City of Tempe, AZ
Home MenuTempe Directory of Historic Buildings
Tempe has more than 200 historic buildings. Enjoy this searchable directory of information and photos. For more information on any of these properties or to learn how your property can be listed, please contact Tempe Historic Preservation Officer Zachary Lechner at Zachary_Lechner@tempe.gov.
Many of the properties on the Tempe Historic Register, the National Register of Historic Places, or the list of Historic Eligible properties are privately owned and not open to the public. Please respect the privacy of those who may be living in these houses.
Historic Eligible is a formal classification of parcels which contain buildings, structures, or sites which meet the criteria for designation as a Tempe Historic Property, but which have not been formally designated as "Historic."
How to Use This Directory
You may search this directory by the categories of Tempe Historic Register, National Historic Register and Historic Eligible Properties. Simply click the down arrow on the All Categories box below and select the one you would like to see. All the properties in that category will appear.
Casa Loma Building
- Address:398 S. Mill Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85280
Categories:- Historic Eligible Properties
- Address:398 S. Mill Ave.
HISTORY
Prior to the Tempe’s post-World War II building boom, the Casa Loma Building was a focal point of the business district. It is built on the site of Tempe’s first hotel, which was constructed of wood in 1888 and burned down in 1894. In 1899, the current building was built on the site and named the Casa Loma Hotel.
The Casa Loma Hotel served the community and visitors for 40 years. It housed many famous guests, such as President William McKinley in 1901 and William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody in 1911. Important Tempe citizens have also been associated with the hotel, including W. J. Kingsbury, an early owner of the hotel and a Tempe banker, and Frank Fogel, who was a Tempe rancher, landlord, and businessman.
Remodeling done in 1927 changed the hotel’s appearance from the Victorian style to the then popular Spanish Colonial style.
The Casa Loma Building no longer serves as a hotel. Currently, the building houses offices on its upper floors with dining and retail establishments on the lower floors.
ARCHITECTUREThe Casa Loma Building is one of two three-story buildings constructed prior to Arizona’s statehood and was the main landmark in Tempe’s business district prior to the post-World War II building boom. It faces south onto Fourth Street and east onto Mill Avenue.
The Casa Loma Building is a brick and wood frame structure covered with stucco. It is split into two sections: a three-story section and a one-story section. The three-story section measures 55 feet by 125 feet, while the one-story section measures 50 feet by 40 feet.
The stuccoed post and beam walls have been infilled with grouped, double-hung windows. The roof consists of a combination of a hipped roof and a gabled roof; both are covered in metal mission tiles. Original interior features include the door, casements, and classical detailed stairway.
A major remodel in 1927 converted the building’s early Victorian style into the Spanish Colonial style. The west façade went through additional remodeling in 1981 to remove the shade screens, signage, and openings that were added when the Federal Highway (now Mill Avenue) was widened in 1960.
BIBLIOGRAPHYDowntown Tempe Façade Improvement Grant Application & Checklist. 398 S Mill Ave. November 13, 2023.
Janus Associates. “Inventory Number 192.” In Tempe Historic Property Survey. 1983.
Ryden Architects. “Survey Site No T-192.” In City of Tempe Multiple Resource Area Update: Final Report, Volume Two: Inventory Forms. 1997.