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.
Borden Milk Co. Creamery and Ice Factory
Categories:- Historic Buildings
- Historic Eligible Properties
- National Historic Register
HISTORY
The Borden Milk Co. and Ice Factory compound was constructed in 1892 for the F. A. Hough Ice Plant. By building this ice factory, Hough eliminated the need to transport ice from Mesa to Tempe daily, a process that involved transportation via a wagon or train.
After some time operating solely as an ice factory, modifications were made to allow for the processing of dairy products and the name was changed to Tempe Creamery and then to Tempe-Mesa Produce Company.
In December 1907, the business was acquired by the California-based Pacific Creamery Company as their second location. Upon acquiring the planet, Pacific acknowledged that it was one of the best equipped creameries on the Pacific coast. The Pacific Creamery produced condensed milk, butter, cheese, and ice and shipped it throughout Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. During this time the creamery employed about fifty people and was one of Tempe’s biggest employers.
In 1927, the creamery was acquired by the Borden Milk Company who expanded and modernized the complex. In addition to adding nine buildings to the complex, Borden also updated the façades to reflect the emerging Spanish Revival-style architecture.
The Borden Milk Company ran the facility until 1953, when it was shut down and fell into disuse. It has since been bought by the Four Peaks Brewing Company, which revitalized the structures and maintains the compound as a restaurant and brewery.
ARCHITECTUREWhile the Creamery was initially constructed of brick, its current appearance dates to 1927 when Borden acquired the property. After Borden acquired the property, he remodeled the existing buildings and added additional buildings. Among the remodeling changes was the addition of curvilinear parapet walls, embodying the Mission Revival architecture that was popular in the late 19th and early 20th Century.
In 1915, an office building was constructed on the property as a response to the Creamery’s growth and need for more space. Unlike the other buildings, this one was built in the Commercial Box style. It is a good example of the use of prism-block in commercial construction.
A final rehabilitation was completed in 1997, and the result shows the wide variety of construction techniques that were used at the compound during its history. The final construction converted the buildings into a restaurant and brewery, including the addition of outdoor patios.
BIBLIOGRAPHYJanus Associates. “Inventory Number 151.” In Tempe Historic Property Survey. 1983.
Ryden Architects. “Survey Site No T-151.” In City of Tempe Multiple Resource Area Update: Final Report, Volume Two: Inventory Forms. 1997.
Ryden Architects. “Survey Site No T-152.” In City of Tempe Multiple Resource Area Update: Final Report, Volume Two: Inventory Forms. 1997.