Downtown Phoenix’s Most Well-Traveled Building Finds a New Home in a Wild Setting
The original home of the Phoenix Bakery has (ironically enough) been around since before sliced bread, making this impeccably preserved landmark one of the city's oldest buildings. Unfortunately, there’s no irresistible aroma of freshly baked bread wafting from the bakery these days, but Downtown Phoenix residents can still enjoy its ambiance in other ways.
The only challenge is that they’ll have to bicycle, drive, grab an Uber, or take the Valley Metro Light Rail for 10 miles, since the building is no longer at its original location on Washington Street near Central Avenue. But the building’s new setting is as wild as the story that led to its relocation.
The Phoenix Bakery opened in the Porter Building at 7 West Washington Street in 1881. Three years later, German immigrant Edward Eisele purchased the business for $300. Eisele learned English in London and acquired baking skills while working on a tramp steamer plying the Mediterranean.
The bakery also served as a stage stop and transfer office, and it sold candy, ice cream, and tobacco. Eisele was the sole baker, and all deliveries were made on foot. By 1894, bakery products were delivered by horse-drawn wagons. In 1910, the Phoenix Bakery became the first in Arizona to deliver bread by truck and to offer wax-paper-wrapped bread to customers.
In 1929, the bakery moved to a larger space at Seventh Avenue and Washington Street. That year, it shifted production to wholesale products and, after obtaining the rights to produce Holsum-branded products in Arizona, changed its name to Phoenix Holsum Bakery. In 1931, the bakery introduced sliced bread to Arizona. In 1947, it moved to its current location at 408 South 23rd Avenue, and in 1959, it changed its name to Holsum Bakery.
Meanwhile, the original bakery’s location, the Porter Building, which had last been occupied by the Denver Hotel and the Sven Lounge, was dismantled and relocated to the Pioneer Living History Museum north of Phoenix along Interstate 17 in 1975.
Because the building at the museum was underutilized, Edward Eisele’s grandson, Ed Eisele Jr., who became president of Holsum Bakery in 1976, donated it to the Phoenix Zoo. In 2018, a team led by WDM Architects moved the original bakery building and reassembled it as a private event space along the Zoo’s Arizona Trail, between the collared peccary and coyote exhibits.
The team recreated the facade from historical photographs, using the Porter Building’s original bricks and iron columns. Inside, replicas of the cabinetry are paired with modified electrical versions of the original light fixtures, which were once powered by natural gas. Modern touches include a commercial kitchen, restrooms, an outdoor patio, and a glass-door garage to display antique bakery vehicles.
Guests frequently comment that entering the 145-year-old venue feels like stepping back in time, according to Matt Strangwayes, the Phoenix Zoo’s learning & engagement resource manager. “The space is especially popular with professional event planners and out-of-town folks,” he says. “It’s always fun when the coyotes start howling, and the guests get spooked. We have to remind them that they are at the zoo!”
On your next visit to the Phoenix Zoo, check out the Porter Building's exterior and imagine its many years as a bustling Downtown bakery. Better yet, book the venue for your next function at: https://www.phoenixzoo.org/visit/venues-private-events/ or 602-914-4301. Attendees will thank you for hosting the meeting, party, or wedding in such a wild setting!
Douglas C. Towne is the editor of Arizona Contractor & Community magazine, www.arizcc.com.