Donna Reiner, a local historian and a good friend of Get Your PHX, has written many articles over the years for the Arizona Republic and others about Phoenix history and memorials. This month, she tells us about this “Parade of Homes.” This is particularly timely, since many home tours would normally happen this month, but can’t due to the pandemic-which-shall-not-be-named.
A Parade of Homes
Fall brings cooler temperatures (we hope) and a plethora of home tours. Historic home tours are the most common seen across the valley today and they attract thousands of people.
Over sixty years ago, though, formalized historic districts did not exist in the valley and what was most often attracted people were the new homes in new subdivisions. The Phoenix Association of Home Builders even had a “March of the Models” during National Home Week in September 1955 this urge to see something new. Twenty-eight builders across the valley had models open for all to see. What a great gimmick!
One of the participants in that event had an even better idea. Why not concentrate on a select number of builders to construct models in a small area? And so it began.
C.R. Holmes, a contractor, had purchased 10-acres of orchard land on the east side of 7th Street south of Northern Avenue. He had this small parcel subdivided into 30 lots on what amounted to two blocks that ended in a cul de sac in January 1955. This small subdivision would be called Royal Crest Villa and the street was Hayward Avenue.
Holmes sold 17 of those lots to other builders and took one for his construction firm. He challenged these builders to construct a home on their respective lots that would be valued at least between $14,000 and $20,000 or more. Once completed, then the Phoenix Association of Home Builders would sponsor a PARADE OF HOMES that would be open to the public.
This “tour” would not be one day. No, it would be two weeks, January 15-29, 1956.
Months before the big opening, the Arizona Republic began to feature each of the homes and builders in the Sunday “Sun Living” section. The articles provided specs, a rendering, plus the floor plan. As the date drew closer, the sponsors thoroughly covered all aspects of who and how many might come. Free parking was arranged for. Children’s activities would be provided in a playground area. And the open hours would be 10am to 10pm.
Local furniture stores and decorators joined to artfully stage each home. Booklets featuring all the homes were printed that provided all information for the customer to take home. In this first parade, the booklet even included four conceptual drawings.
The event was an utter success. One home sold before the event opened to the public and Holmes sold the remaining 12 lots in the subdivision to Modern Builders. The event was repeated in 1957 and then ceased. As the promotional material claimed, the Parade of Homes was “an unparalleled opportunity to see the giant-forward strides made by the building industry.”
Donna Reiner is the-author of 3 books on Phoenix history.
Captions for pictures:
- Cover for 1957 Parade of Homes (private collection of John Jacquemart)
- Ad in January 22, 1956 “Sun Living” section of Arizona Republic (sec.5: page 8)
- People enjoying touring these new homes.
