A Look at the Phoenix That Once Was

Tom Carlson May 31, 2017 16:04PM

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McCulloch Brothers Inc. Photographs, CP MCLMB. Arizona State University Libraries: Arizona Collection.

This building is located on the northwest corner of Third Avenue and Washington Street and housed a J.C. Penney store before becoming the headquarters of the Central Arizona Light and Power Company. Constructed in 1920, it was financed by Phoenix businessman and real estate developer J. W. Walker and designed by architect L. M. Fitzhugh. This photograph probably dates from the early 1940s. The McCulloch Bros. register describes this image as "Labor temple."

This week, New Times examined how redevelopment is reshaping downtown Phoenix. Thanks to the photos of the McCulloch Brothers, available online via the ASU Library, we can see how downtown used to be before the Valley's population exploded in the post-WWII years.