Evergreen Historic District, Mesa.
The 1910 expansion
beyond the townsite.
Evergreen is a historic district in Mesa, just outside the original townsite along Robson, Grand and Macdonald streets, first platted in 1910 as North Evergreen. It is a City of Mesa historic district and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1999.
Evergreen on the map
Boundary from the City of Mesa historic districts map. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
A city and National Register historic district
Evergreen is a City of Mesa local historic district, designated in 1999. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register record gives the listing date as July 5, 1999, and the City of Mesa notes the listing was amended in 2018. Its period of significance runs from 1910 to 1948.
The nomination describes the district as three north-south streets, Robson, Grand and Macdonald, and five east-west streets: University Drive and Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Streets.
The city counts 197 single-family homes in the district: 125 contributing buildings and 72 noncontributing. A contributing building is one old enough and intact enough to add to the district's historic character.
Platted in 1910
The district is made up of subdivisions platted outside Mesa's original townsite. A plat is the recorded map that divides land into lots. North Evergreen was platted and recorded in 1910 by Edwin M. LeBaron and James Miller, Jr., of the Arizona Land Company. About 40 acres of farmland became eight blocks of 24 lots each. The nomination calls it the first expansion of residential growth beyond the original townsite. The same year LeBaron and Miller also platted Evergreen Acres, just north of North Evergreen, per the city. It was later re-subdivided into smaller lots.
Many houses went up from 1910 to 1914. The developers put electric and telephone lines in the alleys, laid concrete sidewalks, and planted Arizona cypress trees between the curbs and sidewalks. They held two auctions and advertised the suburban location, which exempted owners from city taxes.
Deed restrictions set a minimum house cost of $1,000 to $1,500, required 30-foot setbacks, and barred businesses such as saloons, blacksmiths, stables and stores. A deed restriction is a rule written into the property deed. Building slowed during World War I. Afterward LeBaron partnered with homebuilder Clarence M. Paddock. Vista Gardens, which grew out of the Val Vista Manor No. 2 subdivision, was recorded in 1947.
Bungalows to postwar Ranch
The city's property list gives construction dates from 1911 to about 1948. Styles run from National Folk houses with little ornament, to Bungalows of about 1910 to 1940 with low roofs and large front porches, to Period Revival houses from the mid 1920s in Tudor, Spanish Colonial, Pueblo and Colonial Revival styles. Ranch houses appear from the mid 1930s and are most common after World War II.
The nomination names three bungalows on Robson Street as the earliest surviving houses, likely built on speculation to draw buyers.
- Joseph Standage Residence, 626 N. Robson St.One of the three earliest surviving bungalows.
- Ellis H. Johnson Residence, 632 N. Robson St.One of the three earliest surviving bungalows.
- Edwin LeBaron Residence, 647 N. Robson St.One of the three earliest surviving bungalows, named for the developer.
- Galbraith Studio and Residence, 426 N. Robson St.A Pueblo style house built in 1928 and 1929.
- Spilsbury and Forbes Residence, 442 N. Robson St.A vernacular house built in 1920.
Near light rail on Main Street
Valley Metro light rail runs along Main Street through downtown Mesa. The City of Mesa reports that the extension from Sycamore to Mesa Drive, about three miles, opened on August 22, 2015. A station sits at Center Street and Main Street.
Distances below are straight-line miles measured from the district's published coordinates.
What Mesa's review means for an owner
In a Mesa local historic district, alterations, new construction and rehabilitation need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Historic Preservation Office staff review the application against the city's historic preservation ordinance, its design guidelines and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. The Historic Preservation Officer then approves it, approves it with conditions, or denies it.
Ordinary maintenance and repair, in-kind replacement of materials, and repainting surfaces that are already painted do not need a certificate. In-kind means the same material and design as what is being replaced. The city asks owners to contact staff when unsure.
Needs a certificate
Alterations, new construction and rehabilitation of designated properties.
No certificate
Ordinary maintenance and repair, in-kind replacement, and repainting painted surfaces.
Who decides
Staff review the application and the Historic Preservation Officer issues the decision.
Evergreen, answered
Where is the Evergreen Historic District in Mesa?
It covers Robson, Grand and Macdonald Streets between University Drive and Eighth Street, including Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Streets.
Is Evergreen a historic district?
Yes. It is a City of Mesa local historic district designated in 1999 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1999. The listing was amended in 2018.
When was Evergreen built?
North Evergreen was platted in 1910, and the city's property list shows construction dates from 1911 to about 1948. Vista Gardens, which grew out of the Val Vista Manor No. 2 subdivision, was recorded in 1947.
Who developed Evergreen?
Edwin M. LeBaron and James Miller, Jr., of the Arizona Land Company. After World War I, LeBaron partnered with homebuilder Clarence M. Paddock.
How many homes are in the Evergreen Historic District?
The city counts 197 single-family homes, 125 contributing and 72 noncontributing.
What styles are the houses in Evergreen?
National Folk, Bungalow, Period Revival in Tudor, Spanish Colonial, Pueblo and Colonial Revival styles, and postwar Ranch.
Do I need city approval to change a house in Evergreen?
Alterations, new construction and rehabilitation need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Ordinary maintenance, in-kind replacement and repainting painted surfaces do not.
Is Evergreen near light rail?
Yes. Valley Metro light rail runs along Main Street through downtown Mesa, and the Center/Main station is about a mile from the district in a straight line.
Looking at Evergreen?
Whether a house is contributing, its construction date and its lot lines are in the city's property list and the county parcel records. Send me the addresses and I will pull them.
Own a home in Evergreen? See what the county has on file and get a real value. Looking? Search homes for sale.
Sources: City of Mesa, Evergreen Historic District, contributing and noncontributing property list, Certificate of Appropriateness process and Mesa Now on the Central Mesa light rail extension; National Park Service, NRIS record 99000706 and the Evergreen Historic District nomination; district coordinates from Wikipedia, station coordinates from Wikipedia, and State Capitol and Sky Harbor coordinates from Wikipedia and Wikipedia. All checked 28 October 2026.