Tempe 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.  

YEAR BUILT: 1909

HISTORY

The Administration/Science Building was built in 1909 for the Tempe Normal School (now Arizona State University [ASU]) and was originally named Science Hall. It is one of the university’s three original buildings, one of two that still survive today.

Although it was once an administrative building for the school, it has served many purposes throughout the years. It has housed not only science and English class but also the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) program.

Since 1989, the building has also been known as the Club House and houses ASU’s exclusive club for faculty, staff, alumni, parents of current students, and corporate and community members. Members of the club pay a variably monthly fee that goes towards the building’s upkeep and other operation expenses, such as utility bills.

The Administrative/Science Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

ARCHITECTURE

The Administration/Science Building is built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style that was typically adopted in Arizona during the Territorial years. This style can primarily be seen in its brick construction, mansard roof, and copper shingles.

The building is a two-story symmetrical brick structure measuring 70 feet by 92 feet. It is built on a granite foundation and has a steeply pitched hipped roof with copper shingles. There are parapet gables on the east façade that match the roof. The building’s entrances are currently being supported by segmental arches, but some of the original brickwork, which can be seen at the south entry, remains. The windows are double-hung and the panels doors have transoms. The building’s eaves are boxed and detailed with dentils. An intrusive, but reversible, addition was added in 1950 that includes a fire stair and restroom.

The interior of the building retains much of its original integrity. The spatial arrangement hasn’t been altered, and many of the features are still intact. These remaining features include the floors, doors, casements, baseboards, and moldings. The building retains its original vault on the first floor.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arizona State University. “University Club,” Virtual Tours. Archived January 28, 2025, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250128170702/https://tours.asu.edu/tempe/university-club.

Arizona State University. “University Club.” Business and Finance. Archived June 24, 2025, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250624161147/https://cfo.asu.edu/university-club-historic.

Legler, Danielle. “University Club Not So Secret.” The State Press, October 31, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20140328234514/http://www.statepress.com/2010/10/31/university-club-not-so-secret/.

National Register of Historic Places Nomination. “Administration/Science Building.” December 1982. 

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