SUMMARY
The Andre Building is significant for its design, combining both Victorian Panel Brick Commercial and Neo-Classical elements.  It is the best-preserved, continuously-used commercial block in the Salt River Valley, retaining a high degree of integrity of its turn-of-the century appearance.   

ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
The Andre Building was built in 1899-1900 as a reconstruction of an earlier building, designed by prominent territorial architect James M. Creighton, that was destroyed by fire in 1899.  The two-story red brick building has three bays, and the upper floor facade features Neo-Classical details such as pilasters (decorative columns on the wall), a pediment, and a cornice.  As once was typical of many two-story commercial buildings, the Andre Building was designed originally for retail uses on first floor and fraternal hall on the second floor. 

HISTORIC ASSOCIATION
Captain R. G. Andre, a skilled saddle maker, was a prominent businessman in early Tempe.  While living in Phoenix, he built a commercial building at the southwest corner of Mill and 4th Street in 1888, and opened a saddlery and harness shop.  In 1893 he moved to Tempe.  Andre later joined with M. Mertz, who became his partner in Andre and Mertz, a store specializing in harnesses, saddlery, and vehicles.  The Andre Building was destroyed by fire in 1899.  Andre built a new building on the same site in 1900, along with C. G. Jones, whose family owned it from 1912 to 1977.  It became one of Tempe's finest examples of Victorian and Neo-Classical architecture. 

In addition to Andre's hardware and harness shop, the Andre Building has housed a number of businesses, including Price Wickliffe's Furniture and Undertaker (1912-1929), the Southside Progress newspaper (1939-1942), and the Arizona Cotton Growers Association (1919).  The second floor has been a boarding house and apartments.  The building has also been the location for the U.S. Post Office (1917-1947) and the Masonic Lodge (1917-1953).

The Andre Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.  In 1981, the exterior of the building was restored to its original appearance.  In 1999, the building again caught fire, however, this time building safety features mandated in the 1981 renovation saved the building from loss.

SOURCES
National Register Nomination,  08/10/1979

Tempe Historic Property Survey  : :  Survey Number: HPS-241

3 Decades of Development: The Tempe Downtown Redevelopment Guide   

Also known as:  NR Building - #79000419;

Keywords: HPS-241; Victorian/Neo-Classical; James M. Creighton; Captain R. G. Andre;