Preservation as a Community Project:
Tempe Bakery/Hackett House

	The Tempe Bakery was built by William Hilge in 1888. The two adjoining buildings included a bakery, a shop, and an upstairs residence. In 1907, Edward and Mary Craig moved into the Tempe Bakery and converted it into a home. Their daughter, Estelle, married Roy Hackett, and they moved into the house in the 1920s. Roy died in 1959, but Estelle continued to live in the house up until the 1970s. By then, the Hackett House was a deteriorating relic in the midst of a changing downtown area.
The Tempe Centennial in 1971 and the American Bicentennial in 1976 inspired renewed pride in the community's history and landmarks. In 1974, the city bought the property from Estelle Hackett for a Neighborhood Redevelopment Project. The Hackett House, the oldest fired red brick building in Tempe, was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Plans were made to restore the buildings to their 1912 appearance. This became an American Bicentennial project for the city and the Tempe Historical Society. A "Buy a Brick" campaign was started to raise money to match an $18,000 federal grant.
	After more than ten years of planning and restoration work, the Tempe Bakery/Hackett House was opened to the public in 1986. The buildings became the headquarters for the Tempe Sister City Corporation, a local organization that actively promotes international goodwill.

Go to the next page of the Doors to the Past exhibit

Return to the beginning of Doors to the Past