Medlock Place Historic District.
Six subdivisions
west of Central Avenue.
Medlock Place is a historic district in central Phoenix, just west of Central Avenue between Camelback Road and Missouri Avenue, that takes in six subdivisions platted from 1897 to 1939. It has been on the Phoenix Historic Property Register since April 2003 and on the National Register of Historic Places since June 1, 2006.
Medlock Place on the map
Boundary from the City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office map (listed on the Phoenix and National Registers). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
A listed historic district
Medlock Place is one of the residential historic districts on the Phoenix Historic Property Register. The city designated it in April 2003 and placed Historic Preservation (HP) overlay zoning on it. An overlay is an extra layer of zoning rules that sits on top of the base zoning.
The city describes the district as generally bounded by Seventh and Missouri avenues, the alley west of Central Avenue and the alley south of Pasadena Avenue. The city publishes a district map.
The district is also on the National Register of Historic Places, listed on June 1, 2006, roughly bounded by Missouri Avenue, Camelback Road and Seventh and Central avenues, per the city's list of National Register properties in Phoenix. The National Park Service record carries reference number 06000434.
From farm lots to suburban streets
The land was first divided in 1897, when J. M. Evans platted Evans' Addition to Orangewood as 20-acre farm lots. A plat is the recorded map that divides land into lots. According to the National Register nomination, developers subdivided Evans' Addition to Orangewood nine times between 1911 and 1942. The nomination says the district takes in parts of six distinct subdivisions, platted between 1897 and 1938.
Floyd W. Medlock, a Phoenix cotton broker, platted Medlock Place in 1926. He sold finished homes rather than vacant lots, built model homes, and planted palms and shade trees. The nomination records that he had invested more than $70,000 by April 1927. It credits him with giving the area a name and identity that the surrounding subdivisions adopted.
The nomination calls the district an example of the shift from rural to suburban development in Phoenix from 1926 to 1956, which is also its period of significance. The city register gives the same period of significance, 1926 to 1956.
- Evans' Addition to Orangewood, 1897.Platted by J. M. Evans as 20-acre farm lots. The later subdivisions were carved from it.
- Medlock Place, 1926.Platted by Floyd W. Medlock.
- South Medlock Place, 1927.Platted by Medlock with half-acre lots, which the nomination says sold quickly.
- Orangewood Estates, 1928.Platted by W. D. Upshaw and L. R. Bailey. Lots of one to two acres sold slowly until after World War II.
- South Orangewood, 1937.Recorded by A. J. and Margaret Atwater with 24 lots. Most houses were built from 1937 to 1942.
- Aldrich Place, 1939.Recorded by the Orangewood Realty Company.
Period Revival, then Ranch
The nomination finds Period Revival houses most common in Medlock Place and South Medlock Place. Period Revival homes borrow from older styles: Spanish Colonial, English Tudor, Pueblo, American Colonial and Southwest examples are all recorded. Ranch houses are most common in Orangewood Estates, South Orangewood and Aldrich Place. Bungalows and a few Modern Movement houses, Art Deco and International Style, also appear.
Most houses are one story. The nomination says the district keeps its rural character through mature plantings and flood irrigated lawns. Flood irrigation means a yard is periodically flooded with water from an irrigation system instead of being watered by sprinklers.
- 220 W. Oregon Ave.Designed by architect Jack Knapp and completed in 1940. It was first addressed as 128 W. Oregon.
- 143 W. Oregon Ave.An Art Moderne house from 1936.
- 31 W. Oregon Ave.An Art Moderne house from 1938.
- 112 W. Oregon Ave.Home of builder Bob Dill in 1948 and 1949. Dill and John Ramson built in the postwar Ranch era subdivisions.
Light rail on Central and Camelback
Valley Metro light rail runs north from downtown Phoenix along Central Avenue. Revenue service began in December 2008, according to the Federal Transit Administration. A station sits at Central Avenue and Camelback Road.
Distances below are straight-line miles measured from that station's published coordinates.
What the HP zoning means for an owner
In a Phoenix HP district, work that changes the outside of a building, or that builds, moves or demolishes one, needs review by the city's Historic Preservation Office first. Interior work that does not affect the exterior does not need review. Painting and like-for-like repairs generally do not need permission, according to the city's Historic Preservation FAQ.
Minor work that clearly fits the adopted design guidelines gets a Certificate of No Effect, usually with no public hearing. Larger changes that could affect a property's historic character need a Certificate of Appropriateness, which requires a pre-application meeting and a hearing. Approvals are valid for one year. All demolitions inside a listed district are reviewed.
To check a property, look for an HP suffix on its zoning or check the register listing. The Historic Preservation Office is at Phoenix City Hall, 200 W. Washington St.
Certificate of No Effect
For minor work clearly within the design guidelines. No public hearing.
Certificate of Appropriateness
For larger work that may affect historic character. A pre-application meeting and a hearing are required.
Interior work
Work that does not affect the exterior does not need Historic Preservation Office review.
Medlock Place, answered
Where is Medlock Place in Phoenix?
The city describes the district as generally bounded by Seventh and Missouri avenues, the alley west of Central Avenue and the alley south of Pasadena Avenue. The National Register listing describes it as roughly bounded by Missouri Avenue, Camelback Road and Seventh and Central avenues.
Is Medlock Place a historic district?
Yes. It is on the Phoenix Historic Property Register, designated in April 2003 with HP overlay zoning, and on the National Register of Historic Places, listed on June 1, 2006, under reference 06000434.
Who was Medlock?
Floyd W. Medlock was a Phoenix cotton broker who platted Medlock Place in 1926 and South Medlock Place in 1927.
When were the houses in Medlock Place built?
The district's period of significance runs from 1926 to 1956, per both the nomination and the city register. Its subdivisions were platted or recorded from 1897 to 1939, and many lots in Orangewood Estates did not sell until after World War II.
What architectural styles are in Medlock Place?
Period Revival styles such as Spanish Colonial, English Tudor, Pueblo and American Colonial are most common in Medlock Place and South Medlock Place. Ranch houses are most common in Orangewood Estates, South Orangewood and Aldrich Place. Bungalows, Art Deco and International Style houses also appear.
Do I need city approval to change a house in Medlock Place?
Exterior changes, new construction and demolition need Historic Preservation Office review. Minor work within the guidelines gets a Certificate of No Effect. Larger changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness and a hearing. Interior work that does not affect the exterior does not need review.
How many historic buildings are in Medlock Place?
The National Register nomination counts 161 contributing and 54 noncontributing resources.
Is Medlock Place near light rail?
Valley Metro light rail runs on Central Avenue north from downtown and has a station at Central Avenue and Camelback Road.
Looking at Medlock Place?
Whether a house is contributing, its construction year and its HP zoning sit in the city register and county parcel records. Send me the addresses and I will pull them.
Own a home in Medlock Place? See what the county has on file and get a real value. Looking? Search homes for sale.
Sources: City of Phoenix, Residential Historic Districts and Medlock Place district map; City of Phoenix, Historic Preservation FAQ; City of Phoenix, Phoenix Historic Property Register and National Register Properties in Phoenix; National Park Service, NRIS record 06000434 and the Medlock Place Historic District National Register nomination; Federal Transit Administration, Central Phoenix/East Valley Light Rail profile; station coordinates from Wikipedia, with the State Capitol and Sky Harbor coordinates from Wikipedia and Wikipedia. All checked 28 October 2026.