Tempe Historic Property Survey

The Poil/Hampton House was one of the few remaining two-story ranch houses in the Salt River Valley. Built in 1904 by George Poil, the house represented the dominance of agriculture and ranching operations in the Tempe area. Poil, a native of England, moved to Arizona from Illinois with his family in about 1902, and ranched at this location until his retirement at age 71. Isaac Hampton operated the ranch from 1913 until 1929. Hampton had come to Tempe in 1912 from California with his wife and 20-year-old son, Everett. A successful land developer in California, Hampton continued in that work, beginning with this ranch and later developing other ranches, raising and feeding cattle. In the 1980s, the house was operated as "Akita," a retreat and meeting center for small groups. At the time, it was well maintained, and the grounds were landscaped with native plants and trees to imbue a secluded rural atmosphere.

The two-story, T-shaped, redwood Poil/Hampton House had a medium-pitched asphalt-shingled roof with ridgeline parallel to the front facade and an intersecting pitched roof over the two-story rear portion of the house. Eaves were enclosed. Originally covered with clapboard, by the 1980s the house was now covered with contemporary siding. Gable ends featured wood-framed double-hung windows on the north and south, and French doors on the west. The offset, single-leaf main entry was covered with a gabled portico, supported by two square wood posts with concrete brackets, resting on a concrete slab. An enclosed porch at the rear extended beyond the length of the house and had a hipped roof. A hood supported by two slender posts covered the single rear entry. The entry drive was lined with mature palm trees and the grounds were heavily landscaped with native plants and trees.

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