Willo Historic District

The Roaring 1920s
During the mid to late 1920s, Phoenix witnessed phenomenal growth in its population and a
great expansion of its city limits. Consequently, there was a growing concern over how the City
should accommodate this growth without losing its unique qualities. Civic leaders and members
of the local real estate trade agreed that haphazard development would be detrimental both to the
current residential population and to property values. The residential building developers of Willo
used four strategies to accomplish their goal of forging an economically and socially viable comm-
unity: deed restrictions and protective covenants; platting large-scale subdivisions; constructing model
homes and supporting the local zoning movement. Unlike Home Builders, these early developers
only sold residential lots; they did not build speculative homes.

Subdividers controlled land values by placing building restriction clauses on the lots sold. For
example, a building cost restriction of $2,500 would prevent those of modest means from building
there and would dictate the quality of materials chosen for the structure. Other restrictions regulated
specific building materials and types of building use, such as excluding an apartment house from a
subdivision. As in many parts of the nation, racial restrictions were imposed as well. These restrictions
gave Willo an upper middle class identity. Many store owners; professionals and upper echelon public
service employees were the initial homebuyers in Willo.

Developers also set the tone of development in Willo subdivisions with the use of "model homes.
" The National Association of Real Estate Boards, local real estate firms and the American Construction
Council sponsored a national program of model home construction during this period. This program
emphasized the American Dream of home ownership as a marketing tool. New building technology was
promoted in the model home campaign as well, offering added convenience and low building costs for
homebuyers.

The "Spanish Rancho Home," the first building constructed in the Broadmoor Subdivision,
was an "exhibition house." The house received wide publicity during its construction and opening.
The interior was decorated, and the latest electrical, plumbing and heating systems installed and
brought to the attention of the visiting public. After the house had successfully attracted prospective
lot buyers to the subdivision and had set the architectural standard for the area, the building was
sold to a private buyer.

Most of the building activity in the late 1920s occurred in the large North Kenilworth and Broad-
moor subdivisions. Both were platted in 1928. By purchasing lots in large subdivisions, prospective
homeowners were assured of neighbors who would meet the same deed requirements as they did,
thereby guaranteeing social homogeneity in the area. The large size of the subdivisions offered the
opportunity for a creative layout of lots and streets. The curvilinear street pattern of Broadmoor was
touted for its design along 11 artistic lines" in keeping with the city beautification and planning move-
ment of the period.

While deed restrictions assured Willo residents that nearby buildings would be of a character similar
to their own, there was no means by which residents could control development immediately beyond the
boundaries of their subdivision. However, by the 19 1 Os, large cities adopted zoning ordinances which
granted municipalities the authority to regulate development within their city limits. Following suit,
Phoenix civic leaders recognized that a zoning ordinance was an essential feature of a modern city.
Therefore, the city hired a prominent San Francisco consultant to draft a zoning code for Phoenix.
The first zoning ordinance was passed in 1930. Zoning was supported by the local realtors for its ability
to stabilize property values. William Hartranft, the first chairman of the Phoenix Planning Commission
and a longtime resident of Willo galvanized their support. With the exception of a few lots zoned 11
neighborhood commercial" at major street intersections, all the Willo area was designated for single-
family residential use. An exception was the provision for modest apartment buildings (such as the El
Encanto Apartments) along Central Avenue, which was the historic edge of the Willo neighborhood.

Period Revival Architecture
The "Spanish Rancho Home's" design reflects the influence and popularity of the Spanish Colonial
style through the mid and late 1920s. By the early 1930s, the Period Revival movement introduced a
range of historical styles reflecting picturesque images of early American or European domestic archi-
tecture. Period Revival was the dominant style in California at the time, a factor that influenced design
trends in Phoenix.The Spanish Colonial Revival style was first exhibited before the American public at
the 1915 Pan-American Exposition in San Diego. Characteristics of these low, horizontal one- or two-
story buildings include simple stucco or plaster walls and chimneys, lowpitched red tile gable roofs,
arched window and door openings and modest detailing from several earlier eras of Spanish and Mex-
ican architecture.
Tudor/Elizabethan Revival buildings have their origins in medieval England. The style, which was
often described as picturesque and romantic, is characterized by its irregular shape; steep roof with
sharp gables accented with halftimbering details; large chimney; cast concrete or stone-framed doors
and various combinations of sheathing materials such as rough stone, stucco and brick. An interesting
variation of the Tudor/ Elizabethan Revival found in Willo is the Cotswold Cottage. The style's most
distinguishing feature is its curved wood shingle roof, which suggests the appearance of a historic
English thatched roof.

Also found in Willo are examples of the American Colonial Revival style. Although American
Colonial is the nation's most popular revival style, it is not extensively represented in Phoenix. Char-
acteristics of the style include Greek Revival door and window surrounds; shuttered, multi-paned
windows; low-to-medium pitched gabled roofs, usually with the broadside facing the street and wood
clapboard or brick outer walls.

The Impact of the FHA
The worst years of the local economic depression, 1931 through 1935, are illustrated by the
virtual standstill of real estate development and construction activity in the Willo neighborhood.
The National Housing Act of 1934 rejuvenated residential growth in Willo. The purpose of the
Act was to "improve nationwide housing standards, provide employment and stimulate industry,
improve conditions with respect to home mortgage financing, and to realize a greater degree of
stability in residential construction." The Act created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
that stimulated new construction by insuring residential mortgages, thus making them easier to
obtain. In return, the FHA required that housing built with insured loans meet certain design and
construction standards.

The development of Willo during this period was a direct consequence of Phoenix' zoning
regulations converging with the policies of the FHA. The City's zoning regulations established
types of land uses in Phoenix. The FHA policies mandated a specific palette of building materials
and designs, which could be used to qualify for financing programs. The program also encouraged
speculative development in large subdivisions by limiting the risk of mortgage foreclosure and by
increasing demand for houses based on the FHA's low interest rates. As a result of these influences,
like no other time in Phoenix history, there was a uniform, coordinated and controlled vision for
developing new residential areas of the city.

The FHA's directives gave developers a blueprint for the most cost efficient and marketable designs.
The FHA sought uniformity in their subdivisions in hopes of creating stable, secure and attractive
communities. Building components and styles were mass-produced, thereby cutting costs. Developers
were able to plat and subdivide property confidently, for they were assured of financial backing from
the banks.

In an effort to boost the public's awareness of their mortgage financing and to show future home-
owners the advantages of the program, the FHA, with local lending institutions and building contractors,
sponsored the construction of two "demonstration houses" in the Willo neighborhood. The houses,
built in the summer and fall of 1936, were constructed for private owners but were opened for public
inspection to demonstrate the ultra modern dwellings achieved through FHA financing." The prominent
and prolific Phoenix architectural firm of Lescher and Mahoney designed both of these homes. The P.W.
Westerlund House, designated the "House of Romance," was the first of three houses to be built
Economy of construction and convenience were billed as the main features of the house. The "Home of
Happiness" was the second FHA sponsored demonstration home in Willo. The Arizona State Fireman's
Association sponsored the "Miracle" demonstration home in Willo. This home, which was endorsed by
the FHA, promoted the use of fireproof construction materials such as adobe, cement, steel and asbestos.

Unlike the architecturally diverse subdivisions developed during the 1920s, the subdivisions developed
in Willo during the New Deal years are more uniform in appearance. This uniformity was a response of
local developers to federal housing initiatives.

FHA era houses were constructed in two basic styles: French Provincial and Monterey. The FHA
borrowed the general shape of their homes from the Period Revival styles but stripped the houses of
elaborate exterior details, ornamentation and finishes. Built when the private automobile had become
the dominant mode of transportation, these buildings incorporate garages or carports into their design.

The most distinctive feature of the Phoenix-FHA interpretation of the French Provincial style is its
steeply pitched, hipped roof. These one-story buildings are asymmetrical in plan and have interlocking
wings, giving the appearance of a rambling farmhouse. The Phoenix version of the FHA Monterey style
is a forerunner of the modern Ranch style house. These are one-story structures with a low, horizontal
orientation and an asymmetrical front facade. Exterior walls are covered by stucco or plaster. They have
low-pitched gabled roofs usually sheathed in Spanish tile, and have adjoining garages.

Preserving Neighborhood Character
The effort to maintain the Willo neighborhood's character still continues. In 1986, Willo residents and
city officials prepared the Willo Neighborhood Conservation plan, addressing such quality-of life issues
as the development of high-rise office buildings in the area. In 1990, a neighborhood coalition successfully
promoted designation of Willo as a local historic district. With the continuing commitment of its residents,
the Willo neighborhood will remain proud of its past and preserving the neighborhood's unique qualities
for the future.