614 N 4th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85003, USA

From the Arizona Room | 4th Avenue Concrete Block Cottage

From the Arizona Room | 4th Avenue Concrete Block Cottage by Si Robins

Two doors north of Local Breeze sit one of the Roosevelt neighborhoods’ original structures. This house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 30, 1983, was constructed in 1906. But, if you’re new to the area, you probably don’t know that it was part of a dynamic duo. One lot to the north, the former 618 N. 4th Ave. (now Metro 4 Twelve apartments on a double lot at 620 N. 4th Ave.), was a virtually identical cottage built five years prior in 1901.

The historic name of the twin cottages is unknown, but their uncanny likeness to each other — one-story concrete block cottages with hip roofs and dormers, porch overhangs, and similar craftsmanship “designed to look like stone” — was unlike anything the neighborhood had seen. Even the trim and accent colors were strikingly uniform.

Today, the remaining house is simply known as “Concrete Block Cottage” in historic references, or “Concrete Block Neoclassical House” by the city of Phoenix’s Historic Preservation Office. The city added the building to its historic register three years after its NRHP designation in September 1986.

The building left standing at 614 has been boarded up for some time, but its turn-of-the-century charm remains apparent, despite its current state. It needs a new roof, a serious paint job, and some structural work on the porch and overhang. The front and back yards of the property is empty dirt spaces.

The Concrete Cottage - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance

This ca. 1906 cottage, the twin of 618-620 North 4th Avenue, is architecturally significant for its use of precast concrete block simulating rusticated stone. Although the use of concrete block was not uncommon (the Phoenix Artificial Stone & Cement Company manufactured concrete blocks, and machines were available from Sears, Roebuck & Co.), this house is one of the few remaining examples of concrete block construction in Phoenix. The block design used was called “Standard Rock Face.”

Additionally, the house was briefly (ca 1913-1916) the residence of Mulford Windsor. Windsor was a prominent political figure. He edited several newspapers, including the Phoenix Enterprise (1903-1905) and was the first historian of Arizona (1909), a member of the Constitutional Convention of Arizona (1910), first executive secretary of Gov. George W.P. Hunt (1912), first chairperson of the State Land Commission (1912-1915), a member of the State Senate (1915-1928), and president of the State Senate (1923-1928). He also served for many years as the Director of Library and Archives.

As one of the earliest and few remaining examples of concrete block construction, the house may be eligible for the National Register at the local level of significance.