Title
Exterior Rehabilitation Grant Application for James C. Norton House (Ordinance S-45459)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to allocate up to $6,600 in Historic Preservation Exterior Rehabilitation grant funds for repairs to the Dr. James C. Norton House, located at 2700 N. 15th Ave. Further request authorization for the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item.
Report
Summary
The Norton House was constructed in 1912 and is a large, Mission Revival-style residence located at the northwest corner of 15th and Virginia avenues. The original owner of the home, Dr. James Collier Norton, was the son of a prosperous Iowa cattleman. Dr. Norton studied veterinary medicine, which he taught at Iowa State College, before moving to Phoenix in 1892 for health reasons. The following year he was appointed territorial veterinarian, overseeing the health of the district's growing cattle industry. Dr. Norton held this position under seven different governors and was credited with eradicating the cattle tick from Arizona. In 1904, he was named national president of the United States Livestock Sanitary Association.
Dr. Norton resigned as territorial veterinarian in 1912 to establish the Norton Dairy on a quarter section of land extending from present-day Encanto Boulevard to Thomas Road, between 15th and 19th avenues. The spacious house was built shortly afterward and was used as his residence and offices. In the late 1920s, Norton began to sell and subdivide portions of his dairy. Ten acres at the northeast corner of the quarter section were sold in 1927 and became the Margarita Place subdivision; 40 acres in the southeast corner were subdivided as Del Norte Place between 1927 and 1929. In 1934, he sold most of the remaining land, including his house, to the City of Phoenix for development as Encanto Park. The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department converted the house to an office and continues to occupy the building today.
The Norton House is significant for its Mission Revival-style architecture as well as its association with Dr. Norton. Along with the Dorris House (now Encanto Community Church) at 2710 North 7th Ave., the Norton House is significant as one of the few large houses remaining that were once attached to large estates. The Norton House was individually listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register in April 1989. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in November 2017 as part of a boundary expansion for the Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District.
The Parks and Recreation Department is currently in the process of restoring the double-hung windows and window casements at the Norton House through a FY18/19 Exterior Rehabilitation grant in the amount of $70,000 from the City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office. On Jan. 25, 2019, the Historic Preservation Office received a grant request from the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department. The request is based on a building condition assessment completed in 2007 by Swan Architects, Inc. The report identifies exterior rehabilitation work needed to restore six exterior wood doors, two single and two double doors, in addition to a wooden bench.
Financial Impact
The amount requested for the Exterior Rehabilitation grant is $6,600, which will be matched by the property owner. The conservation easement will require that the property be preserved and insured it will be maintained in good repair. Funding is available in the Historic Preservation Capital Improvement Program budget.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The Historic Preservation Commission recommended approval of this item on Feb. 11, 2019, by a vote of 6-0.
This item was recommended for approval at the Planning and Economic Development Subcommittee meeting on March 13, 2019, by a vote of 4-0.
Location
2700 N. 15th Ave.
Council District: 4
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Planning and Development Department.