Heritage District Blakely Building
N 33° 21.251 W 111° 47.386
12S E 426518 N 3690832
The Blakely Building, now a furniture store, was at one time an auto dealership.
Waymark Code: WMM0TA
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 06/28/2014
Views: 3
The metal plaque attached to the building, engraved with two photos of its history as an automotive dealership and dry goods store, reads:
HERITAGE DISTRICT
ATTAWAY PHELPS - BLAKELY BUILDING
The building that is Norwood Furniture today was built in 1919 by C.M. Russell who developed Sonora Town as a subdivision in 1920. This building previously housed several businesses. On the south end was a grocery store initially opened as Ayers Market. Later it was Ayers & Butler, then Dublin and Page, then Page Market, and then Dan Valenzuela's Grocery. To the north of the market was the Blakely Motor Company. This business was initially the Attaway Phelps Company which sold hardware and farm equipment. Then Charles M. Blakely established his business there purchasing it for $5,000 and selling Ford motorcars until 1927. It then became a restaurant, a second-hand store and an ice house. To the north of Blakely's was the Popular Store, owned first by C.C. Garrett and then purchased by Louis Serrano in 1921. In 1947 Louis' brother Albert Serrano, bought the business. His son, Albert Serrano, Jr. ran the business for over 20 years. To the north of the Popular Store was Mickey's cafe. Mick Johnson came to Gilbert in 1912 and owned the cafe for 25 years. He was Gilbert's first volunteer Fire Chief retiring in 1958.
In 1975 Tom and Marj Brundrett moved Norwood Furniture to Gilbert from Mesa. They have been in business for over 40 years. Tom was the first chairman of the downtown revitalization committee during the 1980's and helped foster extensive improvements to the downtown redevelopment area.
Presented by Gilbert Leadership Class XX 2012, a program of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce.
Marker Name: Gilbert Heritage District Attaway Phelps - Blakely Building
Type of history commemorated: Place
County: Maricopa
Name of any agency/ agencies setting marker:
The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce
Year placed: 2012
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