[Source: Garin Groff, East Valley Tribune] -- Tempe’s historic Eisendrath House is celebrated for its adobe construction. But that treasured feature also threatens the home’s existence unless volunteers can raise some quick cash and reverse the aging process. The city-owned structure is essentially melting -- deteriorating in a process called adobe melt. The origin of the term is obvious to anybody who has seen walls that resemble a snow fort melting in the spring. Unless workers stop the melt soon, the house will crumble beyond repair. “It’s really deteriorated dramatically,” said Vic Linoff, a member of the Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation.The work could cost $2 million. The city and community organizations expect to make their first significant financial progress this year during various events, including a May 6 fundraiser. Organizers hope to raise $20,000, but Mayor Hugh Hallman said he’ll announce a more substantial funding source at that event.
The home’s melting is obvious from the outside. Deep cracks in the stucco expose areas where walls that were once a foot thick are nearly gone. Some of the rose-tinted stucco is covered with modern, gray patches. The patches were done with the best of intentions, likely by an artist who rented the house in the 1980s and 1990s. But the patches have done more harm than good, said Darlene Justus, president of the foundation. The original stucco breathed and kept walls from getting too moist, but the modern stucco mix trapped moisture.
The city’s first priority is to fix the cracks and redo the roof to ensure rain doesn’t get inside. Also, the city needs to shore up the second floor because the adobe construction doesn’t tie it to the walls securely enough, said Joe Nucci, Tempe’s historic preservation officer. That will cost about $600,000. After that, the city would make nonstructural repairs and prepare the house for some other use. Officials have mentioned a museum, community meeting place or city offices, but no decision has been made.
[Note: To read the full article, click here. Photo source: Toru Kawana, East Valley Tribune. The fundraiser is 6 p.m. May 6, Tempe Historical Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave. $75 per person. R.S.V.P. by Friday. For more information, call 480-946-2168.]
