission has recommended approval for this request by a unanimous decision, including support by the current property owner.

CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL:    

None