List of historic properties in Mesa, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids List of historic properties in Mesa, Arizona
Town
Pioneer Park Monument
Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona

This is a list of some of the oldest and most important buildings and places in Mesa, Arizona. Mesa is a big city in Maricopa County, just east of Phoenix. It's the third-largest city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson. This list includes photos and descriptions of these special places.

1884 Mesa Territorial Jail Cell

Mesa's Early Days

Mesa was first settled by Mormon pioneers. They called their new home Utahville, then Lehi. These pioneers were very clever! They rebuilt old canals that the ancient Hohokam people had used. This helped the area become a great place for farming.

In 1877, the pioneers built a fort called "Fort Utah." It was made of adobe bricks to protect their families and farms from attacks. Later, the town's Post Office name changed a few times. Finally, in 1889, it was officially named Mesa City. A big flood in 1891 sadly destroyed Fort Utah and much farmland.

Mesa has many historic places. Some are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Others are on the city's own Mesa Historic Properties list. The city tries to help people learn about and appreciate Mesa's past.

Sometimes, old buildings might be in danger of being torn down. The city has rules to try and save them. If a building is very old or important, the city will try to find ways to protect it.

Part of what used to be Williams Air Force Base is now in Mesa. This base was a training spot for pilots during World War II. It closed in 1993. Now, it's home to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and part of Arizona State University. Some of its old hangars are now historic places.

Here are some of these amazing historic properties:

Old Fort Utah

• Fort Utah was built in 1877. You can find its remains at 2331 N Horne Rd. This fort was a pioneer outpost for the Mormon Lehi Pioneers. It's known as Old Fort Utah. The 1891 flood destroyed it and nearby farms.
• The 1884 Lehi School Bell is also a historic item from that time.

Historic Buildings

1878 Mormon Pioneer Ruins

Grain Elevator Nielson & Sons sign

The Falcon Field World War II Aviation Hangars Plaque

This section shows important buildings in Mesa. Some are on the National Register of Historic Places. Others are on Mesa's own historic list. The Arizona Museum of Natural History is built where the old city hall, jail, and courthouse used to be. The museum even kept the 1884 jail cells! You can also see the 1926 Town Center Clock. It was moved in 1932 and still keeps time.

• The replica of the original Lehi School was built in 1880.
• The Pomeroy Building was built in 1891. It was one of Mesa's first businesses.
• The Alhambra Hotel was first built in 1893 and rebuilt in 1922. It's on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Abell, Wilbur and Company Warehouse was built in 1898.
• The Lehi School, built in 1913, shows different architectural styles.
• The Nile Theater Building opened in 1924. It was Mesa's first air-conditioned building! They used big blocks of ice to cool it down.
• The Mesa Women's Club was built in 1931. It's important for social history.
• Irving School was built in 1936. It's a special example of Federal Modern style architecture for a school.
• The Post Office/Federal Building was built in 1937.
• The Buckhorn Baths Motel was built in 1939. It has many buildings, including a bathhouse. It's on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Grain Elevator is 100 feet tall! It was built in 1938 by Frihoff Peter Nielson & Sons. It was the biggest of its kind in the area.
• The Citrus Growers Warehouse was built in 1930.
• The Information Technology Department Building was built in 1959. It was once the Mesa Public Library.
• The two Falcon Field World War II Aviation Hangars were built in 1941. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic Churches

• The First United Methodist Church was built in 1894. It's the oldest church in Mesa that's still being used!
• The Mount Calvary Baptist Church was built in 1918. It's the oldest church in Mesa mainly for Black members.
• The Mesa Arizona Temple was built in 1919. This temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a very important building in Mesa.
• The Queen of Peace Church was built in 1947.

Historic Houses

This section describes some of Mesa's historic homes.

Actor Lorne Greene lived in the Ponderosa II House in Mesa

Sirrine House – 1896

• The Sirrine House was built in 1896. It's a beautiful example of Queen Anne style architecture.
• The Kent House was built in 1900. Dr. Melvin Kent, a hard-working doctor, lived here.
• The Angulo-Hostetter House was built in 1902. It mixes Colonial Revival and Queen Anne styles.
• The Strauch-Fuller House was built in 1906. It's a Mission/Spanish Revival style home.
• The Robert Scott House was built in 1909. Robert Scott was a rich sheep farmer and helped start the Salt River Bank. This house was moved six miles in 1972 to save it!
• The Max Viault House was built in 1908. Max Viault was the Mayor of Mesa from 1914 to 1916.
• The Spangler-Wilbur House was built in 1915.
• The James A. Macdonald House was built between 1916 and 1918. James Macdonald was an early Mesa pioneer. He helped build the Arizona LDS Temple.
• The Dr. Lucius Charles Alston House was built in 1920. Dr. Alston was an important part of Mesa's African American community. He even used this house as his office.
• The Mesa Journal–Tribune FHA Demonstration Home is also known as the Charles A. Mitten Home.
• The Tibshraeny House was built in 1932. The Tibshraeny family were well-known business owners in early Chandler and Mesa.
• The Fitch Farm House was built in 1933. It belonged to Larkin Fitch, who was important in Mesa's farming industry. It's a Tudor Revival style house.
• The Drew House was built in 1935.
• The Ellsworth House was built in 1938. This small Tudor-style cottage was built for German and Mary Ellsworth.
• The Killian House was built in 1940. The Killian family were ranchers who helped develop farming in Mesa.
• The Ramon Garcia Mendoza House was built in 1944. Ramon Garcia Mendoza was Mesa's first Hispanic Chief of Police. He became chief in 1969.
• The Farnsworth House was built in 1951.
• The Ponderosa II House was built in 1960. This house belonged to actor Lorne Greene, who played Ben Cartwright on the TV show Bonanza. It's a copy of the Ponderosa Ranch House from the show! It's now a historic place.

Southern Pacific 2355 Locomotive

The Southern Pacific (SP) 2355 is a large steam train. It was built in 1912 and stopped working in 1957. Now, you can see it on display at Mesa's Pioneer Park!

Williams Air Force Base History

Williams Air Force Base was a United States Air Force (USAF) base in Mesa. It was a very important training base from 1941 until it closed in 1993. It trained 25% of all USAF pilots!

Here are some of the remaining buildings from this historic base:

• The Housing Storage Supply Warehouse was built in 1941. It's important because it was part of the first buildings at the base.
• The Water Tower was built in 1941–1942. It's a key part of the base's history.
• The Flagpole was put up in 1941. It's a symbol of the base's beginnings.
• The Demountable Hangar was built in 1925. It was designed to look like an Army Air Force badge!
• The Ammo Bunker (S-1007) and Ammo Bunker (S-1008) were built in 1925. These were used to store ammunition.
• The Civil Engineering Maintenance Shop (S-735) was also built in 1925.

Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum

The Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum (also called Airbase Arizona Aircraft Museum) opened in 1978. It's located at Falcon Field in Mesa. This museum has one of the biggest collections of historic aircraft in the world! You can see World War II items, helicopters, and classic American and foreign combat planes. Many of these planes are the last of their kind.

Here are some of the amazing aircraft and artifacts you can see:

• Douglas C-47 Skytrain: This plane flew secret missions during World War II. It transported spies and supplies. One plane, "Old Number 30," is named after a mule that helped carry guns during the war!
• Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor
• Douglas A-26C Invader named Miss Murphy: This plane was built in 1942 and flew in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
• Douglas SBD Dauntless: This aircraft is being restored.
• Lee-Wray Nieuport 17: This is a replica of a French fighter plane from World War I.
• McDonnell Douglas F-4N Phantom II
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
• Nieuport 28 C.1: A replica of a French biplane fighter flown by American hero Eddie Rickenbacker in World War I.
• Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon
• North American B-25 Mitchell named Maid in the Shade: This is one of only 34 B-25Js still flying! It was used in early bombing missions in the Philippines.
• Grumman TBF Avenger
• North American P-51 Mustang: This famous plane was used in a movie called "Thunder Over Reno."
• Bell UH-1B Iroquois
• Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw
• Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5

Mesa Grande Ruins: Ancient History

The Mesa Grande Cultural Park shows the remains of a huge mound built by the ancient Hohokam people. They lived here from about 1100 to 1450 AD. You can find it at 1000 N. Date St. This park is a very important historic site.

• The Mesa Grande Temple Mound was built by the Hohokam around 1100 AD. Its walls are made of "caliche," a hard natural material. This mound is bigger than a football field and is 27 feet tall!
• There was a large plaza in front of the Mesa Grande Temple Mound, surrounded by a big adobe wall.
• The Hohokam also built one of the two largest networks of irrigation canals in ancient America.
• You can see a replica of the Mesa Grande Hohokam Ballcourt. This was an outdoor area where the Hohokam played ballgames with a rubber ball.

Park of the Canals

City of Mesa Cemetery

The City of Mesa Cemetery is a historic burial ground that started in 1891. You can find it at 1212 N. Center Street. Many important people from Mesa's past are buried here. This includes the four founding fathers of Mesa:

• Charles Crismon (1805–1890)
• Francis Martin Pomeroy (1822–1882)
• Charles Innes Robson (1837–1894)
• George Warren Sirrine (1818–1902). His house, the "Sirrine house", is a historic landmark.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Phoenix, Arizona
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Maricopa County, Arizona