Perhaps Tempe’s most historic cultural hub and landmark is Mill Avenue. To students, residents and tourists that live on Mill, the street may just look like a strip mall littered with bars, restaurants, boutiques and other shops.
However, there is a rich history that lies in the 1.2 miles between Gammage Auditorium and the often overlooked Hayden Flour Mill.
As 2015 comes to its close, so does my “An Abridged History of Mill Avenue” series. While I touched on many important landmarks of the street, the project wouldn’t be complete without a brief look at some overlooked buildings, an examination of one of Tempe’s historical themes and how the past will affect Tempe’s future.
Harkins Valley Art and Monti’s
This series has examined seven buildings down Mill Avenue including the Hayden Flour Mill, Gammage Auditorium, and the Casa Loma Building. For every building that has been broken down, many have been left overlooked, most notably Harkins Valley Art and Monti’s La Casa Vieja.
Both of these buildings have been important parts of both Tempe and Arizona’s history. Harkins Valley Art wasn’t just the first theater in the Valley, but Arizona’s oldest and longest operated. The 25-year-old Red Harkins, founder of the theater company, designed and constructed what was then known as College Theatre.
While Harkins Valley Art is a beacon of success being driven by historical significance, perhaps Mill’s most important establishment couldn’t keep up in spite of more than 132 years of existence. Monti’s La Casa Vieja closed on Nov.17, 2014.
Since 1956, the Monti family's steakhouse was a staple eatery in Tempe, but the history goes back so much further. The property was initially a house for Charles T. Hayden and Arizona politician Carl Hayden. It is believed to have been built in the 1870s. As high-rises will be built on the property in the coming years, the developers have promised to keep the Hayden House intact, but that doesn’t mean serving Tempe.
Themes
When looking at some of Tempe’s historical consistencies there is one that immediately jumps out: fires. However, this wasn't necessarily a problem that only affected our dry, arid desert. City of Tempe Historic Preservation Officer John Southard said he believes that these occurrences can be observed in the formative years of any town.
“Large fires were a fairly widespread occurrence at the time due to building materials, wood primarily,” Southard said. “That is why in the early 20th century there was a focus on fireproof buildings, particularly hotels and things were being built to be fireproof.”
So yes, fire had an impact in the sense that many of our earliest buildings were lost to the flames. Some that we have in their place today were built after these tragic incidents. The Andre Building, Hayden Flour Mill and the Casa Loma Building were all lost to all-consuming fires.
Read more: An abridged history of Mill Avenue: The hauntings of Casa Loma Building
Future
Fortunately, Mill Avenue is a unique and important landmark to the Valley — nothing is quite like it in the metroplex. Due to this, much of this history will continue to be preserved by the city. Tempe has created a marriage between the old and the new by rehabilitating the century-old landmarks into new and relevant uses. No one can see the future, but I’d predict Mill will continue to grow into a vibrant college hotspot with an increasingly dense skyline that still pays homage to its roots and history.
Related links:
An abridged history of Mill Avenue: A taste of Ireland in the Andre Building
An abridged history of Mill Avenue: The grandiose and worldly ASU Gammage
Reach the reporter at tanner.stechnij@asu.edu or follow @tannerstechnij on Twitter.
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