Facing Impending Destruction:
The Tempe Historic Property Survey
In the 1970s, the city began an ambitious program to redevelop downtown Tempe. Since
many of the earliest neighborhoods were located in this area, some people were concerned
that many of the city's historic buildings were in danger of being destroyed. In 1980, the
Tempe Historical Society obtained a grant from the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office
to identify any buildings and structures in Tempe that had historical or architectural
significance.
The resulting project, the Tempe Historic Property Survey, was coordinated by the
architectural firm of Janus Associates. Volunteers of the Tempe Historical Society did most
of the research. They prepared detailed histories of 150 structures that were considered to be
the most significant in Tempe. As a result of this study, there was a way of determining
which buildings were the most important. In some cases, certain buildings were rehabilitated
or moved out of the redevelopment area rather than simply being demolished. Nonetheless,
nearly half of the buildings identified as important in 1982 are now gone.
Much of the original Tempe Historic Property Survey is now available on-line at
www.tempe.gov/museum/ahpsfile.htm
.
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