The Tempe Historic Property Survey was a collaborative project produced by Janus
Associates, Inc., and the Tempe Historical Society, and funded by a grant from the Arizona
State Historic Preservation Office. Phase I of the survey (1980-1981) involved identifying
more than 350 buildings and structures in Tempe that exhibited potential historical and/or
architectural significance. Phase II (1982-1983) involved research and documentation of
the 150 most significant resources. More than a dozen volunteers completed most of the
research under the direction of Museum Director Susan Wilcox and Cindy Myers of Janus
Associates. The research collection that was compiled as a result of this project includes
individual files on 158 historic properties. Of those most important buildings and
structures that were studied in 1983, only 60% are still standing today.
The City of Tempe recently commissioned a second Historic Property Survey. This study
includes hundreds of other buildings that were built in the 1930s and '40s. Generally, a
building must be at least fifty years old before it can receive recognition as a historic
building.
