REMARKS FROM ARIZONA STATEWIDE
HISTORIC PRESERVATION PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE 

ASU'S Old Main
29, July 2004

Thank you for the opportunity to be here. It is an honor to speak before you this afternoon.

As a lifelong resident of Tempe, I'm committed to the restoration and preservation of Tempe's history. Looking around the room, I see many friends who have engaged with me to preserve that history - folks who assisted in efforts, for example, to preserve the slopes of Hayden Butte, also known as "A" Mountain. While not thought of as a historically significant structure, it's actually the home of an ancient civilization that preceded us by 1,000 years.

Growing up in north Tempe, I spent many of my childhood days at Hole in the Rock. Most of you know that area was the center of a civilization - it was used for layout of the surrounding communities and as a calendar for planting. Along the radials set by it were communities like Pueblo Grande and what we now call the Loma del Rio ruin on the north shore of the Salt River bed.

It's right and fitting in contemplating those sites that we recognize that we have before us a great "diamond in the rough."

At the diamond's eastern-most point, the Eisendrath House is a unique home of Pueblo Revival style built in 1930.

At the south point of the diamond, we have the Hayden Flour Mill and silos. Many don't consider the silos historic, having been built in the 1950s, but they are certainly the icon of our community. The mill on that site was built in 1918, replacing one that had burned down. There are those who'd like to raze both structures to create a new opportunity for development. I think that approach is absurd. Imagine trying to explain the location and meaning of "Mill Avenue" without the very structures and icon that gave rise to this modern community.

On the western point of the diamond, we have Tovrea Castle. It's fitting that I'm here today with Mayor Gordon from the City of Phoenix, whose preservation efforts are well known and appreciated. Just as I challenge my community to preserve the Eisendrath House, "A" Mountain's ancient treasures and the mill and silos, I'm confident and hopeful that the City of Phoenix will commit itself to the restoration of Tovrea Castle.

Finally on the northern-most point of the diamond, adjoining the City of Scottsdale, is the historic Butte Amphitheatre. This structure, off McDowell Road between the Papago Buttes, is remarkable for its simplicity, beauty and the view it overlooks to the north and east.

Here then, with these four points, we have a diamond truly in the rough. These historic points are part of one of the truly great outdoor recreational amenities in this country: Papago Park. The park is jointly owned and managed by the cities of Phoenix and Tempe. Together with the City of Scottsdale, we need to recommit our efforts for improvements to this outdoor arena, which also includes the Phoenix Zoo, Desert Botanical Garden, golf courses, Tempe Town Lake and the historic monuments of the Eisendrath House, Tovrea Castle, Hole in the Rock, "A" Mountain and the Hayden Flour Mill and silos.

So today I come before you to acknowledge my commitment to that regional effort. More important, I ask that you join me in our quest to restore these great places for the enjoyment of locals and visitors alike. 

Thank you.

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