Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District.
Curving streets and fan palms
beside Encanto Park.
Encanto-Palmcroft is a historic district in central Phoenix, generally between Seventh and 19th avenues and McDowell and Thomas roads, made up of Palmcroft, opened in 1927, and Encanto, opened in 1928. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since February 16, 1984, and on the Phoenix Historic Property Register since March 1987.
Encanto-Palmcroft on the map
Boundary from the City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office map (listed on the Phoenix Register). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Two subdivisions, one district
Encanto-Palmcroft is a residential historic district on the Phoenix Historic Property Register. The current register describes it as generally bounded by Seventh and 19th avenues and McDowell and Thomas roads. It was listed in March 1987, with boundary expansions in June 1999, September 2005 and December 2018, per the Phoenix Historic Property Register. The exact lines are on the city district map, last updated October 2019.
The district is also on the National Register of Historic Places. It was listed on February 16, 1984, roughly bounded by Seventh and 15th avenues and McDowell and Thomas roads. Boundary increases were listed on June 10, 1992, May 19, 1994 and November 3, 2017, according to the city's list of National Register properties in Phoenix.
The city register gives a period of significance of 1927 to 1960, the span of years whose buildings give the district its historic value. The National Park Service record lists its areas of significance as community planning and development, landscape architecture, politics and government, and architecture.
Palmcroft in 1927, Encanto in 1928
The City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office's study Historic Residential Subdivisions and Architecture in Central Phoenix, 1912 to 1950 records that Palmcroft opened in 1927. It was developed by Dwight B. Heard in partnership with William B. Hartranft, chairman of the City Planning Commission and director of the City Parks Department. Encanto opened in 1928, the same year as Broadmoor, Idylwilde Park and Cheery Lynn.
Palmcroft broke from the straight street grid. It used a curvilinear street plan, meaning streets that curve rather than run in straight lines, and every street was lined with evenly spaced California fan palms. Deed restrictions required houses on the interior streets to cost at least $6,500. A deed restriction is a rule written into the property deed that binds later owners. Model homes were built in Period Revival styles, which borrow the look of older European and colonial houses, and set the mixed character of the streets.
Street plan
Curving streets lined with evenly spaced California fan palms, per the city's subdivision study.
Deed restrictions
A minimum house cost of $6,500 for lots on Palmcroft's interior streets.
Model homes
Period Revival model homes gave the subdivision an eclectic, mixed look from the start.
Encanto Park at 15th Avenue
Encanto Park is a 222-acre city park at 2605 N. 15th Ave., per the City of Phoenix park page. The city's residential historic districts page describes the district's earlier boundary as running to the northern boundary of Encanto Park and Golf Course.
- Encanto Park, 2605 N. 15th Ave.222 acres. Amenities listed by the city include a ball field, basketball, a playground, racquetball, a soccer field, a swimming pool, tennis, urban fishing and volleyball. Source: City of Phoenix Parks.
- Encanto 18 Golf Course.An 18-hole city course at Encanto Park that the city describes as having wide, level fairways and a limited number of hazards.
- Encanto 9 Golf Course.A 9-hole executive course at Encanto Park. An executive course is shorter than a standard course.
West of Central Avenue
Distances below are straight-line miles from the coordinates the National Register database gives for the district. From Encanto-Palmcroft, the Arizona State Capitol is about 2 miles away and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is about 5 miles away.
Exterior work goes through city review
Properties on the Phoenix Historic Property Register carry HP overlay zoning. An overlay is an extra layer of zoning rules placed on top of the base zoning. In Encanto-Palmcroft, design review covers exterior changes, infill construction and changes to non-historic properties inside the district, according to the city's Historic Preservation approvals and guidelines page.
The National Register works differently. National Register listing does not rezone a property and gives no formal protection, but it can make a property eligible for state and federal incentives. City listing brings special permit review and eligibility for city incentives, per the city's historic preservation FAQ.
Exterior work
A building permit that affects the exterior needs a Certificate of No Effect or a Certificate of Appropriateness. A Certificate of No Effect is an over-the-counter staff approval for minor work. A Certificate of Appropriateness is for larger or street-visible work and requires a public hearing with an independent hearing officer.
What is not reviewed
Routine maintenance such as painting is excluded from review, and the Historic Preservation Office does not regulate paint colors. Interior work that does not affect the exterior does not need review. Replacing materials in kind, meaning with the same material, does not need permission unless a conservation easement applies.
Demolition
A Request for Demolition Approval goes to the Historic Preservation Office. Demolition of a contributing property can be delayed up to one year. A contributing property is one that adds to the district's historic character.
Encanto-Palmcroft, answered
Where is Encanto-Palmcroft?
In central Phoenix. The city register describes the historic district as generally bounded by Seventh and 19th avenues and McDowell and Thomas roads.
Is Encanto-Palmcroft an official historic district?
Yes. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1984, and on the Phoenix Historic Property Register in March 1987.
When was Palmcroft built?
Palmcroft opened in 1927, developed by Dwight B. Heard in partnership with William B. Hartranft. Encanto opened in 1928.
Why do the streets curve?
Palmcroft was laid out with a curvilinear street plan instead of a straight grid, and every street was lined with evenly spaced California fan palms.
How big is Encanto Park?
The City of Phoenix lists Encanto Park at 222 acres, at 2605 N. 15th Ave., with the Encanto 18 and Encanto 9 golf courses.
How old are the houses?
The city register gives a period of significance of 1927 to 1960.
Do I need city approval to paint a house in Encanto-Palmcroft?
No. Routine maintenance such as painting is excluded from historic preservation review, and the city's Historic Preservation Office does not regulate paint colors. Exterior changes that need a building permit do go through review.
What is the difference between the city register and the National Register?
City listing adds HP overlay zoning, special permit review for exterior changes and eligibility for city incentives. National Register listing does not rezone a property and gives no formal protection, but it can make a property eligible for state and federal incentives.
How do I check whether a specific house is historic?
Look the property up on the Phoenix Historic Property Register and the city's district maps, and check whether its zoning carries an HP suffix (historic district zoning) or an HP-L suffix (an individually listed landmark). For the National Register, check the National Park Service records.
Looking at Encanto-Palmcroft?
Whether a lot falls inside the current district lines, its construction year and its HP zoning all sit in the city and county records. Send me the addresses and I will pull them. Text 480-485-4261.
Own a home in Encanto-Palmcroft? See what the county has on file and get a real value. Looking? Search homes for sale.
Sources: City of Phoenix Phoenix Historic Property Register, Residential Historic Districts, Encanto-Palmcroft district map, National Register Properties in Phoenix, Historic Preservation FAQ, Approvals and Guidelines and Encanto Park; National Park Service NPGallery record 84000696; City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office, Historic Residential Subdivisions and Architecture in Central Phoenix, 1912 to 1950 (National Register multiple property documentation, hosted by Arizona State Parks); coordinates from the Wikipedia list of National Register listings in Phoenix. All checked 28 October 2026.