African American Historic Property Survey Ii
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City of Phoenix AAFFRRIICCAANN AAMMEERRIICCAANN HHIISSTTOORRIICC PPRROOPPEERRTTYY SSUURRVVEEYY Prepared by: David R. Dean Jean A. Reynolds Athenaeum Public History Group City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office Barbara Stocklin, Historic Preservation Officer Kevin Weight Bill Jacobson Jodie Brown Athenaeum Public History Group David R. Dean Jean A. Reynolds 628 W. Portobello Ave. Mesa, AZ 85210 October 2004 African American Historic Property Survey ii A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S This historic context of African Americans in Phoenix is a product of the efforts of many. First of all, it was the City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office that initiated this study in order to preserve the cultural history of Phoenix as much as its physical buildings. The City of Phoenix funded this study in part with a grant from the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office. Without these resources, a study of this type would not be possible. Secondly, there were a number of individuals that were instrumental in the successful completion of this project. In particular, James Boozer, Mildred Moore, and Marcus Wright served as valuable liaisons between the project team and the African American community. Through their efforts, the project gained access to individuals, materials, and institutions that provided essential information and feedback throughout the project. Additionally, they led most of the efforts to promote the project within the community through the distribution of questionnaires at cultural events and various institutions. Second, the project benefited from the expertise of two academic professionals, Dr. Mary Melcher and Dr. Matthew Whitaker. Dr. Melcher provided an important segment of the archival research and conducted some of the oral interviews for the historic context. Professor Whitaker served on the project as a reviewer ensuring both academic rigor and cultural sensitivity were maintained at each step of the process. Third, the African American Historic Property Survey could not have been accomplished without the collaboration of Kevin Weight, the Lead Historic Preservation Planner and Project Manager for this study, and the experience brought to the project by Historic Preservation Officer Barbara Stocklin. From the beginning the City of Phoenix set a collegial tone for project that freely shared information, exchanged ideas, and reasoned through the findings in this report. Additionally, Athenaeum Public History Group would like to thank the professional staff at the Arizona Historical Society, Arizona State University – Luhrs Reading Room; Arizona Historical Foundation; City of Phoenix, Burton Barr Library, Arizona Room; Arizona State Archives, Libraries, & Public Records; and the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office and the County Recorder’s Office. If there are any errors within these pages, the responsibility is fully ours. African American Historic Property Survey Acknowledgments iii Finally, the project would not have been successful were it not for members of the African American community that stepped forward to answer questions, fill out surveys, pose for pictures, and share their memories. Many offered family photos and valuable primary source materials for our use. Of particular note, Councilman Michael Johnson, District 8, provided a number of materials from his personal collections and arranged the roundtable interview with members of the Elks Lodge. On behalf of Athenaeum Public History Group, thank you for your enthusiasm, comments, and insights with regards to this endeavor and for partnering with us to preserve the history of African Americans in Phoenix. ATHENAEUM PUBLIC HISTORY GROUP David R. Dean Jean A. Reynolds Principal Investigator Principal Investigator African American Historic Property Survey Acknowledgments iv T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …...…………………………………… iii INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………… 1 Methodology HISTORIC CONTEXT ………………………………………….... 8 Community Development, 1868-1930 …..……………….. 10 Community Expansion, 1930-1950 ………………………. 32 Community Persistence, 1950-1970 ..…….……………….. 60 ASSOCIATED PROPERTY TYPES ………………..……………. 92 EVALUATION OF HISTORIC RESOURCES ………...………… 112 RECOMMENDATIONS …………………………….…………... 119 APPENDICES ……………………………………….…………... 123 BIBLIOGRAPHY QUESTIONNAIRES ORAL HISTORIES LOST PROPERTIES INVENTORY FORMS African American Historic Property Survey Table of Contents v I N T R O D U C T I O N In order to broaden the city’s historic property designation program, the city of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office contracted this historic property survey focusing on the theme of African American heritage. The purpose of this survey identifies the number and location of African American historic properties citywide and documents their significance to the community. Information is needed on the extent, distribution, and potential significance of those properties associated with Phoenix’s Black community. This survey will not only assist in prioritizing historically eligible properties for the designation process but it will further the goals and responsibilities of the city Historic Preservation Commission to 1) identify, protect, and enhance properties of historic significance, 2) provide the basis for compliance review, 3) identify areas for future study, 4) aid staff in responding to requests for information, and 5) provide an example for other community-focused historic context studies. The survey was funded by city of Phoenix Historic Preservation Bond funds as well as a Certified Local Government grant received from the National Park Service through the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office. METHODOLOGY In order to accomplish this survey Athenaeum Public History Group followed three general principles: 1) The project adhered to the standards of research and scholarship established by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation and recognized practices of the historical discipline.1 2) The project involved the African American community of Phoenix in significant and meaningful ways. This went beyond soliciting community members for information and participation in oral histories; to include educational outreach activities to promote historic preservation, review and 1 Theodore J. Karamanski, Ethics and Public History: An Anthology (Malabar, Fl: Robert Krieger Publishing Company, 1990). African American Historic Property Survey Introduction 1 commentary on project reports via institutional participation2, and transmitted project materials (e.g. oral history tapes/transcripts, copies of the final report) to community accessible repositories. 3) The project goes beyond the typical architectural survey and recommendations for eligibility. This report identifies other means for preserving and presenting (e.g. publications, exhibits, commemorative markers) the history of the African American community in Phoenix. While the National Register Criteria would indicate a historical context study that concentrated on the development of the African American Community in Phoenix prior to 1955, the period of significance must take into account the struggle for civil rights and equality that defined and shaped the community today. Therefore, the project includes the struggle against discrimination and the community institutions that helped them to survive and eventually break down segregation. Finally, this context study examines the development of the African American community in Phoenix through its evidentiary remains on the built environment. This study identifies African American neighborhoods which were restricted to the southern section of Phoenix until the 1970s, as well as commercial, religious and institutional properties. The project includes familiar properties like Booker T. Washington Memorial Hospital, the Matthew Henson Project, and George Washington Carver High School (now museum). 2 The project used experts and professionals from Arizona State University, George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, and community leaders identified through the project to review and comment on the work. African American Historic Property Survey Introduction 2 STUDY AREA BOUNDARY While the general study area boundary is designed to encompass the city as whole (in its present day annexed boundary), the actual study area was narrowed by the concentration of African American populations as determined by census data and those areas found significant through interacting with the community (Figure 1). Specifically, the study concentrated on three regions (Figure 2): East – the region south of Van Buren to the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, east of Central Avenue to 24th Street; West – the region south of Grant to the Salt River, west of 7th Avenue to 19th Avenue; South - the region south of the Salt River to Southern, east of 16th Street to 28th Street. Figure 1 African American Historic Property Survey Study Area African American Historic Property Survey Introduction 3 Figure 2 Figure Study Focus Areas Focus Study African American Historic Property Survey Survey Property Historic American African African American Historic Property Survey Introduction 4 ARCHIVAL RESEARCH Archival research for this project included research at the Arizona Historical Society; George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center; city of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office; Arizona State Libraries, Archives, and Public Records; Phoenix Public Library; Maricopa County Office of the County Assessor; Arizona Historical