President's House
National Register of Historic Places

President's House

Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona
Listed
January 7, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
85000054

About this property

The President's House is a building on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University. It was built in 1907 to serve as the lodgings for the president of what was then known as the Tempe Normal School. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and currently houses the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, known as the writer's house. The President's House was constructed in 1907 to house the university president, and two of the university's most famous presidents lived there: Dr. Arthur Matthews held the title from 1900 to 1930, while Grady Gammage was the university president from 1933 until 1959. These two presidents shaped the institution, and under Gammage, what was once a normal school became Arizona State University. After 1959, upon Gammage's death, the building was no longer used as the home of the president. It was occupied by the Alumni House, alumni offices, and later by the University Archives, and it currently houses the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. The President's House was the last known design from territorial architect James M. Creighton, who designed the now-demolished original Normal School buildings. It is also Creighton's lone surviving structure on campus. The building is a two-story Western Colonial brick building with a copper shingle roof. The main house features a two-story bay window on the west and a two-story bay with fireplace on the east. The hipped roof features projecting gables and boxed eaves, while the double-hung windows have segmental arches. In 1931, a bath and two rooms were added to the northwest corner; in 1937, the front porch was enclosed with casement windows. Restoration work that concluded in 2005 restored the building to its original appearance, including the porch, brick exterior and roof. Most interior finishes are original, with minor accommodations to meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Location

Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona
33.42036, -111.93279

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about President's House

This page lists President's House. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your President's House report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Administration/Science Building
Industrial
0 mi
Main Building, Tempe Normal School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Industrial Arts Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Matthews Hall
Industrial
0.2 mi
St. Mary's Church-Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Camp Papago Park (German POW Escape 1944)
1944Modern
2.6 mi
Pueblo Grande Hohokam Conflict
1350Pre-Columbian
4.9 mi
Hohokam Fortification at Pueblo Grande
1150Pre-Columbian
5.3 mi
Hohokam Defensive Compound – Pueblo Grande
1350Pre-Columbian
5.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was President's House listed on the National Register?

President's House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 7, 1985.

What type of historic resource is President's House?

President's House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for President's House?

The period of significance for President's House is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1907.

Can I research the history near President's House?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near President's House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Maricopa County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Maricopa County.

Explore MaricopaCounty ›

More historic places in Arizona

Browse all historic places in Arizona.

View Arizonahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Arizona history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Arizonahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near President's House will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report