The Eisendrath House in Tempe has gone through some changes since its construction by renowned architect Robert Evans in 1930. It was first the winter home of a wealthy Jewish woman barred from staying at nearby resorts because of her faith, the set of a horror film, and a house party destination. Friday, the house will host a charity event, raising money to help restore it.
Tickets are available now for "A Night to Preserve -- A Blues & Barbecue Benefit," part of an effort to raise about $1 million to repair parts of the historic Eisendrath House's crumbling adobe walls and shaky foundation.
The house, in the desert near Curry Road and College Avenue, will be lit inside and out, and guests will be treated to dancing, barbecue, and live music from Diunna Greenleaf and the Preservation Blues Band.
"I just want to clean it up and dust it off and put a killer blues band in there," says Woody Wilson, President of the Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation, a non-profit organization helping to plan the fundraiser and renovate the house.
"It'll be lit up like the White House," Wilson says.
Guests won't be permitted inside the house at the event, which has been closed off for a decade as a safety hazard, but after repairs can be completed, the house will act as an office for the Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation and be rented out for public events such as weddings or parties.
"What we're doing Friday night is sort of a trial run of what we'll be able to do with it in years to come," Wilson says.
The fundraiser will also feature an auction, selling items including trips, art, and dinner for six with Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman in the nearby Sandra Day O'Connor House.
Tickets can be purchased for $100 at the Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation's website or by calling (480) 345-2392. The event runs from 6-10 p.m. See below for more information on the house.
