Tempe Historic Property Survey
| Survey Number: |
HPS-171 |
| Name: |
President's House/
Virginia G. Piper Writers House |
| Location: |
Arizona State University campus |
| Year Built: |
1907 |
| Architectural Style: |
Colonial Revival |
The President’s House is significant as the most intact building over 50 years old
on the ASU campus. Its integrity is high with the 1931 and 1937 changes sympathetic and
reversible. As the home of the university president, it is significant for its association
with presidents Matthew and Gammage, the two most important leaders of this institution of
higher education. Arthur J. Matthews was principal from 1900 to 1930 and President
Emeritus for 12 more years; Grady Gammage was president through the 1940s and ‘50s,
and was responsible for guiding the post-World War II growth which culminated in the
college becoming Arizona State University. The house is also associated with territorial
architect James Creighton, who designed the original Normal School building (which was
demolished long ago). This house is the only remaining campus building associated with
Creighton and is the last known design with which he was involved.
The building was used as the president’s residence until 1959, after which it was
the Alumni House and Alumni Executive Offices. During the
1990s the building was occupied by the
University Archives and used as an exhibit gallery. ASU
renovated it in 2005 for the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing.
The President’s House is a symmetrical two-story Western Colonial brick building
with a copper shingle roof. Located on part of the original campus on the northwest corner
of Normal Avenue and Tyler, the house faces south. The central entry was originally a
projecting hipped porch with classical detailing. The porch was enclosed in 1937 with
four-light casement window and a 12-light entry door with 8-pane sidelights. The main
house (35 ft. by 35 ft.) has a two-story bay window on the west and a two-story bay with
fireplace on the east. The roof is hipped with projecting gables and features boxed eaves
and a central hipped dormer. The double-hung windows have segmental arches. In 1931, two
rooms and a bath were added to the northwest corner.
Sources:
- Ty Young, "Feeling write at home in President's
Cottage," Arizona Republic, 28 February 2005, Southeast Valley Monday
section, 5.
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