Catlin Court Historic District.
Bungalow blocks
north of downtown Glendale.
Catlin Court is a historic district in central Glendale, on the north edge of the 1892 townsite along 58th Drive and 58th Avenue, subdivided into house lots by 1915. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since June 9, 1992, with an expansion listed on October 26, 2007.
Catlin Court on the map
General boundary from the National Park Service National Register map: the 2007 boundary increase, generally 55th to 59th Avenues, Palmaire to Orangewood Avenues. Lines are approximate. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
A National Register historic district
Catlin Court is on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Glendale's National Register list shows the district listed on June 9, 1992, and an expansion listed on October 26, 2007. The 1992 nomination names it the Glendale Townsite and Catlin Court Historic District, and gives a period of significance of 1885 to 1942.
The 1992 nomination covers parts of ten blocks in central Glendale: four on the north edge of the original townsite and the rest in the Catlin Court Subdivision. Its main north-south streets are 58th Drive and 58th Avenue. Palmaire Avenue forms the south edge, and 57th Avenue and 59th Avenue form the east and west edges.
The 2007 boundary increase is described by the National Park Service as generally bounded by 55th Avenue, 59th Avenue, Palmaire Avenue and Orangewood Avenue.
Lots and houses sold as a package
The Glendale Townsite was platted in November 1892. It covered about 36 blocks in one square mile. The Arizona Improvement Company, organized by W. J. Murphy, and the New England Land Company coordinated the platting, per the nomination. A plat is the recorded map that divides land into lots.
According to the National Register nomination, Lafayette Meyers, then president of the Glendale State Bank, persuaded Otto R. Hansen, a Wisconsin investor, to invest in an 80-acre tract next to the townsite in 1912. By 1915 Hansen had subdivided it into residential lots known as Catlin Court. The city's list gives 1914 as the plat year.
Meyers formed a real estate agency with A. A. Carrick. They worked with George W. Protzman, owner of the Glendale Lumber Company, to sell lots and build homes as a package. The nomination says Catlin Court became the first major cohesive residential neighborhood in Glendale between 1915 and about 1930, with a second building period from about 1935 to 1942.
Mostly bungalows
The 1992 nomination counts 40 Bungalow style buildings, about half the district. Bungalows are one story or one and a half story houses with low roofs and front porches, the most common house style of the 1910s and 1920s. It counts 24 Minimal Traditional houses, mostly built from 1935 to 1942 with mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration. Seven Period Revival houses include Mission Revival, Spanish Eclectic and Tudor Revival examples.
Local contractor and architect John D. Howell built many of the homes and designed others, per the nomination.
- Otto R. Hansen House.Built in 1917 on a corner lot on 58th Drive. An early bungalow.
- Victor E. Messinger House.Built in 1895. The nomination calls it the district's only Queen Anne cottage.
- 5811 W. Gardenia Ave.Built between 1928 and 1930. The nomination calls it the district's most true-to-form Mission Revival house.
- 5808 W. Myrtle Ave.Built about 1925 in an American Colonial style.
- 7158 N. 57th Dr.A one and a half story bungalow with wood shingle siding.
- 7162 N. 58th Ave.A bungalow of variegated brick.
Downtown Glendale's city campus
The downtown Glendale City Hall campus, built in 1984, is under renovation through the city's Downtown Campus Reinvestment Project. The project covers City Hall and its parking garage, the Council Chambers, the E. Lowell Rogers amphitheater and the adjacent Murphy Park. The city states it will not pave Murphy Park.
Distances below are straight-line miles measured from the district's published coordinates.
What the overlay means for an owner
National Register listing by itself does not add city review. Glendale's local Historic Preservation (HP) overlay does. A 2023 Historic Preservation Commission memo says only one of Glendale's ten historic neighborhoods has the overlay, and it covers only part of Catlin Court: the area bounded by Orangewood and Myrtle Avenues between 58th and 59th Avenues. The city's historic preservation brochure notes that the commercial townsite portion does not carry the overlay.
Inside the overlay, Section 6.400 of the zoning ordinance applies. City staff handle minor work through a Certificate of No Effect. Larger projects may need a Certificate of Appropriateness and a public hearing before the Historic Preservation Commission, which applies the Department of the Interior's rehabilitation standards.
Guidelines, the district map and the Catlin Court District Plan are on the city's Historic Preservation page.
Certificate of No Effect
Issued by city staff for minor work.
Certificate of Appropriateness
For larger projects. May require a public hearing before the Historic Preservation Commission.
Where it applies
The HP overlay covers the part of Catlin Court bounded by Orangewood and Myrtle Avenues between 58th and 59th Avenues.
Catlin Court, answered
Where is Catlin Court in Glendale?
The 1992 district covers parts of ten blocks in central Glendale along 58th Drive and 58th Avenue, between 57th and 59th Avenues, with Palmaire Avenue as its south edge. The 2007 expansion is generally bounded by 55th Avenue, 59th Avenue, Palmaire Avenue and Orangewood Avenue.
Is Catlin Court on the National Register?
Yes. It was listed on June 9, 1992, and an expansion was listed on October 26, 2007.
When was Catlin Court built?
Otto R. Hansen invested in the land in 1912 and had subdivided it by 1915, and the city lists 1914 as the plat year. Most building took place from 1915 to about 1930, with a second period from about 1935 to 1942.
Who developed Catlin Court?
Otto R. Hansen, a Wisconsin investor, invested in and subdivided an 80-acre tract. Lafayette Meyers and A. A. Carrick sold the lots and worked with George W. Protzman of the Glendale Lumber Company to sell lots and homes as a package. Contractor and architect John D. Howell built many of the homes.
What style are the houses in Catlin Court?
The 1992 nomination counts 40 bungalows, 24 Minimal Traditional houses and seven Period Revival houses, plus a few Rustic Style houses and two from the 1890s.
Do I need city approval to change a house in Catlin Court?
In the part covered by Glendale's HP overlay, bounded by Orangewood and Myrtle Avenues between 58th and 59th Avenues, minor work needs a Certificate of No Effect and larger projects may need a Certificate of Appropriateness and a public hearing.
How many historic buildings are in Catlin Court?
The 1992 nomination counts 82 primary buildings, 67 contributing and 15 noncontributing.
Looking at Catlin Court?
Whether a house sits inside the HP overlay, its construction year and its National Register status are in the city and county records. Send me the addresses and I will pull them.
Own a home in Catlin Court? See what the county has on file and get a real value. Looking? Search homes for sale.
Sources: City of Glendale, National Register list, Historic Preservation page, HPC memo on neighborhood guidelines, historic preservation brochure and Downtown Campus Reinvestment Project; National Park Service, Glendale Townsite and Catlin Court Historic District nomination and NRIS record 07001088 for the boundary increase; district coordinates from Wikipedia, with the State Capitol and Sky Harbor coordinates from Wikipedia and Wikipedia. All checked 28 October 2026.