Tempe Historic Property Survey

The Moeur Building is significant for its architectural value and its historical associations. The combination of Moderne style and use of adobe in construction makes this building unique and the only example of its type in Arizona. Large public buildings incorporating adobe in the 1930s are rare, and the Moeur Building is the best-known and largest example of such construction in Arizona. The building is also known as the "largest structure of its kind to be built in Arizona by the labor of the Work Projects Administration." The building retains most of its original integrity and spatial configuration despite functional changes and loss of original wall murals.

The building is historically associated with Dr. B. B. Moeur, a Tempe physician. He served as secretary to the Board of Education for Arizona State Teachers College (now ASU) for many years and as Governor of Arizona for two terms (1933-1936). As a member of the Constitutional Convention for the State of Arizona, he wrote the portions of the Constitution pertaining to education, creating the basis for development of the state’s educational system.

The Moeur Building is a large, flat-roofed, one-story structure with a frontage of 177 ft., a depth of 123 ft., and a height of over 25 ft. Federal Moderne in appearance, the building faces north and is constructed of concrete, wood, and adobe. The more than 50,000 adobe bricks made on he site were used to infill the concrete post and beam frame. The building is symmetrical and H-shaped with the east and west wings extending approximately 20 ft. to the north and five ft. to the south. The entry features four pairs of flush doors with nine-light openings, and 30-light transoms. The doors are separated and flanked by Moderne pilasters with polychrome brickwork between the pilasters over the transoms. Similar pilaster and brickwork appear on other facades of the building. The body of the building is stuccoed and scored horizontally. Internally, the building features a 22-ft. by 40-ft. two-story foyer and the original recreation room/auditorium space (68 ft. by 100 ft. by 20 ft. high). Interior remodeling has altered some spatial features, although most spacing, including the original auditorium/recreation room, remains intact. The building has been well maintained.

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