McCullough-Price House
The McCullough-Price House is a part of the City of Chandler’s Museum Division. This house is part of the Chandler Museum campus and features changing exhibits in the Price Gallery. It is also home of the East Valley History Center for researchers, open Thursdays 2-5pm and by appointment.
This 1938 Pueblo Revival style home was donated to the City by the Price-Propstra family, renovated and opened to the public in 2007.
The Families of the McCullough-Price House:
William Davis McCullough, an industrialist from Detroit, Michigan, and his family began traveling to Chandler in 1936 to spend the winters at the San Marcos Hotel, a popular winter destination for wealth and prominent families. Due to a desire to stay for longer periods of time during the winter, Mr. McCullough purchased 200 acres southwest of the town of Chandler in 1937. In 1938, McCullough commissioned the Phoenix architectural firm of Lescher & Mahoney to design a house in the Pueblo Revival Style.
Click here to see the original Architectural Plans of the McCullough-Price House.
Unfortunately McCullough only had a few years to enjoy his new house. William McCullough died in May 1940. Mrs. McCullough decided to permanently relocate back to Detroit She sold the property to her recently widowed friend, Odessa Lochhead, in July 1942.
The Lochhead family owned Pecos Valley Milling Company and had been operating businesses in Chandler since the late 1920s. Mrs. Lochhead lived in the house until she passed Mrs. Lochhead lived in the house until she passed in 1943. San Marcos Hotel manager John Quarty held the house in trust for the Lochhead family while their son, Jim finished his time in the service and completed subsequent schooling. Quarty also leased the house to visitors as an extension of the San Marcos Hotel. In 1946 Jim and his wife Anna moved into the house where it became a social gathering place for residents of Chandler. The Lochheads lived there until 1950 when they sold the house to Arthur and Louise Price.
Arthur Price grew up in the state of Washington and attended Washington State University, Harvard Law School and the University of Washington where he received a law degree. Originally planning on starting his career in California, he decided to try the Phoenix area instead. He passed the Arizona bar and became a legal counselor to Dr. Chandler in 1913. Seeing the vision and potential of the new town, Price decided to make Chandler his home and wrote its incorporation papers, constitution, by-laws and served as its first town attorney. He went on to be active in the community for many years. Price married Louise Chandler, a niece of Dr. Chandler in 1918. They had three children and initially resided on Washington Street in the Silk Stocking district before moving into their new home. After purchasing the house, the Prices spent their retirement years there until Arthur died in 1971. Louise lived in the house for three more years. After her death in 1975 the house passed into the hands of her daughter Suzanne Price Propstra. The land around the McCullough-Price House remained primarily agricultural up until the 1980s. Gradually, however, the land around the house was sold for development, first on the west side for residential subdivisions, then in the early 2000s the remainder for a commercial complex that now includes the Chandler Fashion Center Mall. Fortunately, the house remained on its original site. After the deaths of the Prices, the house remained mostly vacant and fell into disrepair. In 2001 Suzanne donated it to the City. Originally planned as a community center, the development adjacent to the house forced a change in plans. After a renovation by the City that restored the exterior and parts of the interior to their original 1938 appearance, the house opened as a visitor center and gallery in 2007. Today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Chandler Museum complex. The House: When the McCullogh family decided to build a house near Chandler, they commissioned the established and prolific Phoenix architectural firm of Lescher & Mahoney to design their new home. The firm was known for both its aesthetic designs and technical excellence. During its existence, the firm completed over 2500 commissions, many of which still exist. Lescher and Mahoney did primarily commercial and governmental buildings, so McCullough house was a departure from their standard practice. The design they produced is in the Pueblo Revival style which has its roots in the early Southwest. Examples of this style are rare in Chandler. The house was constructed on the original McCullough property, which was 240 acres at its height. It is about 3,308 square feet in area. The front primary facade faces east and at one time was accessed from the east by a long driveway. It is "L" shaped with the living room, dining room, den and kitchen located in the main portion of the building. Four bedrooms and bathrooms were in the south leg of the "L." To the north of and recessed from the primary facade is a service wing that contained a maid's room, bathroom, laundry and three-car garage. The former bedrooms are now used as offices and the service wing contains restrooms and a janitor's space. The garage is now a meeting room. The main living spaces are largely intact. The house is constructed of brick with a stucco finish and has several notable features including the wood lookouts, or "vigas" that run along the top of the facade; embellishments with Native-American inspired designs on the walls; and the original metal casement windows. The vigas, stucco exterior which mimics adobe, along with the minimal window penetrations give the house its Pueblo Revival style look. The house retains its original appearance from its construction in 1938. Additional information and details on the architectural features and history of the house and its families are in the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form which is attached to this memo. Conclusion and Recommendation: Since its construction in 1938, the McCullough-Price House has been a part of the agricultural, commercial, and social heritage of the City of Chandler. Its families, the McCulloughs, Lochheads, and Prices contributed to the founding, growth and development of Chandler. Former residences of founder Dr. A. J. Chandler no longer exist, so given the relationship of Louise Chandler Price to Dr. Chandler, the house is the closest to a founder's home in Chandler and its importance to Chandler's history cannot be understated. The house retains its original architectural integrity on the exterior and is judged the best example of both Pueblo Revival Style of architecture and of Lescher & Mahoney buildings in Chandler. Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places and connections to Chandler past also makes it eligible for Historic Preservation District designation as a Landmark in Chandler's history.
A Short History of the McCullough-Price House
The house was built in 1938 by William D. McCullough, a Detroit resident who wintered at the San Marcos Hotel in the mid 1930s. Designed by well-known architects Lescher and Mahoney, the home had four bedrooms, maid's quarters, a roof patio, and built-in barbecue in the back yard. The house sat in the middle of 350 acres of alfalfa and cotton fields, placed half a mile from Price Road. The home eventually was purchased by the Lockhead family, managers of the Pecos Valley Milling Company, located at Pecos Road and the railroad tracks east of Arizona Avenue. When the home was vacant for several years, the San Marcos Hotel rented the home to visitors.
Click here to see the original Architectural Plans of the McCullough-Price House.
Click here to see Photos of the McCullough-Price House.
In 1950, the Lockhead family sold the home to Arthur and Louise Price. Arthur had lived in Chandler since 1913, working closely with Dr. A.J. Chandler as a lawyer. By 1930 he had branched out into farming and land development. Arthur was instrumental in drafting Chandler's constitution and by-laws as the first City Attorney. He also became the first Justice of the Peace. Louise, another long-time resident, was the niece of A.J. Chandler, and her father, Harry, was a pioneer resident of Mesa.
The two lived in the home until the early 1970s. After the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Price, the family rented the house out. The land surrounding the Price House remained agricultural until the 1980s, when the Valley-wide housing boom expanded into Chandler's once rural areas. Pulte Homes purchased a large amount of land just west of the Price House and constructed the Hearthstone Subdivision. Retail and subdivision development continued. The house, with its distinctive southwestern flair that contrasted with other traditional farmhouses scattered about Chandler, has remained almost unchanged over time.
Architectural Features of the McCullough-Price House
Front door: The door “surround” is made from granite and includes replicas of petroglyphs, and a stone Neoclassical pediment engraved with a thunderbird design. The door itself is Art Deco in design.
Vigas: Roughly distressed logs that extend through the front walls and serve as support beams, part of the Pueblo Revival design.
Latillas: hand-split sticks or small beams layered on top of the vigas. These are found on the back porch and the front exterior walkway between the kitchen and the former garage.
Scupper: Found on the front and back of the house and serves to drain water off the flat roofs typically found on Pueblo Revival buildings.
Columns: Find the Neoclassical Tuscan columns on the front and back walkways. The column includes a capital made from wood, with curved edges. The back patio columns are unique in that the capital almost appears to float on the concrete column.
Lintels: Each window includes a concrete lintel, which is a Neoclassical concept. Interestingly, the design on the lintel is Art Deco with a southwestern flair.
Rounded corners: Notice the corners on the top of the house and on the chimney. This is characteristic of the Pueblo Revival style. The outdoor barbecue in the courtyard also displays this feature.
Wooden beams inside the house: In the main reception area, once the living room, you can see the large southwestern beams with the Neoclassical designed cornices on each end. Step into the East Valley History Center to view the unique log beams that are both decorative and structural, tied together with leather straps.
Wood paneling: In the former study, the top of the walls features a design of the wood paneling, which mirrors columns and capitals, but with a southwestern design.
Fireplace: One can see that the restored fireplace surround matches the granite of the front door surround,
and the simple wood mantle complements the Pueblo Revival style of the home.