Tempe Historic Property Survey

Mariano Gonzales was one of the first settlers in the Tempe area, arriving about 1875. By 1877 he had a 40-acre farm near the Salt River, along what is now West First Street. This single-story adobe house was built at about that time.

The house has thick adobe walls plastered with stucco. The low-pitched roof extends over a front porch supported by wooden posts. This style, known as Territorial Vernacular, reflects a transition from the earlier architecture of the Mexican era. As Anglo-American settlers came into Arizona, they introduced some changes in building styles. The same style of adobe construction was used for many years, but houses were more often built with a peaked roof, rather than the traditional flat roof covered with mud.

The Mariano Gonzales House is one of the oldest surviving structures in the valley. It is now a privately owned residence.

More information on this building is available at the Tempe Historical Museum Research Library. See the File Contents for HPS-160.

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