Douglas Historic District

The Douglas Historic District includes the commercial area of Douglas, Arizona, a mining company town established in 1901. The dates of the buildings' construction range from 1901 to 1935. The district is bordered on the south by the buildings on G and H Avenues between 15th and 8th Street, and lie only eight blocks from the United States - Mexico border.[2] The District includes architectural styles ranging from Queen Anne to Bungalow to Period Revival. One of the most interesting features is Church Square, which contains four churches in a single block. In 1930 the square was featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not, as the only block in the world which contained four churches: Grace Methodist (built 1902), St. Stephen's Episcopal (built 1903), First Baptist (built 1904), and First Presbyterian (built 1907).[3][4]

Douglas Historic District
Airdome Theatre (aka Leggett Building), 2013
Douglas Historic District is located in Arizona
Douglas Historic District
Douglas Historic District is located in the United States
Douglas Historic District
LocationDouglas, Arizona
Coordinates31°20′43″N 109°33′13″W / 31.34528°N 109.55361°W / 31.34528; -109.55361
NRHP reference No.85000146[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 13, 1985

Description of the district

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Douglas Historic District, 1984

The majority of the buildings in the district are one or two story, rectangular, commercial blocks. The Spanish Colonial Revival Gadsden Hotel, the Art Deco Airdome Theatre, the Bakery Building, the Neo-Classic Revival Post Office, and the Grand Theatre stand out as major architectural resources. The Gadsden Hotel and Grand Theatre are both individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most buildings are either solid masonry or brick veneer, while others are adobe, reinforced concrete, or cast stone (rusticated concrete block). Several structures display elaborate terra cotta stone or brick ornamentation; others exhibit pressed metal ornamentation. Luxfer Prisms are utilized for transom lighting on some buildings, whereas newer 1930s and 1940s structures use glass block to a great extent.[5]

Interspersed among the major buildings are one and two story buildings incorporating several construction techniques and exhibiting a variety of ornamental materials. The smaller and older buildings of the district, particularly the early hotels, are of adobe construction. The Samson Hotel is the district's prime example of an early adobe hotel. Solid brick, or brick veneer, over a reinforced concrete or concrete block interior wall is the most common mode of construction in the district. Terra cotta is used on several commercial buildings, particularly on the east side of the 1100 block of G Avenue. Another material common in Douglas' residential areas, but rather uncommon in the District, is rusticated concrete block, or cast stone. The Watts Hotel (D-3), the Southwestern Hotel (D-4), the Kline Block (D-33), and the Irene Building (D-34b) are the most noteworthy examples of cast stone construction in the district.[5]

Typically, Douglas's commercial district grew with little thought of compatible land uses or visual cohesiveness, but the resulting streetscape displays an overall visual continuity. In general, smaller structures are found in the south end of the district, the 800 and 900 blocks, and in the northern portion of the linear district, the 1200, 1300, and 1400 blocks of G Avenue. The center of the district is the 1100 block dominated by the Gadsden Hotel and the Grand Theatre, which are the major visual elements of the streetscape along G Avenue. Other key structures throughout the district range widely in size, age, and design. Buildings such as the Art Deco style Bakery Building (D-58), the Neo-Classic style Brophy Building, designed by architects Trost and Trost, the Masonic Temple, Marlin's Saddle Shop, the Hotel Douglas-Arizona Club, and the Irene Building are the major commercial structures which illustrate Douglas's historical development as well as its architectural evolution during the district's significant growth period from 1910 through 1935.[5]

Complementing these significant buildings are numerous contributing structures, lesser in size, significance, and detail, yet still essential to the overall impact and appearance of the district. These brick, stucco, or frame buildings retain most of their original architectural characteristics with few modifications, and possess enough integrity to contribute to the overall character of the district. Of particular note throughout the district is the comparatively substantial use of sculpted terra cotta for facade ornamentation. The Grand Theatre is the dominant example due to its terra cotta facade. The 1917 date of the Grand Theatre predates the widespread use of terra cotta in the Southwest. There is also extensive terra cotta on the Airdome Theatre, designed by Trost and Trost and built circa 1925, and on the Neo-Classic style storefront of the Bank of Commerce Building at 1119 G Avenue.[5]

Isolated throughout the district are structures which date from the historic period but which have been extensively modified or covered by contemporary sheathing. In many instances, facade restoration appears feasible, but the buildings are still considered non-contributing. The Phelps Dodge Mercantile, built in 1902-1903 and one of Douglas's most historically and architecturally significant buildings, has been encased in a modern shell; however, the interior remains largely intact, complete with pressed tin ceilings, stained wood wainscoting and balustrades, and highly polished wooden floors. Leaded and stained glass transom windows remain above the storefront entrances.[5]

Contributing properties

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G Avenue in Douglas Historic District, 1984
 
Gadsden Hotel, Douglas, Arizona 1984

Below is a table of the structures which contribute to the significance of the district.[6]

Number Name Address Construction/Modification date Notes
1 Sociedad Mutualista de Obrera 406 8th Street 1904-9
2 Douglas Lumber Company 450 8th Street c. 1926
3 Watts Hotel 516 8th Street 1906
4 Southwestern Hotel 401 9th Street 1904-9
8 Unknown 425 9th Street 1901-4
9 Owl Drug Company 525 10th Street 1901-4
13 Airdome Theatre (aka Leggett Building) 555-559 10th Street c. 1925
14 Douglas Post Office 601 10th Street 1915
15 Douglas Municipal Water Department 340 llth Street 1912
16 Odd Fellows Hall 520 llth Street 1904-9
17 Unknown 529 llth Street 1909-14
18 Douglas Daily Dispatch Building 530-535 llth Street 1901-4
19 City Loan Building 531 llth Street 1909-14/1930s
20 Vermont Hotel 536 llth Street 1914-18
21 Unknown 416 12th Street c. 1930
22 Purity Ice Cream Company 420 12th Street 1904-9
23 International Commission Company 430 12th Street 1918-20
24 International Steam Laundry 433 12th Street 1905
25 Buxton Smith Company 434 13th Street 1914-18
26 Cochise Overland Auto 936 F Avenue 1914-18
28 Unknown 809 G Avenue 1904-9
29 Newport Hotel/Douglas Hotel 802-806 G Avenue 1904-9
30 Unknown 812 G Avenue 1904-9
33 Kline Block 833 G Avenue c. 1904
34-a Douglas Furniture and Outfitting 818 G Avenue 1904-9
34-b Irene Building 834 G Avenue c. 1904-5
35 Unknown 836 G Avenue 1901-9
36 Post Office Block 842-844 G Avenue 1901-4
37-b Unknown 919 G Avenue 1904-9
39 Unknown 919 G Avenue c. 1925
40 Unknown 922 G Avenue 1920s
41 Unknown 924 G Avenue c. 1904/1930s
42 Masonic Lodge 925-931 G Avenue 1907
43 Unknown 930 G Avenue 1905
49 Unknown 1009 G Avenue 1904-9
52 Brophy Building 1033-1055 G Avenue 1906-7
53 Hotel Gadsden 1046 G Avenue 1929
55 Unknown 1106-1110 G Avenue 1901-4
57 Hotel Hadden 1109-1113 G Avenue c. 1906
58 Unknown 1116 G Avenue c. 1930
59 Unknown 1119 G Avenue c. 1920
61 Bank of Commerce 1129 G Avenue c. 1920
63 Unknown 1133 G Avenue 1915-29
64 Grand Theatre 1145 G Avenue 1919
65 Southern Arizona Auto Company 1200 G Avenue c. 1925
66 Winton Hotel 1201 G Avenue c. 1919
68 Unknown 1225 G Avenue 1909-14/1930s
70 Unknown 1237 G Avenue 1909-14
72 Reay Transfer 1320 G Avenue 1914-18
75 Copper Cities Motor Company 1341 G Avenue c. 1926
76 Samson Hotel 1401 G Avenue 1901-4
77-a,b Avenue Hotel 1415 G Avenue 1904-9
79 Arizona Edison Company Ice House 12th Street & Pan American Ave 1914-29

References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form". National Park Service. January 4, 1985. p. 1-2. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  3. ^ "Arizonans Register 31 Sites Since April 1986". Arizona Republic. May 10, 1987. p. 185. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Glory Days of Douglas' Past Carry a Coppery Glow". Arizona Republic. June 3, 1992. p. 42. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form". nps.gov. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  6. ^   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form". nps.gov. pp. 5–6. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
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