Then & Now: The Ultimate Guide to Historic Buildings in Downtown Phoenix

Then: Built in 1888. Architects note its balance, color and Masonic origins. It is characterized by its unique architectural style, which combines elements of both the Classical and Renaissance Revival styles.

Now: In addition to its architectural significance, the Historic City Hall also plays a vital role in the community. It serves as a hub for local government and public services, and its presence symbolizes the active civic life of Phoenix. Tourists can often find community events, exhibitions, and local gatherings taking place in the vicinity, offering a unique opportunity to engage with the local culture and people. (evendo.com)

Then: Built in 1919 by Dwight B. Heard, who owned The Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette in the 1920s through the '40s. The building was home to the papers and was the broadcasting center for KTAR Radio. At the time it was built, at seven stories tall, the Heard Building was considered the first "skyscraper" in Arizona. With the tower, it can be seen at the beginning of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 thriller, "Psycho." (Tony Santiago / The Republic)

Now: The building still retains the appearance of its 1937 remodel, offering eight floors of floor-to-ceiling windows and vaulted ceilings, a sidewalk patio, and distinctive art installations, including a trio of murals by the Swiss duo NEVERCREW.

Then: The Downtown YMCA’s first location, in 1892, was on the ground floor of a two-story building located at First and Washington streets. By 1911, the YMCA had moved into its own building, a three-story structure located at Second Avenue and Monroe Street. The facility featured rooms for residents, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, and a club room. The building had a fourth floor added in 1915. To house servicemen passing through Phoenix during World War II, the YMCA added a dormitory to the roof in 1942. (Douglas C. Towne)

Now: The facility received a generous donation by the Lincoln family that led to a $6.9 million building renovation in 2006. It was then renamed the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA. In 2013, it partnered with ASU on a $25 million addition that added 75,000 square feet for Sun Devil students. The facility retains a community vibe of building relationships as well as burning calories. (Douglas C. Towne)

Then: Originally built in 1929, the church was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1982. A fire in 1984 destroyed the main roof structure, forming a “courtyard” in the building’s center.

Now: The Italian Gothic-style building is known as Monroe Abbey and features beautiful motifs, stone columns and three-point arch doorways. Stay tuned for updates on future tenants.

Then: Constructed in the 1930s, this building — like many others in Downtown Phoenix — was originally built to house a car dealership.

Now: Over the years, it has undergone extensive modifications; however, original wood trusses, steel window frames and other original details are still intact. These features ultimately led to the building’s Historic Preservation overlay approval in March 2017. The building has now been converted to a music venue called The Van Buren.

Then: Once Arizona’s tallest building, the 16-story beacon served as a luxury hotel until 1980. Several famous movie stars and politicians visited the Hotel Westward Ho, including Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor and John F. Kennedy.

Now: The tower is home to several hundred people, most of whom are elderly or have disabilities. Arizona State University has also moved into the ground floor offering a clinic to residents.

Then: Local architects Lescher and Mahoney designed the young city's new post office and federal office building in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The construction of the two-story post office marked Phoenix's rapid growth and its important position as the state capital. (1936) (The Republic)

Now: The building is still a full-service post office, offering postal and shipping services, and P.O. Box rentals.

Then: Originally called the 6th Avenue Hotel, this structure is one of the only hotels that remains from Phoenix’s original townsite. Built in 1893, the building has undergone a couple of name changes and an addition over the years.

Now: In 1925 it was renamed to Windsor Hotel, and later, after an addition was added, renamed one last time to the New Windsor Hotel. Its rare style of architecture captures the transition between Victorian style and 1930s Art Deco style.

Then: Built in 1929, the Orpheum Theatre hosted theatre, plays, movies and vaudeville and was the cultural center of Phoenix at the time.

Now: In 1984, the City of Phoenix purchased this historic theater after it fell into disrepair, beginning a 12-year restoration project. Today, the theatre is still used for many cultural events and performances.

Then: Standing strong at 135-years young, the Fry Building (pictured looking east on Washington Street circa 1895) is located on the northwest corner of Second and Washington streets and is one of the city’s oldest surviving buildings. Built in 1885, the two-story building once housed a drug store, meat market and the Plaza Boarding house on the upper level.

Now: Majerle’s Sports Grill is the Fry Building’s best-known tenant since 1992.

Then: The Italian Renaissance-style building opened in 1928 as one of the most modern hotels in the Southwestern United States. It was the first high rise with hand-operated elevators in the state and the first air-conditioned high-rise hotel in Phoenix.

Now: The hotel underwent a multi-million dollar renovation in 2003 that modernized its offerings while preserving its historic foundation. A stay there may even come with a visit from a ghost of Phoenix’s past.

Then: Hanny’s department store was the Phoenix destination for sophisticated men’s clothing from 1947 to 1986. It was also used for several years as training grounds for firefighters.

Now: After a three-year restoration, the building became Hanny’s Restaurant in 2008. Signs of the department store can be seen in the glass-covered elevator shaft and on the walls.

Then: Circa 1894, this Stick-Eastlake Queen Anne style was built by Dr. Roland Lee Rosson with modern accommodations including as electric lights, hot and cold running water and a telephone.

Now: The house was restored to its original condition, and now serves as a museum at The Square PHX.

Then: The original adobe church, which was built on this site in 1881, had a pitched wooden steeple and shingled roof. In 1914 the church was rebuilt in Mission Revival/Spanish Colonial Revival-style. The interior is Romanesque style, complete with golden altars, Roman columns and the largest collection of stained glass windows in the state.

Now: The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary’s Basilica) is the oldest Catholic parish in Phoenix, and the second-oldest church. It continues to provide spiritual care to a diverse and thriving downtown community.

Then: In the 1920s, this building was the home of one of Arizona’s finest printing presses. It also served as a warehouse for Arizona General Electric Supply.

Now: The Pressroom, a venue that hosts concerts, raves, pop-up exhibits, weddings and private parties.

Then: The Phoenix Union Colored High School was open from 1929 to 1954 (later renamed after the famed black scientist and inventor, George Washington Carver, in 1943). After the school closed, it became a storage building until 1991.

Now: The former school’s main building still exists and is now the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center.

Then: The Union Station of the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads was constructed in 1923, ushering in tourism to the Valley and promoting greater national visibility.

Now: Phoenix waved goodbye to Union Station’s last Amtrak train in 1996. With a Valley Metro Rail station just a half-mile away, you can easily walk from Phoenix’s present transportation infrastructure to see the outside of the Mission Revival style train station.

Then: Built in 1928, it’s known for its corner entrance and red brick façade. Located in the Warehouse District just a stone’s throw from the Union Pacific Railroad, it once housed a café on the first floor and apartments on the upper level.

Now: Gerardo’s and the adjacent Arvizu’s El Fresnal Grocery Store (1900) was adaptively reused as part of a residential project, The Battery apartments, that opened in 2021.

Then: The hotel’s story dates back to 1894 when Arizona was still a territory. Phoenix was a city of only 5,000 residents when attorney J.C. Adams arrived from Chicago. Unimpressed by Phoenix’s rudimentary accommodations, he used his financial connections to build the city’s first luxury hotel.

The elegant Adams Hotel was a four-story, 200-room, wooden building that brought immediate respectability to the dusty frontier city.

Now: To add to its mystique, the hostelry that is now appropriately named the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel retains a little-known portion of its previous incarnation. This space has been transformed into a swank setting known for its artisan cocktails. Today’s patrons descend stairs from the alley leading to Melinda’s Alley, a clandestine hangout noted for its rotating cocktail menu. There, guests are encouraged to toast the hotel’s remarkable 125-year legacy.

Then: The Firestone building built in 1925 and located at 302 W. Van Buren Avenue. The property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 1985.

Now: In 2024, the nearly 100-year-old building was transformed in an adaptive rehabilitation project into a flagship Goodwill store and donation center.

Then: Built in 1928 this Cantonese restaurant is one of the last remaining relics of once-thriving Chinatown, which spanned from First to Third avenues and Madison to Jefferson streets during the 1920s. Sing High originally was located in a building two blocks away from its current location.

Now: Owned for three generations by the Lee family, Sing High Chop Suey House is one of the last remaining pieces of Phoenix's long-gone Chinatown. After 90 years, the restaurant closed in late September, 2018.

Then: Phoenix Union was the first established high school in Phoenix and was the only high school in the city from 1898 to 1939. The buildings are rare, local examples of Beaux Arts architecture.

Now: The historic campus includes two 1911 classroom buildings and a 1929 auditorium, which were rehabilitated and returned to their original character through a reuse project by the University of Arizona Medical School.

Then: Built in 1913, The Swindall Tourist Inn is a significant example of public accommodations for African-Americans in Phoenix during the era of segregation. The Swindall House, as it was called then, is the only known surviving African-American boarding house in Phoenix, according to the Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission. It was originally built as a private residence for the Steyaert family, who supplemented their income by taking in boarders. (David Wallace/The Republic)

Now: The current owner now rents the building out to businesses to use as meeting space. It is one of three places in Phoenix listed in the Green Book that is still standing today.

Then: Built in a U-shape, it originally had a 700-seat auditorium in the middle, with classrooms and other rooms on either side. The outside walls are faced with decorative brickwork, and the interior floors are made of hardwood in some places, concrete in others. The property first was settled by James Murphy in 1869. The Phoenix Elementary School District later acquired the land for $40,000 and hired architect Norman F. March to design the school.

Now: Monroe School was last used as a school in 1972. A $5 million renovation on the Monroe School began in 2006 and the Children’s Museum opened its doors to the public in June 2008.

Then: When Elizabeth White, a single mother of four, moved from Texas to Phoenix and opened her landmark restaurant in 1964, parts of the city were segregated. Unfazed, she was determined to provide for her family and welcomed everyone to her soul food establishment, which was first located at 1029 E. Jefferson St.

Now: Mrs. White is over 100 years old. Today, her family members are not only following her example, but they’re expanding this chicken empire.

Then: Constructed in 1925, The Anchor Manufacturing Company made auto/bus bodies and ornamental structural iron. It was also an Anheuser-Busch distributorship and a vending machine firm.

Now: It is The Duce, a retro-chic warehouse housing a vintage camper, restaurant, art deco bar, boxing ring and retail store.

Then: Built in 1918, this Warehouse District beauty served as a commercial laundry business until 1999.

Now: A unique, full-service event venue called Warehouse215 that still has the original brick walls, wood-beam bow truss ceiling and clerestory windows.

Then: Originally built in 1926 as an automobile dealership, it also housed a variety of retail businesses over the years including a stationery store and an art gallery. (City of Phoenix)

Now: Located adjacent to Civic Space Park, the historic A.E. England Building is named for the business formerly housed there, and offers space for meetings, presentations, small banquets, art events, in addition to Arizona State University classes.

Then: Arizona Lodge No. 2 was formed in 1879 and had several temporary meeting places before Egan Construction started building the Phoenix Masonic Temple in 1925. Famed local architectural firm Lescher and Mahoney designed the $160,000 Neo-Classic-style brick and concrete structure at 345 West Monroe Street, completed in 1926. The ground floor includes a 4,000-square-foot auditorium. (Douglas C. Towne)

Now: The 46,000-square-foot building was placed on the City of Phoenix Historical List in 1996 and has been refurbished in stages since 1999. In 2025, the Phoenix Masonic Temple celebrated its centennial anniversary with an open house, and offers regular tours of the building.

Then:  In 1920, Kenilworth School opened, and the first big push for new schools in Phoenix began. That year the Phoenix School District passed a school bond issue for $300,000. With these funds, the Jackson School, the Emerson School, and the Longfellow School were built in 1921.

Now: Offering preschool through 8th grade, Kenilworth continues to be a shining beacon of educational excellence within the community.

Then: Built in 1928, the F.S. Baird Machine Shop is an early twentieth century commercial building. The square, brick building was one of several buildings from Phoenix's original townsite days. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 1985. (Tony Santiago / The Republic)

Now: Local favorite Pizzeria Bianco has occupied the building at Phoenix’s historic The Square PHX (formerly Heritage Square) since 1996.

Then: Architect Herbert Green, known for his Spanish Colonial-style residences around Phoenix, designed the building. According to Heard Museum publications, the museum was established by Dwight and Maie Bartlett Heard in 1929 to educate people about the arts, heritage and life ways of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, with an emphasis on American Indian tribes of the Southwest. (Dave Seibert / The Republic)

Now: Dedicated to the sensitive and accurate portrayal of Native arts and cultures, the Heard is an institution that successfully combines the personal stories of American Indians with the beauty of art.

Then: The first “modern” jail in the Valley, intended to house an average of 500 inmates in a “traditional” jail environment. This jail was closed in 1999 and does not currently house inmates.

Now: This historic building now provides a safe haven for rescued animals through the Maricopa Animal Safe Haven program, where inmates care for animals as part of their rehabilitation. (@getghostedphoenix)

Then: Sun Mercantile Building is a warehouse building designed and constructed in 1929. The Sun Mercantile Company supplied many neighboring towns with merchandise and soon became the largest wholesale grocery house in Phoenix. It was built and owned by prominent Chinese-born businessman Shing Tang.

Now: The historic Sun Mercantile Building is now the only remnant of Downtown’s once-thriving Chinatown. It has since been transformed into a healthcare clinic, with a dedicated place inside to commemorate the building's significance in Chinese American heritage and culture in Phoenix.

Then: The historic DeSoto building in was originally home to the C.P. Stephens DeSoto Six Motorcars dealership, which opened in 1928. It was one of the earliest car dealerships in Phoenix, selling DeSoto automobiles, a brand created by Chrysler.

Now: In more recent years, the building housed DeSoto Central Market, a popular food hall, bar, and community gathering space that operated from 2015 to 2019. The market featured multiple local food vendors, a coffee shop, and craft cocktails, making it a key spot for Downtown Phoenix’s revitalization.

Then: Built in 1897, this Queen Anne style building was once home to Charles Pugh — the editor of the Southwestern Stockman. The Victorian era home also served as a restaurant (Goldie’s 1895 House) and boarding house.

Now: You can find the boarded-up Downtown treasure on Second Avenue near Crescent Ballroom.

Then: Built in 1917 by prominent physician William C. Ellis, this house was a landmark on a section of Central Avenue nicknamed Millionaires’ Row.

Now: Home to Arizona Humanities — a nonprofit that encourages Arizonans to explore history and culture.

Then: Phoenix businessman George Luhrs founded the neoclassical Luhrs Buiding in 1924. Just to the west, Luhrs Tower is a 14-story Art Deco building that was built five years later, in 1929.

Now: The Luhrs City Center is now home to a number of offices as well as restaurants including Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, The Grind by Chic Chef, Monroe’s Hot Chicken and more.

Then: Nestled near the southwest corner of Garfield and Third streets since 1899, this brick house was the home of Phoenix’s first city manager, William Farish.

Now: The Farish House was transformed into a quaint restaurant under the same name.

Then: The historic 1910 bungalow was originally located on the north side of Roosevelt Street.

Now: In May 2015, Kimber Lanning had the Wurth House moved across Roosevelt Street to save it from demolition. In early 2018, it became an office for Local First Arizona, a nonprofit organization Lanning founded in 2003 and continues to head today.

Then: Brothers Leo and Ed Welnick built Welnick Bros. Marketplace in 1927 and operated the open-air “arcade” style marketplace through 1951. The building then became an automotive repair shop, warehouse and Dave Reiff Printing Co.

Now: State 48 Brewery opened in 2018 as Welnick’s first tenant in 40 years.

Then: Dr. John M. Evans and his wife Jennie lived in the downstairs portion of this house, and the upstairs rooms served as the doctor’s office. Built in 1893, the Evans House is one of the oldest Queen Anne-Victorian homes still standing in Phoenix (Rosson House in Heritage Square is another).

Now: Phoenicians dubbed this “The Onion House” after its onion-shaped dome, and it is currently owned by the State of Arizona, housing various offices since its restoration in 1988.

Then: Built in 1917, this brick building with a wood truss roof system is indicative of early 20^th Century commercial buildings in Phoenix. Businesses in this location included the F.L. Hart Garage, the Arizona Awning Company and several others.

Now: Crescent Ballroom adaptively reused the northern end of the space to create a mid-sized music venue, bar and lounge. Sun Devil Auto operates out of the south end of the building.

Then: Built in 1920, the Neo-Classical Revival-style building was originally a J.C. Penny’s store, and later housed the Central Arizona Light & Power Co. headquarters (precursor to APS), a furniture store and labor union offices. It was purchased by the City of Phoenix in 1959.

Now: The breakfast and lunch spot Sticklers occupies the first floor, and the American Institute of Architects is located on the second floor.

Then: Dating from 1923, the Ellis Building was considered modern with its four stories and elevator. In 1928, two additional floors were added to meet the demand for space. By 1947 though, the interior desperately needed upgrades with office and lobby space configurations instead of individual store space, and new elevator equipment. Still, the exterior remained the same.

Now: The building had $10 million dollar renovation in 2022. Today, it is a mixed-use building with a dynamic coworking space occupying the sixth floor.

Then: Constructed in 1932, The Professional Building is an Art Deco office tower that originally housed the Maricopa County Medical Society and Valley Bank and Trust Company (later known as Valley National Bank of Arizona). A large rotating Valley National Bank sign was added to the top of the tower in 1958, and is prominently featured in the opening sequence of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho.

Now: After sitting vacant for years, the building was renovated from 2014 to 2015 and opened as the Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix Downtown in December 2015. The rooftop was converted into Floor 13 Bar, boasting stunning views of Downtown Phoenix.

Then: A.F.C. Kirchoff, a prominent liquor dealer in Phoenix, had the house built in 1901. In 1906, Kirchoff sold the home to a Glendale rancher and warehouse owner, Alejandro Silva, who owned it until 1977.

Now: Still standing at 119 years old, you can experience the historic home first-hand by visiting Heritage and Science Park.

Then: Built in 1930, the Title and Trust Building was the largest office building in Arizona at the time, and was home to the Phoenix Title and Trust Company. Arizona State Historic Property records denote the architectural style as Moderne, which was popular from the 1930s-1950s, thought it’s closely related to Art Deco style. The grand opening was January 31, 1931.

Now: Between 2002 and 2005,  renovations converted the office tower into a residential property comprised of 90 condominiums — and it was renamed Orpheum Lofts, after the nearby Orpheum Theatre. Fun fact: The opening sequence of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho, was filmed from the roof of this building.

Then: The Gothic Revival style building was completed in 1929 and is said to be the oldest African American Church in Arizona. It is also the only Arizona church where Martin Luther King Jr. is known to have given a sermon.

Now: Tanner Chapel A.M.E. Church continues to strive to “bridge the gap between church and community.”

Then: The Phoenix Carnegie Library opened in 1908 and was the city's only library until 1914. It was one of 2,509 public libraries worldwide, courtesy of Andrew Carnegie, who financed the construction between 1883 and 1929. The library was surrounded by concrete sidewalks, and patrons climbed a staircase on the north side to enter a grand lobby with a circular skylight. (Douglas C. Towne)

Now: The state leased the facility in 1985. Since then, the library has been used as a recreation hall, social service center, storage facility, homeless shelter, Arizona Hall of Fame Museum, Arizona State Library Administration and Museum, and Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame.