Tovrea Castle

Tovrea Castle is a historic structure and landmark at 5041 East Van Buren Street in Phoenix, Arizona on 36-acre (15 ha) grounds bounded by the Red Mountain Freeway (State Route 202), Washington Street, and the building at 4949 East Van Buren Street. Locally known as the "Wedding Cake", it was built from 1929 to 1931 in a vernacular Modernist style by Alessio Carraro, and was originally intended as the hotel centerpiece of a planned destination resort, but was only used as a private residence.[1] The castle is now part of the Phoenix parks system and is designated as one of the Phoenix Points of Pride. Plans were to fully open the site to the public in 2009, but cost overruns delayed the opening.[2] Currently the park shows over 5,000 individual cacti in over 100 different varieties, all maintained by volunteers of the Tovrea Carraro Society. Guided tours of the grounds, first floor, and basement are offered.

Tovrea Castle
(2021)
Location5041 E. Van Buren Street,, Phoenix, Arizona
Coordinates33.4509°N 111.9732°W / 33.4509; -111.9732
Area36 acres (15 ha)
BuiltDecember 1929 to January 1931
ArchitectAlessio Carraro
H. D. Frankfurt
Architectural styleVernacular modernist
NRHP reference No.96000309[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 28, 1996

The castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Earlier names for the structure included "Carraro Heights" and "El Castillo".[1] Current signs label it "Tovrea Castle at Carrarro Heights".

Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights

Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights is named in honor of the original builder, Alessio Carraro, and its second owners, E. A. and Della Tovrea.[3] Contrary to local legend, the castle was not built by E. A. Tovrea for his wife as a duplication of their wedding cake. In fact, the Tovreas bought the castle from Alessio Carraro in 1931.[1]

Although the castle had long been recognized as a city landmark, the deteriorated state of the grounds and the building left it unsuitable for use as a city park. After finalizing the purchase of the acres 46 surrounding the castle, the City of Phoenix began an effort to restore the building and revitalize the gardens.

In 2006, significant work was begun on restoring the gardens surrounding the castle to their previous state. Diseased and dead plants were removed from the site while surviving vegetation was rehabilitated. During restoration efforts, 352 saguaro cacti were planted on the site and over 2,000 other cacti were relocated. Other vegetation, including desert wildflowers were planted in the gardens. Currently the park boasts over 5,000 individual cacti in over 100 different varieties.

After many delays, the City of Phoenix finally completed the project by Arizona's centennial on February 14, 2012, including a visitor's center open to the public. Tovrea Carraro Society, a local non profit organization formed to operate the site, in partnership with the City of Phoenix, has been conducting guided tours of the grounds, first floor, and basement since March 2012. An interpretive trail exhibiting the gardens and the many desert species, as well as a greenhouse, is planned for the park.

Characteristics

An early sketch of a design for Cabbraro's intended hotel was made for him by local architect H. D. Frankfurt, but this bears little resemblance to the structure actually built. Frankfurt's design was a three-level Italian Renaissance style palace. Cabrarro seems to have taken the idea of a biaxially symmetrical ziggarat without using any of Frankfurt's stylistic ideas.[1]

The Tovrea Castle is a pine wood and stucco building constructed in a unique three-tier fashion bearing a strong resemblance to a traditional wedding cake, and as such has earned it the local nickname "The Wedding Cake."[4] The castle has historically eclectic and romanticized European architectural influences including parapets surrounding the roofline of each tier, while also reflecting Art Deco detailing within its interior and exterior light fixtures. In addition, the castle is lit during the night by LED and incandescent light bulbs distributed along the roofs and fences. The net result on viewing the castle from a distance is of a romanticized medieval castle, despite the absence of any architectural details supporting that perception.[1]ʽ

The castle is highly visible from surrounding areas, and in particular drivers on Loop 202 are offered an excellent view of the site. This has led to the castle's having become one of the most prominent landmarks of the city.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System – (#96000309)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. Berry, Jahna. "City unsure when Tovrea Castle will open". The Arizona Republic.
  3. Balazs, Diana. "Tovrea Castle's grounds will open to tours". The Arizona Republic.
  4. Yandik, Will. "Phoenix Guards Its Castle Against Desert Sprawl". Preservation Online.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.