Encanto-Palmcroft is where central Phoenix gets space: the median home has 2,396 square feet on a 9,877-square-foot lot, on curving streets that the National Register nomination calls the city's first comprehensively planned automobile suburbs. The catch is cost and choice: a median Assessor value of $1,024,000, higher than Willo, Roosevelt, Coronado, F.Q. Story or Garfield, and only 326 single-family homes. If you want the same era on a smaller budget, the Willo guide covers the grid just east across Seventh Avenue.
Buyers with a larger budget who want a bigger house and lot near Encanto Park, and need to know how Palmcroft and Encanto differ.
At a glance
| City HP listing | March 1987; expansions June 1999 and September 2005 |
|---|---|
| Period of significance (city) | 1920 to 1952 |
| Boundaries | Seventh to 15th avenues, McDowell Road to the north edge of Encanto Park and Golf Course |
| Single-family homes | 326 (Maricopa County Assessor) |
| Median year built | 1938 (middle half 1931 to 1941) |
| Built before 1950 | 91% |
| Median living space | 2,396 sq ft (middle half 2,008 to 3,024) |
| Median lot | 9,877 sq ft (middle half 8,205 to 11,839) |
| Median Assessor full cash value, tax year 2027 | $1,024,000 (middle half $859,500 to $1,239,700) |
| School districts | Phoenix Elementary; Phoenix Union High School |
Who Encanto-Palmcroft suits, and the budget it takes
The district joins two developers' plats, Palmcroft and Encanto, with Encanto Park on its north side. Its houses are the same age as Willo's (a median build year of 1938 against 1939), but on lots about 2,200 square feet bigger and in house sizes closer to Roosevelt's large homes than to Coronado's bungalows.
Encanto-Palmcroft fits if
- You want room. The middle half of homes have 2,008 to 3,024 square feet.
- You want a Spanish Colonial Revival house. It's the most common style here, and the Encanto deeds once required it or one of its cousins.
- You want the park and golf course on your doorstep. Encanto Park is inside the district boundary.
Look beyond Encanto-Palmcroft if
- Your budget sits below about $860,000, the bottom of the district's middle range of Assessor values. Willo's middle half runs from $602,725 to $766,750.
- You want a bungalow. Coronado's bungalow blocks are the place for that.
- You want many houses to compare. With 326 single-family homes, the list of candidates is short.
The two halves of Encanto-Palmcroft, compared
The 1984 nomination combined parts of four late-1920s subdivisions (two Palmcroft plats, Encanto and West Encanto Amended) with 100.84 acres of Encanto Park. Palmcroft and Encanto were sold by different developers with different rules, and you can still see the difference.
| Palmcroft | Encanto | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Dwight B. Heard's investment company, with William G. Hartranft | Lloyd C. Lakin and George T. Peter |
| Recorded or opened | First plat recorded April 27, 1927; second opened early 1929 | Plat recorded October 2, 1928; opened January 27, 1929 |
| Deed rules | Setbacks of 25 to 30 feet | Spanish, Italian, Moorish or Pueblo styles only, unless the grantor approved |
| Minimum house cost | $5,000 on 11th Avenue and Palm Lane; $6,500 elsewhere | $10,000 to $12,000 |
| Alleys | Outer blocks only | Every block |
| Irrigation | No special system | Underground concrete pipes under each lot |
Palmcroft's two plats
Heard's company bought 80 acres from the James W. Dorris estate in 1926 and split it into two 40-acre Palmcroft plats. The first was recorded on April 27, 1927; the second, between 11th and 15th avenues, formally opened early in 1929. Heard's partner was William G. Hartranft, developer of Kenilworth and the first president of the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board. Lots sold for $850 to $2,000 with sewer, water, gas, sidewalks, ornamental lights and palm trees included, and setbacks had to be at least 25 feet on interior lots and 30 feet on Palm Lane, Seventh Avenue, 11th Avenue and McDowell Road. Those setbacks are why Palmcroft houses sit back from the street.
The Encanto subdivision and its deed restrictions
Encanto was developed by Lakin and Peter, partners in the Arizona Grocery Company and the Pay'n Takit stores. Its deeds allowed only Spanish, Italian, Moorish or Pueblo styles without the grantor's approval, and set minimum construction costs of $10,000 to $12,000, roughly double Palmcroft's. All four model homes were Southwestern, including a Pueblo Revival house nicknamed "The Indian House" and a Spanish Colonial Revival house on West Monte Vista Road. If you want a stucco-and-tile house, start on the Encanto side.
Encanto irrigation, lot by lot
Encanto was laid out with its own underground irrigation: eight-inch concrete pipes beneath each lot with surface valves, and some lots bermed for periodic flooding. Palmcroft has no special irrigation system. The description dates from the early 1980s, so if water service matters to you on an Encanto lot, ask the seller whether that lot still receives it and what it costs.
Encanto-Palmcroft streets: palms, curves and street-park islands
Palmcroft and Encanto break from Phoenix's grid with curving, cross-axial street plans. Streets on the city's map include Palmcroft Drive, Palmcroft Way, Encanto Drive, Encanto Boulevard, Monte Vista Road, Coronado Road, Holly Street, Palm Lane and Ninth, 11th and 13th avenues.
Palmcroft streetscape: rolled curbs and fan palms
Palmcroft's interior streets have rolled concrete curbs with no curb cuts, palms along every street, mainly California fan palms, and ornamental single-light streetlight standards, some cast in Marbelite concrete. They are as much a part of the district's character as the houses.
Encanto's Monte Vista Road islands
Encanto has two triangular street-park islands flanking West Monte Vista Road, each planted with pepper trees and set with a cast concrete urn. Every Encanto block has an alley for refuse, utilities and some garage access.
Encanto-Palmcroft house styles and architects
By count, Spanish Colonial Revival or Mediterranean houses come first, then Tudor Revival, Georgian or Regency Revival, French Provincial, Monterey Colonial Revival, Pueblo Revival and Colonial Revival, with three notable Moderne houses.
Encanto-Palmcroft Spanish Colonial Revival homes
The most common style, and one of the four the Encanto deeds allowed without approval. A ca. 1940 example stands on the 1600 block of North 11th Avenue.
Encanto-Palmcroft Regency, Georgian and Tudor Revival homes
Tudor Revival is the second most common style. For the Regency end of the list, look for a ca. 1936 Regency Revival house on the 1800 block of North 11th Avenue, two blocks up from that Spanish example.
Architect-designed homes in Encanto-Palmcroft
Lescher and Mahoney, H.H. Green, Orville Bell and Fitzhugh & Byron designed homes in the district. If a listing names one of them, ask for the original drawings or permit history; they help when you apply for HP approval to change anything outside.
The park in the Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District
Encanto Park was built from 1935 to 1938 with WPA help on 222 acres. Its clubhouse, boathouse, locker house and band shell were designed by Lescher & Mahoney in 1936 and 1937. A 2017 National Register boundary increase brought the whole park into the district, including the 18-hole Encanto 18 (par 70, 6,361 yards) and the nine-hole executive Encanto 9.
The Valley Garden Center rose garden in Encanto-Palmcroft
At the southeast corner of Holly Street and 15th Avenue, the Valley Garden Center rose garden covers about three acres, developed by that group in the mid-1930s and added to the National Register district in 1994.
Encanto Vista and Encanto Manor next door
North and east of the golf course, Encanto-Palmcroft borders two later districts, Encanto Vista and Encanto Manor. Both are on the Phoenix historic districts list, with periods of significance in the 1940s and 1950s, so they suit a buyer who wants a later house near the same park.
HP zoning and the Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District in Phoenix
The City of Phoenix listed Encanto-Palmcroft in March 1987, with boundary expansions in June 1999 and September 2005, and its properties carry the HP overlay. On the National Register it was listed on February 16, 1984, covering 208.4 acres, with increases in 1992, 1994 and 2017.
How Encanto-Palmcroft's contributing count grew
The 1984 nomination counted 272 houses, 141 contributing and 131 non-contributing. A 1992 amendment added 24 houses on Holly Street and 12th Avenue and reclassified 106 post-1935 houses as contributing, bringing the totals to 269 and 27. The 1994 amendment added 46 houses along Seventh Avenue and McDowell Road, for 293 contributing and 49 non-contributing. A house built in the late 1930s or 1940s here is likely to count as historic, with the review that comes with it.
Encanto-Palmcroft review in practice
Outside work that needs a permit goes to city staff for a Certificate of No Effect, or to a hearing officer for a Certificate of Appropriateness. The same applies to non-historic houses and new infill, and demolition needs a separate approval. With front setbacks of 25 to 30 feet set in the original Palmcroft plats, plan any addition for the back of the lot, and book a pre-application meeting first. The HP zoning guide covers the steps, and the state historic property tax guide covers the savings that National Register status can open up on a seven-figure valuation.
Buying in Encanto-Palmcroft: values and checks
The Assessor's tax-year 2027 median full cash value is $1,024,000, with the middle half between $859,500 and $1,239,700. That's a tax figure, not a sale price, and Census numbers are no help at this end of the market: $635,700 for owner-occupied homes in Tract 1119 and $480,600 in ZIP code 85007 (2020 to 2024), both drawn from areas well beyond the district.
Encanto-Palmcroft or Willo at the same age
The houses are the same age, so what the extra money buys is land, layout and the park: at the median, Encanto-Palmcroft runs $345,750 above Willo. The Willo guide sets the two side by side; the short version is that Willo has nearly three times as many houses to choose from.
Inspecting an Encanto-Palmcroft home
A median house of 2,396 square feet means more roof and more windows to inspect than a Coronado bungalow. Add an irrigation question on Encanto lots, and see the historic home inspection checklist and the guide to insuring a historic home before your inspection period ends. Renovation financing for a house at this value is covered in the historic home loan guide.
Encanto-Palmcroft's 2027 centennial and home tour
The Encanto Palmcroft Historic Preservation Association notes that the neighborhood turns 100 in 2027, matching the April 1927 Palmcroft plat. Its Historic Home Tour & Street Fair runs every other year, and tickets for the 2027 tour are on sale. For a private look at what's for sale, ask Joe Janus for recent Encanto-Palmcroft sales.
Encanto-Palmcroft FAQs
Where is Encanto-Palmcroft in Phoenix?
It's west of Seventh Avenue in central Phoenix, running from Seventh to 15th avenues and from McDowell Road north to the far edge of Encanto Park and Golf Course. For schools, it falls in the Phoenix Elementary District and the Phoenix Union High School District, which assign schools by address.
What is the difference between Palmcroft and Encanto?
They were separate subdivisions. Palmcroft was platted by Dwight B. Heard's company from 1927, with setbacks of 25 to 30 feet; Encanto, opened in 1929 by Lloyd Lakin and George Peter, allowed only Spanish, Italian, Moorish or Pueblo styles without approval, and every block has an alley.
Do Encanto-Palmcroft homes have flood irrigation?
Only the Encanto subdivision was laid out with underground irrigation pipes and some bermed lots, according to the 1984 nomination. Palmcroft has no special system. Ask the seller whether a given Encanto lot still receives water.
How much are homes in Encanto-Palmcroft?
More than double Coronado's on the county's numbers: a median Assessor full cash value of $1,024,000 for tax year 2027, with the middle half from $859,500 to $1,239,700. Sale prices differ from tax values, so ask for recent sales before you offer.
Is Encanto Park part of the historic district?
Yes. A 2017 National Register boundary increase brought the whole park into the district, including its WPA-era buildings and both golf courses.
When is the Encanto-Palmcroft home tour?
The Encanto Palmcroft Historic Preservation Association holds its Historic Home Tour & Street Fair every other year, and tickets for the 2027 tour are on sale through the association.
Sources
- City of Phoenix: Residential Historic Districts (Phoenix Historic Property Register)
- City of Phoenix: Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District map (updated October 2019)
- National Park Service: National Register listed properties spreadsheet (2026-05-22)
- National Park Service: Encanto-Palmcroft HD nomination (1983)
- National Park Service: Encanto-Palmcroft HD Boundary Increase (1992)
- National Park Service: Encanto-Palmcroft HD Boundary Increase II (1994)
- National Park Service: Encanto-Palmcroft HD Boundary Increase III (2017)
- Maricopa County Assessor: parcel layer (MaricopaDynamicQueryService/Parcels), queried 2026-11-06
- City of Phoenix: Historic Properties GIS layer
- City of Phoenix: Historic Preservation Approvals and Guidelines
- City of Phoenix: Historic Preservation FAQ
- US Census Bureau: Geocoder, school district layers (ACS2023 vintage)
- US Census Bureau: ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25077
- US Census Bureau: ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25077
- Encanto Palmcroft Historic Preservation Association: Home Tour
- Encanto Palmcroft Historic Preservation Association: Our History