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Do you enjoy visiting historic house museums?
If yes, the following links are must visits to the wonderful historical houses open to the public here in the
Valley area.
 • The Smurthwaite House is an excellent
example of shingle style architecture built in 1897 and was originally located at 7th St. & Filmore. This late 19th century home, now located in downtown Phoenix at 13th Avenue and Jefferson,
is adjacent to the Pioneer & Military Memorial Park (early Phoenix cemeteries from the 1880s-1914 era). The Pioneers’ Cemetery Association (PCA), who now occupies the Smurthwaite House, is a non-profit
organization whose mission in part researches and preserves information relating to Arizona’s pioneers and early Arizona historic cemeteries.
 Special Sunday tours of the 1897 Smurthwaite House
including the historic cemeteries in Pioneer & Military Memorial Park will be held from 11am - 3pm on January 28th, February 25th, March 25th and April 22nd, 2007. For further information please call 602.534.1262 or Click Here! to visit the PCA website.
 Tovrea Castle • While in the process of restoration by the City of
Phoenix and not currently open to the public, this unique architectural icon peers up through the throngs of Valley freeways for all to see. This “wedding-cake” shaped structure and its
beautiful surrounding cactus gardens began in 1928 by Alessio Carraro. Della Tovrea purchased the Castle in 1931. To learn more fascinating history, view the restoration timeline and
even purchase a commemorative T-shirt to support this wonderful preservation project Click Here to go to the City of Phoenix Parks and
Recreation website. 
• The Sirrine House is a beautifully restored late 19th century house museum operated by
Mesa Southwest Museum and is open for public tours. The Sirrine House is located at 160 N. Center Street in downtown Mesa. Click
Here! to visit their website and for more information about this charming home.
 • The Petersen House was built by pioneer farming, business
and community leader, Niels Petersen, of Tempe in 1892. The home, located at 1414 W. Southern in Tempe, is a fascinating architectural example of the Queen Anne Victorian with its 12-foot ceilings, beautiful
bay windows, gables, porches and interior furnishings. For further information and tour hours please Click Here!
• Historic Sahuaro Ranch,
with its beautiful rose garden and ranch grounds, was homesteaded by William Henry Bartlett of Peoria, Illinois in 1885. Its historic buildings are also listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. Open for public tours, educational programs, special events and more. The Ranch is located at 9802 North 59th Avenue (59th Avenue and Mountain View Road) in Glendale. Click Here! to visit the City of Glendale’s Sahuaro Ranch Park History web page.
• Manistee Ranch also located in Glendale, at 51st Avenue and Northern,
was built in 1897. This Queen Anne Revival style home is open for group tours on a limited basis by appointment. For further information please call the Glendale Historical Society at 623.435.0072.
 The Wrigley Mansion •
Built in the late 1920’s by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr., The Wrigley Mansion sits atop a 100-foot knoll with commanding views of the mountains and the city below. Embracing
elements of Spanish, California Monterey and Mediterranean architecture, The Mansion stands as a monument to an elegance and opulence seldom seen or experienced in one's everyday encounters. The
Wrigley Mansion reaches beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary. With its well-deserved reputation as an exceptional location for weddings, social gatherings of all sizes as well as small and large corporate events, The
Wrigley Mansion is a perfect venue for all occasions. The newly remodeled restaurant, Geordie's, located within the mansion, offers an unmatched dining experience and an exciting lounge environment with live weekend
music. We invite you to eat, explore and enjoy the historic Wrigley Mansion. For tour information, history & more Click Here!
 • Taliesin West
was built by Frank Lloyd Wright and his apprentices in the 1930s and was constantly expanded and modified by the architect until his death in 1959. Wright and his apprentices literally
created Taliesin West out of the desert by gathering rocks from the desert floor and sand from the washes to keep the design in balance with the surrounding
environment. The site, considered one of the Wright's greatest masterpieces, was designed to serve as Wright's personal home, studio and architectural
laboratory. Today, visitors can choose from a broad range of tours that showcase Wright's brilliant ability to integrate indoor and outdoor space. Call 480.860.2700 x 494 for tour information or Click Here! to visit online.
 Mystery Castle • At the base of South Mountain in Phoenix, Mystery Castle is
really not a mystery and really not a castle. It is, however, a very unusual home with a somewhat sordid history. Built by a man who had abandoned his family after learning he was ill, he fashioned it as a
castle for his daughter, who still lives in the house and opens it up for tours to the public. Pieces of Arizona history were used to build the unusual home. It's a
one-of-a-kind Arizona landmark. For hours of operation call 602.268.1581. For more interesting images and information Click Here! to visit Judy Hedding’s Mystery Castle pages on phoenix.about.com
Stay tuned for more listings...
• How about historic houses outside of the Valley and Arizona? For a listing of historic homes across America don’t forget to visit the website of the Victorian
Preservation Association (VPA). This non-profit organization’s site has house museum links, local/national resources and more! Click Here! to go to the VPA web
site.
- images courtesy of the respective museums & organizations
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