Elias-Rodriguez House - Tempe Arizona
N 33° 25.229 W 111° 55.478
12S E 414035 N 3698285
One of the earliest remaining houses to be built in the area along East 8th Street, later platted as the Sotelo Addition in 1890
Waymark Code: WMAFNC
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 01/09/2011
Views: 7
Information from the Tempe Historic Preservation NRHP site:
The Elias-Rodriguez House, built about 1882, is noteworthy as one of the earliest remaining houses to be built in the area along East 8th Street, later platted as the Sotelo Addition in 1890. Although Vincent Elias is not recorded in the assessor’s rolls until 1891, the family asserts the house was built in 1882 or 1883. Elias, a farm laborer from Tucson, built the house one room at a time for his family. In 1927, his daughter, Irene, married Ray B. Rodriguez and they moved into the house; in the early 1980s, Mrs. Rodriguez still occupied the house. Interior stencilling was done by an itinerant artist who did the work in exchange for room and board.
The original one-room portion of this 4-room house was built in the Sonoran style. The original flat roof of dirt over vigas was covered with the present steeply pitched hipped roof in 1912. Other modifications to the house include replacement of windows, the addition of a front porch, and replacement of wood floor with concrete. Despite these changes, the integrity of the house is high and the house is worthy of preservation as one of the oldest remaining adobe houses in Tempe. On-going rehab of the property continues by the City of Tempe.
The Elias-Rodriguez House is a single-story adobe building with a steeply pitched, hipped roof which was added over the original flat dirt-over-vigas roof in 1912. The hipped-roof front porch was added at the same time. Later modifications include replacement of all windows with large, multi-paned steel casement windows and a bay window in the east facade. The house is covered with stucco and patched with concrete. The roof is covered with rolled roofing. By the 1980s, portions of the original porch roof were exposed and rotting. The east and west facades each now have two large windows. The front entry is offset to the east. Original interior wood floors have been replaced with concrete. Interior walls are of adobe and are in good condition. An addition is at the rear of the house.
Despite some physical changes, the house retained much of its architectural integrity over the years. The house has been purchased by the City of Tempe, and it is now being rehabilitated. It is worthy of preservation as one of the oldest remaining adobe houses in Tempe. The building will eventually house a museum of local Mexican American history.
Street address: 927 EAST EIGHTH STREET
County / Borough / Parish: Maricopa
Year listed: 1984
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1875-1899
Historic function: Domestic Single Dwelling
Current function: Domestic Single Dwelling
Privately owned?: yes
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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