An old house nestled in downtown Tempe will soon be the heart of Mexican- American history in the city.
The Elias-Rodriguez house on 8th Street was built around 1882, and according to the city of Tempe, is noteworthy as one of the earliest remaining houses built in that area.
For that reason, the city hopes to turn it into a full-time museum to display the heritage of an old Hispanic neighborhood and serve as a venue for other events and displays.
"The area could serve multiple purposes," said Joe Nucci, Tempe's historic preservation officer.
The house sits on a property with a newer building that houses the Chicanos Por La Casa organization, which hosts Hispanic cultural programs.
The city is working to get replicas of the furniture the family that once lived there used in the house for authenticity.
Once this happens, and the project receives more funding from Tempe, the museum will be fully open.
"It all depends on the economy, city budget and the way the funds are allocated," said Amy Douglass, administrator for the Tempe Historical Museum.
The ASU Hispanic Research Center has a program, the Community Art and Research Outreach, that would like the future museum to be a venue for their art shows.
The program is set up to give Chicano and Latino art a higher profile and increase appreciation for it, said Santiago Moratto, executive coordinator for the program.
The house was featured on Bob Vila's 'Restore America' TV show in the late 1990's because of its rich history.
The house is restored but is not completely furnished, said Amy Douglass, administrator for the Tempe Historical Museum.
Although the house has had some repairs, it remains true to its original architecture.
"We were really lucky that we were able to salvage it," Nucci said.
The house is a single-story, adobe-style structure that was built by Vincent Elias, a laborer from Tucson. It was built one room at a time for Elias' family.
His daughter, Irene, moved into the house in 1927 after she married Ray B. Rodriguez. The daughter lived in the house until the 1980s when Tempe acquired the property. The city felt the house was an example of an early and extensive Hispanic neighborhood, Nucci said.
The house was given to Tempe through Irene Rodriguez's heirs after she passed away.
"It's a representation of what was there, and I think it is important for the Hispanic community to be recognized," Douglass said.
Reach the reporter at amanda.m.gonser@asu.edu.
