Idylwilde Park Historic
District Information, Map and Homes For Sale
Idylwilde Park Historic
District
Subdivision History
"The proposed policy of the City Commission of
Phoenix to require all sub dividers to include in their
plats space to be used for parks and playgrounds
received commendation of
REALTORS when it was explained
to them recently by W. R. Hartranft of the Phoenix City
Planning Commission.
Advertisement, The Arizona Republican, February 6, 1927
This innovative policy challenged private
developers to include park land in their subdivisions.
The concept reflected a growing activism among civic
leaders to create livable environments in America's
cities. It was recognized that clean air and open
recreational space are necessary for the healthy
development of cities and their citizens. The public
health movement, the forerunner of the modern city
planning profession, developed Park space requirements.
Civic leaders hoped to ensure that growing cities would
have sufficient park land, even if county or city funds
could not match the pace of residential expansion. It
was therefore suggested that private developers be
required to provide some of this park space. These
proposals sparked a national debate among those in the
real estate profession regarding the effects of parks on
subdivision property values. Most developers believed
that including a park in their site plans would increase
property values in their subdivisions or, at worst,
would not affect values at all. However, without close
supervision of the activities permitted and adequate
maintenance of the park, some developers believed that
parks might actually become a nuisance to property
owners and would in turn lower adjacent real estate
values.
In March 1928, developers Earl E. Webster and C.W.
Stephenson platted the
Idylwilde Park Subdivision,
one of the first subdivisions platted north of Osborn
Road. The developers sought a means by which their
subdivision could stand out from all others in Phoenix,
thereby making the lots more attractive. As a selling
point, and in response to the concerns of city planners
and other civic leaders, Webster and Stephenson
incorporated a three-acre park into the layout of their
one square block subdivision. Instead of placing the
park at the corner or along the street, the park was
situated in the center of the block. Residential lots
were arranged in a loop along the outer perimeter of the
park. Individual lot dimensions were reduced, but in
return lot owners in the subdivision were granted not
only use of the park but also a share in its ownership.
Homes in the subdivision face the street, while the
rears of the homes are oriented toward the park. This
distinguishes
Idylwilde Park from other
European or eastern United States precedents, where the
main facades and entrances of the residences face an
open green space. Idylwilde houses were placed in a
manner that removed the park from public view, there-by
ensuring the park's safety, security, value and
appearance.
Park
"Here is where the children will romp and play, race and
swim; outdoor games and amusements for both old and
young, fresh air and sunshine for all ... Invite your
friends in for a swim and picnic supper, meet your
friends and get acquainted."
Advertisement, The Arizona Republican, October
1, 1928
The park was highlighted as the main attraction
of the Idylwilde Park subdivision. Idylwilde
was not conceived as an ornament for experiencing nature
while in the midst of the city, nor was it a place for
contemplative strolling. Rather, Idylwilde was
tailored to the needs of children, and to the active,
recreational lifestyle of the Valley. Labeled "The
Children's Paradise" by the developers, it was indeed a
fine play area. Having the park in the center of the
subdivision meant that children need not travel any
distance to play, nor would they need to cross or play
in the streets. The park also offered a convenient
vantage point from which parents could supervise their
children. Located within the park was a large swimming
pool, constructed of native stone. Said an
advertisement, "Like the whole of Idylwilde, this
pool has an air of distinctiveness, and of class, and
when you come out ... you will be impressed with the
fact that we have planned and built something
different." Also in the park were concrete tennis
courts, a children's playground, and two outdoor
fireplaces for picnics, a baseball diamond and a
miniature golf course. A double row of Tamarisk trees
was planted, which continues to frame the park.
Although the miniature golf course and many of the other
attractions in the park are gone, its residents still
actively use
Idylwilde Park as a recreational area.
Promotion
"Well, folks, you've been reading all week
about this wonderful Idylwilde Park. Sounds too
good to be true! Well, it is ALL true. It's all there.
No bunk about this proposition. We have the goods to
show you. Come out and see the Park and Drives, Swimming
pool, Children's playgrounds, the picnic grounds, and
the Artesian Well. And, believe it or not, a real home
in Idylwilde Park Subdivision will cost you no
more than just any old place."
Advertisement, The Arizona Republican, October
7, 1928:
Idylwilde Park Subdivision was promoted
by an aggressive advertising campaign in the local
newspapers. The advertisements displayed in the Arizona
Republican were typical of their day in their informal,
talkative manner. However, the intensity of the
advertising was unique: each day in the week prior to
the subdivision's opening, a different advertisement
appeared describing a particular attribute or amenity in
store for those purchasing in
Idylwilde Park. Among the
items targeted as selling points, other than the park
and the low price of lots, was an artesian well located
within the park, which would supply the homes with
water... "Let's have a drink from the well. Another! My,
how good! Pure and fresh and soft - nothing like this in
Phoenix."
Each speculative home was provided with a General
Electric refrigerator plus a Universal In-A-Drawer
Broiler Gas Range. These appliances were included to
demonstrate that "a home in
Idylwilde Park is a home
that any woman may be proud of." The modern design of
these appliances, together with the playground and
up-to-date, house designs, enhanced the perception of
Idylwilde as a modern and convenient place to live.
The subdivision's location within the Osborn School
District was another fine attribute… "Their reputation
is such that during the school year empty houses are
practically unknown in the Osborn School District."
Also, Idylwilde
was located along the Glendale branch of the Phoenix
Street Railway, which ran along Fairmount, at the north
end of the plat, and then turned north above 12th
Street. This location gave residents access to
downtown Phoenix.
Opening Day
FIFTY BATHING GIRLS... Wanted, between the ages of 16
and 25, to assist Miss Idylwilde Beautiful with the
christening exercises and to enjoy a swim in the new
pool, and to be in the picture that will be taken of the
ceremony.
Advertisement, The Arizona Republican, October
6, 1928
Much preparation went into presenting a fine
image for Idylwilde Park for its opening day, Sunday,
October 7, 1928. Not only was the park landscaped for
opening day and persistently advertised, but attendants
were on hand to show eight speculative demonstration
homes offered by the Idylwilde developers. This was the
largest number of demonstration homes ever shown in a
local subdivision. The remaining lots were offered for
sale to individuals who wished to build their own
structures.
Four thousand visitors attended the opening ceremonies
at Idylwilde. Reports in the Arizona
Republican noted, "One of the more impressive
features of the day was the christening of the pool in
the center of the subdivision. The ceremony was
performed by Miss E. Caldwell, who was attended by 25
girls in chic bathing suits." The objective of the day,
of course, was not to provide the people of Phoenix with
a lovely place, to have a picnic. Rather, it was to sell
the Idylwilde properties. The day's success can be
measured by the $17,000 in Idylwilde property sold that
Sunday.
Speculative Houses
"An ideal home for a young couple who are both working
in town and want as little housekeeping as possible ...
This attractive home complete in every particular may be
had on this opening day for $4,325. "
Advertisement, October 7,1928
The demonstration homes built by the developers were
designed in the Period Revival styles popular during
that time. Seven were built in various Bungalow
styles, and one was built in a loose Spanish Colonial
Revival
style. Adobe was used as a structural material in four
of the buildings. The developers boasted that each of
the buildings was different in style or in interior
amenities from its neighbors, such as having a library,
den or fireplace. With prices ranging from $4,000 to
$5,000, they were affordable to a middle-class
clientele.
A Bungalow is typically a one-story house with a
simple, functional floor plan and one or more broadly
pitched roof gables with deep overhangs. A broad front
porch with massive square porch columns is a telltale
feature. The Bungalow was the dominant style in
Phoenix from 1910 to the late 1920's. Its popularity was
based on its low building cost and adaptability to many
simple plan variations. The Bungalow style was
developed in California and spread through publication
of its building plan in building periodicals and popular
magazines.
Spanish Colonial Revival was one of the many
Period Revival styles popular in Phoenix and the nation
during the late 1920's and the 1930's. In
Idylwilde there are only a
few examples, which are characterized by stucco walls,
tile roofs and the use of arches for windows and other
openings. The Period Revival styles evolved from a
growing sense of historicism that dominated architecture
during the 1920's and continued through the 1930's.
Another example of Period Revival architecture located
in
Idylwilde
is the English Tudor style, often used for the
later
Idylwilde homes.
The eight original residences are still standing,
although some have been significantly changed.
Homesites
"For those who prefer to build their own home
we have reserved some choice locations ... from which
you may select your homesite at prices ranging from $645
to $745, including tiling of irrigation ditch. "
Advertisement, October 1928
Homesites sold quickly, with only eight sites still
available by the end of the first month of sale.
Residents building their own homes had an interest in
the park equal to those who purchased their homes from
the developer. Building restrictions included
requirements that structures are fabricated with brick,
concrete or adobe, and that no hotels, boarding houses
or apartment houses are built there. Homes constructed
in Idylwilde were required to cost no less than $2,500
to ensure that Idylwilde remain an economically and
socially homogeneous community. Similar to many other
residential subdivisions at the time, racial
restrictions were imposed as well.
Many of the first houses built by lot owners at
Idylwilde were designed in the English Tudor, Spanish
Colonial Revival and Bungalow styles. The English Tudor
is a Period Revival style characterized by steeply
pitched roofs and various combinations of brick with
stone trim. These buildings are usually asymmetrical in
form. Buildings constructed in the 1940s were designed
in the Minimal Traditional style. These one-story
buildings have low-pitched roofs and ornamentation that
suggests some of the earlier Period Revival styles.
The majority of the
homes in Idylwilde
were built by the mid 1940's, although the final
addition to the subdivision was made in 1971. All the
original buildings share a common setback from the
street and were similar in size, shape, materials and
design. Thus, Webster and Stephenson established a
common architectural identity for
Idylwilde that is still
evident in the neighborhood today.
Community
"June 11, 1956 ... Pot Luck Dinner under the committee
of Mrs. Frost Mrs. Davidson, Mrs. Stewart and Miss
Forster. The President, Mr. Crowe, opened the gathering
in asking Mr. Shaw to say grace before the meal. After
the dinner, Mr. Crowe commented that whether by design
or by chance, the selection of dishes was
extraordinarily good.
Minutes of the Idylwilde Park Club, June
1956
From the beginning, the shared
ownership of the park created strong community ties in
the Idylwilde Park subdivision. The park has
created a sense of camaraderie that has rubbed off on
the entire community. The informal ties among the
subdivision's residents were formalized in 1950, when
the Idylwilde Park Club was officially
incorporated. This organization remains a strong voice
in the neighborhood. The swimming pool is still a
vibrant gathering place for residents, and a new gazebo
within the landscaped park is the focus of social life
in the
Idylwilde Park Community.
Information, maps
and photographs provided courtesy:
Historic Preservation Office of the City of Phoenix
Neighborhood Services Department
200 West Washington Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85003
(602) 261-8699 |
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