Attachment B - Staff Report - Z-94-24-3.pdf

City of Phoenix — Formal (2024-12-04)

Extracted text (via pymupdf) 22782 characters

Staff Report: Z-94-24-3
September 6, 2024

INTRODUCTION
Z-94-24-3 is a request to establish Historic Preservation (HP) overlay zoning for the
property located approximately 280 feet north of the northeast corner of 13th Place and
Cinnabar Avenue [10023 North 13th Place], known historically as the Thompson Rock
Garden or the Sunnyslope Rock Garden. Maps and photos of the subject property are
attached.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that rezoning request Z-94-24-3 be approved.

BACKGROUND
The property was first identified through the 1979 Phoenix Historic Building Survey
conducted by Charles Hall Page which noted, at the time, that while the site was not yet
50 years in age it appeared to be eligible for listing as a unique local example of folk art
used in landscaping. The property, now substantially over 50 years in age, is
recommended eligible for listing on the Phoenix Historic Property Register under
Criterion C, as an exceptional example of a folk art environment. The request for
designation was initiated by the current property owner, and designation was initiated by
the Historic Preservation Commission on June 17, 2024.

PROPERTY OVERVIEW
Grover Cleveland Thompson purchased this property in 1954, and over two decades,
created a folk art environment throughout the exterior of his home. Thompson
combined original mosaic pieces, free-form concrete and mortar, statuary, native rock,
and cast concrete pieces that used Halloween masks as forms, to create an immersive
folk art environment. In addition to the rock garden, Thompson’s home is present on this
parcel and is included within the boundaries of proposed historic designation. In fact,
the home blends seamlessly into the exterior sculptures and contributes to the overall
site. The parcel’s boundary walls also feature Thompson’s designs and are also
contributing.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The eligibility criteria for HP overlay zoning and listing on the PHPR are set forth in
Section 807.D of the City of Phoenix Zoning Ordinance. To qualify, a property must
demonstrate significance in local, regional, state, or national history, architecture,
archaeology, engineering, or culture, according to one or more of the following criteria:

ATTACHMENT B

Staff Report: Z-94-24-3
September 6, 2024
Page 2 of 4

A. The property is associated with the events that have made a significant
contribution to the broad pattern of our history;
B. The property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past;
C. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method
of construction, represents the work of a master, possesses high artistic values,
or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may
lack individual distinction; or
D. The property has yielded or may likely yield information integral to the
understanding of our prehistory or history.

In addition to the significance requirement, the property must also be at least 50 years
old or have achieved significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional
importance. The property must also possess sufficient integrity of location, design,
setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association to convey its significance.

SIGNIFICANCE
The Thompson Rock Garden is eligible for historic designation under Criterion C, as a
rare local example of a folk art environment. The sculptures possess high artistic value
using a distinctive method of construction and materials.

The creator and initial property owner, Grover Cleveland Thompson, was born in 1892.
He was a heavy equipment operator in Seattle, Washington, and when he retired, he
moved to Arizona, and purchased the subject property in 1954. Thompson and his wife
Nancy parked their trailer at the rear of the property and began construction of the
home. Thompson did not possess formal training in art, architecture, or construction, but
is the builder of the home and sculptures on the site. According to the current owner,
Marion Blake, Thompson built the concrete block walls around the exterior of his trailer,
allowing construction to be done, while having a contained living space. The trailer was
later internally demolished, leaving the concrete block shell of the home Thompson
built. The home is a concrete block Ranch-style house, with standing seam metal
roofing, wood sided gables, and a covered porch running the length of the façade. The
home has steel casement windows, with projecting masonry sills. Not only did
Thompson construct his home, but he constructed the entirety of this folk art
environment which extends from the front porch of the house. The garden’s proximity to
the home creates a continuous experience from the home to the garden throughout the
parcel. The boundary walls also contribute to the same whimsical sense of place that
Thompson created with the rock garden sculptures.

The sculptures within the rock garden are made out of cement, rock, chipped glass,
fragments of Fiestaware, and a plethora of other man-made and natural objects. Many
of the materials used had been previously discarded. For example, at the time, people
had grown concerned about the glaze used in Fiestaware, so a lot of it was thrown out.
Despite the loss of fingers on his left hand, Thompson worked on his artistic creations
over the course of more than 20 years until his death in 1977. Thompson used

Staff Report: Z-94-24-3
September 6, 2024
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Halloween masks as forms, and cast concrete busts, which he integrated into his
artwork. The environment includes a mosaic interpretation of Seattle’s Space Needle,
representations of Inca villages, towers, carved and cast figures, fountains, free-form
masonry shapes, animals, people, houses, and decorative patterns. The entirety of this
folk art environment is a unique testament to Thompson’s artistic imagination, ingenuity,
and homages to places he visited and lived.

The Thompson Rock Garden is one of only two known folk art sites in Phoenix, with the
other one being the Louis Lee Rock Garden, located at 4015 East McDonald Drive. The
Lee Rock Garden has been recommended eligible in the 2007 Asian American Historic
Property Survey. As an unusual and rare property type, both significant as a folk art
environment and as an expression of Chinese ethnic heritage, the Lee Rock Garden
has garnered attention and has been featured in many articles over the decades.
The Thompson Rock Garden is considered a well-known unofficial landmark within the
Sunnyslope neighborhood, and it has also been featured on numerous websites and in
travel guides such as Roadside America, RoadsideArchitecture.com, SPACES, and
Phoenix New Times. The garden is also included in Sunnyslope neighborhood
programming, such as Art Walks.

INTEGRITY
After Thompson’s death in 1977, Marion Blake purchased the property in 1978. Blake,
a teacher with a background in Art History, has maintained the folk art environment
since that time. This has enabled Thompson’s creations to retain exceptional integrity –
including location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association – which
clearly convey the significance of the entire folk art environment. Ms. Blake has repaired
pieces, such as some of the windmill blades. She has also added her own touch to the
garden adding sunglasses to some of the busts – completely removable.

BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION
Section 807.E states that, when applying the evaluation criteria in Section 807.D, the
boundaries of a historic district should be drawn as carefully as possible to ensure that:

1. The district contains documented historic, architectural, archaeological, or natural
resources;
2. The district boundaries coincide with documented historic boundaries such as
early roadways, canals, subdivision plats or property lines;
3. Other district boundaries coincide with logical physical or manmade features and
reflect recognized neighborhood or area boundaries; and
4. Other non-historic resources or vacant land is included where necessary to
create appropriate boundaries to assist in meeting the criteria in Section 807.D.

The proposed HP zoning boundary encompasses 0.22 gross acres. It has been drawn
to include the subject parcel in its entirety as well as the adjacent portion of the right
way, as is customary in rezoning cases. The proposed boundary contains the

Staff Report: Z-94-24-3
September 6, 2024
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documented historic resources and follows parcel lines and street monument lines as
much as possible.

CONCLUSION
The rezoning request Z-94-24-3 to establish Historic Preservation (HP) overlay zoning
for the subject property should be approved for the following reasons:

1. The property meets the significance, age, and integrity requirements for HP
overlay zoning set forth in Section 807.D of the Zoning Ordinance; and
2. The proposed boundaries meet the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 807.E.

Writer
M. Jackson
9/6/24

Team Leader
K. Weight

Attachments:
Sketch Maps (2 pages)
Aerial Photo (1 page)
Historic Property Inventory Form with site photos (11 pages)

¯
0
0.03
0.06
0.01
Miles
NORTH MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
COUNCIL DISTRICT: 3
APPLICANT'S NAME:
APPLICATION NO:
GROSS AREA INCLUDING 1/2 STREET
AND ALLEY DEDICATION IS APPROX.
MULTIPLES PERMITTED
CONVENTIONAL OPTION
* UNITS P.R.D OPTION
REQUESTED CHANGE:
FROM:
TO:
DATE:
REVISION DATES:
AERIAL PHOTO &
QUARTER SEC. NO.
ZONING MAP
* Maximum Units Allowed with P.R.D. Bonus
7/09/2024
Z-94-24
City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission
Z-94-24
0.22 Acres
QS 28-30
K-9
R-3 ( 0.22 ac.)
R-3 HP ( 0.22 ac.)
R-3
R-3 HP
3
3
4
4
Path: S:\Department Share\Information Systems\PL GIS\IS_Team\Core_Functions\Zoning\sketch_maps\2024\Z-94-24.aprx
7TH ST
19TH AVE
35TH AVE
NORTHERN AVE
12TH ST
7TH AVE
THUNDERBIRD RD
GREENWAY RD
PEORIA AVE
CENTRAL AVE
39TH AVE
I-17
BUTLER DR
31ST AVE
15H AVE
DUNLAP AVE
CHOLLA ST
CACTUS RD
SWEETWATER AVE
ACOMA DR
Z-271-B-78
*
R-5
R-3
C-3
PCD
R-3A
C-2
R-5
R1-6
CHERYL DR
CINNABAR AVE
CAVE CREEK RD
12TH
PL
14TH ST
13TH ST
13TH PL
BROWN ST
13TH PL
R-3 DNS/WVR *
Z-29-06

Thompson Rock Garden
10023 North 13th Place

Proposed Historic Preservation (HP) Zoning Overlay shown in purple

CITY OF PHOENIX / STATE OF ARIZONA
HISTORIC PROPERTY INVENTORY FORM
Please type or print clearly. Fill out each applicable space accurately and with as much information as is known about the property. Use
continuation sheets where necessary. Send completed forms to City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office, 200 W. Washington, 3rd Floor,
Phoenix, AZ 85003 for listing on Phoenix Historic Property Register, or Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, 1300 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ
85007 for listing on Arizona/National Register of Historic Places.
PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION
For properties identified through survey: Site No:
Survey Area:

Historic Name(s): (Enter the name(s), if applicable, that best reflects the property's historic importance.)
Thompson Rock Garden

Address: 10023 North 13th Place

City or Town: Phoenix
County: Maricopa
Tax Parcel No.: 159-30-082

Township: 3N
Range: 3E
Section: 28
Quarter Section: Q28-30
Acreage: 0.199

Block:
Lot(s): 26
Plat (Addition): Nichols Place
Year of Plat: 1947

UTM reference: Zone: 12S
Easting: 402264.806
Northing: 3715815.968
USGS 7.5' quad map: Sunnyslope Quad
Architect:

Not Determined
Known Source:

Builder: Grover Cleveland Thompson

Not Determined
Known Source: Arizona Republic, May 30, 1976.

Construction Date: 1954-1974

Estimated
Known Source: JTWROS Deed, March 1, 1954.

STRUCTURAL CONDITION:
Good (Well-maintained; no serious problems apparent)
Fair (Some problems apparent) Describe:
Poor (Major problems; imminent threat) Describe:
Ruin/Uninhabitable

USES/FUNCTIONS

Describe how the property has been used over
time, beginning with the original use:

Grover Cleveland Thompson purchased
this property in 1954, and over two decades,
created a folk-art environment throughout
the exterior of his home. Thompson
combined original mosaic pieces, free-form
concrete and mortar, statuary, native rock,
and cast concrete pieces that used
Halloween masks as forms, to create an
immersive folk-art environment.

SOURCES:
Maricopa County Recorder property records,
contemporaneous news articles, Marion Blake.

PHOTO INFORMATION
Date of photo: January 2024

View Direction (looking towards):

North

Attach recent photograph of property to this space. Additional photos may be
appended.

SIGNIFICANCE
To be eligible for the Phoenix/Arizona/National Register, a property must represent an important part of the history or architecture of an area.
Note: a property need only be significant under one of the areas below to be eligible.

A. HISTORIC EVENTS/TRENDS (On a continuation sheet describe how the property is associated either with a significant historic event or with a
trend or pattern of events important to the history of the nation, the state, or the local community.)

B. PERSONS (On a continuation sheet describe how the property is associated with the life of a person significant in the past.)

C. ARCHITECTURE (On a continuation sheet describe how the property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of
construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values.) Architecture and Art, 1953-1977.
Outbuildings: (Describe any other buildings or structures on the property and whether they may be considered historic.)

INTEGRITY
To be eligible for the Phoenix/Arizona/National Register, a property must have integrity; that is, it must be able to convey visually its importance.
Provide detailed information below about the property’s integrity. Use continuation sheets if necessary.

1. LOCATION
Original Site
Moved date:
Original Site:

2. DESIGN (Describe alterations from the original design, including dates—known or estimated—when alterations were made)
The resources are unaltered and have been carefully maintained: first by the original artist until his death, and they by the next
owner of the property, Marion Blake. The individual folk-art resources retain their original artistic integrity.

3. SETTING (Describe the natural and/or built environment around the property)
The setting is unaltered.

Describe how the setting has changed since the property’s period of significance:

4. MATERIALS (Describe the materials used in the following elements of the property)
Walls (structure): Concrete block. Foundation Concrete
Roof: Metal

Windows: Steel Casement

If the windows have been altered, what were they originally?
Wall Sheathing:

Art Environment: Concrete, ceramic tile mosaic pieces, glass, earth and stone.

5. WORKMANSHIP (Describe the distinctive elements, if any, of craftsmanship or method of construction)
Though unskilled, the workmanship of the artist if clearly evident throughout this environment. Accent materials are well
embedded in the masonry for strength, yet the exposed edges and sides allow the artist’s vision to remain clearly expressed,
with creatively defined forms.

NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS (if listed, check the appropriate box)
Individually listed
Contributor
Non-contributor to the
Historic District
Date Listed:

Determined eligible by keeper of National Register. Date:

RECOMMENDATIONS OF ELIGIBILITY (opinion of HPO staff or survey consultant)
Property
is
is not eligible individually.
Property
is
is not eligible as a contributor to a potential historic district.
More information needed to evaluate
If not considered eligible, state reason:

FORM COMPLETED BY
Name and Affiliation: Cletus Montoya, City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Planner Date: 6/3/2024

Mailing Address: 200 W Washington St Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phone No.:

1Jean Lipman and Alice Winchester, Flowering of American Folk Art, 1776-1876 (New York: Viking, 1974), 10.
2Ibid., 9.
3John Beardsley, Gardens of Revelation. (New York: Abbeville Press, 1995), 7,8.
4 Arizona Republic, May 30, 1976, K-6.

CITY OF PHOENIX / STATE OF ARIZONA
HISTORIC PROPERTY INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET

Name of Property: Grover Cleveland Thompson Rock Garden
Continuation Sheet No.: 1
Address: 10023 North 13th Place

SIGNIFICANCE
ARCHITECTURE (On a continuation sheet describe how the property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method
of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values.) Areas of significance, Architecture and Art, 1953-
1977.

Context
Folk-art, as a type of art, began to be studied and categorized over a century ago, when “…artists of the 1920s began seeking the
roots of American art in early nonacademic work.”1 Folk-art media can be as varied as traditional formal art objects.
“In simplest terms, American folk art consists of painting, sculpture and decoration of various kinds, characterized by an artistic
innocence that distinguishes them from works of so-called fine art or the formal decorative arts.”2 When folk-art is combined with
architectural components and the construction of structures, it allows for the creation of a folk-art environment. A folk-art
environment is a personal compilation of different artistic components, created to express the vision of the artist. Being
monumental in both size and number of artistic components, folk-art environments can include landscape architecture, structures,
sculpted forms, mosaics, found item creations, and painted components. Visitors to these environments are immersed in the work
of the artist. Art Historian, and landscape architecture specialist, John Beardsley described this type of artistic environment as “Part
architecture, part sculpture, part landscape, visionary environments seem insistently and purposefully to defy the usual categories of
artistic practice.”3 The subject property at 10023 North 13th Place is just such a personal artistic vision.

Born in 1892, Grover Cleveland Thompson was a heavy equipment operator in Seattle, Washington, when he retired and moved to
Arizona, and purchased the subject property in 1954. Thompson and his wife Nancy parked their trailer at the rear of the property
and began construction. According to Marion Blake, Thompson built the cement block walls around the exterior of his trailer,
allowing construction to be done, while having a contained living space. The trailer was later internally demolished, leaving the
cement block shell of the home Thompson built. The home is a cement block ranch house, with standing seam metal roofing, wood
sided gables, and a covered porch running the length of the façade. The home has steel casement windows, with projecting
masonry sills. Thompson did not possess formal training in art, architecture, nor construction. Nevertheless, Thompson not only
built his home, but the entirety of this folk-art environment out of cement, rock, chipped glass, fragments of Fiestaware, and a
plethora of other man-made and natural objects. Despite the loss of fingers on his left hand, Thompson worked on his artistic
creations over the course of more than 20 years until his death in 1977. “I started this thing with a lot of ideas. I got up and had a
day’s work done before breakfast. I built everything I could think of.”4 Thompson used Halloween masks as forms, and cast
concrete busts, which he integrated into his artwork. The environment includes a whimsical recreation of the Space Needle,
representations of Inca villages, towers, carved and cast figures, fountains, free-form masonry shapes, animals, people, houses, and
mosaics. The entirety of this folk-art environment is a unique testament to Thompson’s artistic imagination and ingenuity. Located
in the parcel’s front yard, the Thompson Rock Garden was built to engage passersby and be viewed in its entirety.

Significance
The property was first identified through the 1979 Phoenix Historic Building Survey conducted by Charles Hall Page which noted, at
the time, that while the site was not yet 50 years in age it appeared to be eligible for listing as a unique local example of folk art used
in landscaping. The property, now substantially over 50 years in age, is recommended eligible for listing on the Phoenix Historic
Property Register under Criterion C, as an exceptional example of a Folk-Art Environment.

Integrity
After Thompson’s death in 1977, Marion Blake purchased the property in 1978. Blake, a teacher with a background in Art History,
has maintained the folk-art environment since that time. This has enabled Thompson’s creations to retain exceptional integrity –
including location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association – which clearly convey the significance of the entire Folk-
art environment.

Arizona Republic photograph, May 30, 1976.

Arizona Republic article, January 2, 1992.

Arizona Republic photograph, March 4, 1992.

Front yard of subject property, January 2024.

North and west façades of home, January 2024.

West façade of home and front yard artwork, January 2024.

Subject
property