If you head over to 15th Ave and Encanto you’ll be near one of Phoenix’s sweetest historic neighborhoods, , Del Norte Place Historic District. The two by four block area is home to a wonderful assortment of historic homes with many English cottages, Tudor revivals, Provincial ranch and other styles of homes. We’d like to talk a bit about the history of Del Norte Place and why it is such a desirable area today.

A Short History of Del Norte Place Historic District in Phoenix AZ.

Del Norte Place Historic District has roots going back to the early 1900’s. Arizona was still a territory and one of the offices of the territory was the Territorial Veterinarian; Ours was a man named Dr. James Collier Norton who later in life became the driving force behind Del Norte Place. Here is a bit of the tale:

What the doctor ordered
In 1912, the Territory of Arizona became the 48th state to be admitted to the Union. For the previous 19 years, Territorial Veterinarian Dr. James Collier Norton had served under seven governors, overseeing the health of the district’s growing cattle industry. With statehood granted, he resigned his government post, establishing a dairy and constructing a home on the historic Hancock homestead, which Norton had purchased at the turn of the century. A visionary, Dr. Norton had anticipated residential development on the southern half of this land. Shortly after purchase, he planted prospective gridded streets with tamarack, ash, and orange trees. With completion of his home on the property’s northern edge, a large two story Mission Style structure he called Del Norte House, the scene was set for development.

(Courtesy of Historic Preservation Office of the City of Phoenix)

To make a long, yet interesting story short, Dr. Norton platted the Del Norte Place subdivision in 1927 and with the help of long time friend J Allen Ginn began designing and building homes. Ginn was a noted breeder of Palomino horses and had a keen eye for home design and construction. Many of the English style homes on Lewis and Vernon are homes Ginn designed and built. By the way, back in the late 1920’s homes in Del Norte Place went for only 5 to 7 thousand dollars.

Like most every subdivision of the late 1920’s, the great depression took its toll. In a sense we can be thankful in the case of Del Norte Place. Had it not been for the market downturn, Norton would have probably continued to build homes and would never have sold the un-built parcel of land that is now the Encanto Golf Course.

Del Norte Place Historic District Today:

A total of 77 homes make up Del Norte Place. Most were built in the late 1920’s through 1040’s. English cottages, Tudor Revival, French Provincial Ranch and Transitional Ranch style homes make up the bulk of the architectural styles of the neighborhood.  Del Norte Place is surrounded on three sides by Encanto Park and Encanto Golf Course making it very special.

The majority of the homes are in the 1500 sq. ft. range with many having guest houses where the original carriage houses once sat. The street scape is known for its mature trees and wide roads. Of special note is the wonderful variety of birds that call Del Norte Place home include a wild flock of peach faced love birds.

Perhaps it is the combination of being somewhat isolated, fine period revival homes and strong neighborhood pride that led to Del Norte Place being named the Best Historic Neighborhood 2009 by the New Times.

Price-wise, Del Norte Place is comparable to Willo and a bit lower than Encanto/Palmcroft. As of this writing, August 2011, a nicely remodeled home can be had in the $150.00 to $170.00 per square foot range.

Thanks for taking some time with us and if you have any questions about Del Norte Place or another neighborhood in downtown, midtown or north central Phoenix, drop us an email and we’ll do our best to get you an answer:  Gene@UrbanTeamAZ.com

Homes Currently For Sale in Del Norte Place:

If you’ve been thinking about buying a historic home in Del Norte Place we have a current list of homes for sale for you.

The Urban Team
7600 N 16th St #100
Phoenix, AZ 85020
602-234-5777

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