Phoenix Postwar Architecture Task Force
Preserving midcentury architectural heritage for future generations.
In 2014, the Postwar Architecture Task Force of Greater Phoenix – working alongside Modern Phoenix, Preserve Phoenix, and other preservation advocates and historians – identified 25 significant midcentury properties in Phoenix that were eligible for designation but lacked formal protection. In 2025, the Task Force, by then operating under the Preserve Phoenix umbrella, revisited and updated the list. As the Task Force reactivates in 2026, its mission remains unchanged: to spotlight these important places and advance their long-term preservation
Endangered Properties
In 2014, the Post War Architectural Task Force, Modern Phoenix, Preserve Phoenix, and several preservation advocated and historians created a list of 25 eligible, but not yet protected mid-century properties. As the task force reignites in 2026, our goal remains to call attention to these properties and preserve them.
Information Resources
Courtesy of the Arizona Preservation Foundation
Midcentury Marvels: Commercial Architecture of Phoenix, 1945-1975, City of Phoenix
Arizona Contractor & Community Magazine
Self-Guided Tours of Midcentury Neighborhoods, Visit Phoenix
Praising Arizona: Midcentury Modern Treasure Trove, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Tour Arizona’s Rich Mid Century Modern Valley, Atomic Ranch
Arizona Midcentury Modern Buildings, Roadside Architecture
5 Best Midcentury Modern Neighborhoods in Metro Phoenix, Phoenix New Times, Sept. 2014
Alison King, Aspire Award Recipient, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2013
Support Historic Preservation
Purchase Midcentury Marvels: Commercial Architecture of Phoenix, 1945–1975. Released in 2011, Midcentury Marvels is a vibrant, coffee-table–style hardcover and the most comprehensive publication ever produced on the history of midcentury commercial architecture in Phoenix. Richly illustrated and accessible to both professionals and enthusiasts, the book documents the buildings, designers, and development patterns that shaped Phoenix during the postwar era.
Support the Task Force directly by purchasing an Olympus Condominiums poster designed by Aaron Stouffer for $100. All proceeds benefit our mission to advocate for historic properties in Phoenix.
