Rancho Joaquina House

The Rancho Joaquina House is a residence built in Spanish Colonial Revival style, distinguished by stucco walls, red tile roofs, and decorative details throughout. The building was constructed between 1924 and 1925 and sits on spacious grounds within an established residential neighborhood.

The house was designed in 1924-1925 by architectural firm Fitzhugh & Byron for J.E. Thompson, a Republican Senate candidate who wanted to make a statement through this grand residence. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, confirming its significance as an example of early Phoenix residential architecture.

The residence reflects the design preferences of wealthy Phoenix residents in the early 1900s who valued Spanish-inspired styles as a sign of elegance and connection to regional history. Visitors can see thoughtfully arranged rooms that show how people lived then and what they held important.

The building sits near main roads and is surrounded by an established residential area that is easy to explore on foot. The neighborhood has a calm, well-kept character with spacious lots and shade trees that make it pleasant to admire the architecture from the outside.

In the 1950s, the property served as a filming location for the television series 26 Men, which showed its importance to Phoenix beyond architecture. Later it was transformed into a designer show house, allowing interior professionals to style the rooms for contemporary audiences.