About

A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about. —Woodrow Wilson

It is often said that “Phoenix has no history.” While this may be true in comparison to Asian, European, or even some other North American cities, Phoenix’s modern history dates back to 1867. It was in that year that Jack Swilling began digging a canal to divert some of the water of the Salt River onto the lands of the Valley.

It is not so much of a case then, that Phoenix has no history, rather that most of us are simply unaware of it. A main reason why is that Phoenix has done a poor job at at preserving its historic structures. To rely on an old adage, what is out of sight, is out of mind.

This website aims to rebuild a shared understanding of Phoenix’s lost history, by showcasing many of the buildings that the city has lost, or is in danger of losing.  In other words, to recover our lost history.

It is inspired by, and largely based on, the book Vanishing Phoenix, by Robert A. Melikian. Without Robert’s dedication to preserving the city’s history, and his willingness to share is research with us, this site could not exist.

From the book’s cover:

Book Description: Lord Darrell Duppa, along with his friend Jack Swilling, suggested the name “Phoenix” for the city he had cofounded because it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization. Settled on the ancestral lands of the Hohokam Indians, Phoenix was thriving by the early 1920s when craftsmanship and attention to detail were the orders of the day. Buildings were designed to welcome residents and travelers alike. Today the Fox Theater, the Clark Churchill House, the Kon Tiki Hotel, and the Fleming Building exist only in photographs and in the memories of Phoenix residents. The National Register of Historic Places and the Phoenix Historic Property Register have heightened public awareness and appreciation for the community’s historic landmarks, but much has been lost already. Remembering these buildings and landmarks is essential to understanding this remarkable city.

Author Bio: Author Robert Melikian grew up in Phoenix, and his family has owned and operated one of Phoenix’s oldest hotels, the Hotel San Carlos, since 1973. In this book, Melikian showcases the area’s evolution from an “oasis in the desert” to a cosmopolitan city using more than 200 vintage images from the Arizona State University McLaughlin Collection, the Phoenix Museum of History, and private collections.

Like Robert, the site’s editors, feel that remembering Phoenix’s lost architectural landmarks is an essential step in understanding our city.

Welcome to Vanishing Phoenix. We hope you enjoy exploring the history of this remarkabale city with us. To keep update with our latest posts, please subscribe to our RSS feed.