Shemer Art Center and Museum Association

History:

The property was originally part of 640 acres owned by a group of investors who had visions of  selling home sites. They named the area “Arcadia”, founded the Arcadia Water Company and began drilling wells. In 1919 a small house was built for the workman in charge of the project. It was the first house in Arcadia. A small portion at the far east end of the present house is presumed to have been a part of that original structure. In the 1920s the investors went broke from such factors as the expense of drilling the wells, the depression and most importantly people were not interested in buying home sites so far from town.

A banker from Kansas City in 1925 acquired the acreage, part of which contained the small house. He added a kitchen, living room and two of the bedrooms. He named this show place “Casa de Wanda”. Two of the original pillars marking the property can still be seen on Exeter Drive. Citrus was also planted in 1926 and 1927. The property was divided into 40-acre home sites.

In 1927 the 40 acres containing the house was sold to the Suhr family from Oil City, Pennsylvania, who were purchasing it for a winter home. Another building project was begun to enlarge the garage (now the studio), add two more bedrooms and a bathroom, enclose the porch, enlarge the kitchen and stucco the outside to hide the many additions. This resulted in the house as you see it today. The Suhr family spent many wonderful winters in the house and were joined by other family members from California. Several have supplied us with historic photographs and many great memories of their times in the Phoenix home.

Finally, in 1984, the house was put on the market once again. Martha Shemer, a longtime Phoenix resident, looked at the house in July of ’84 and was so struck by the nostalgia of the house and the picturesque view of Camelback Mountain that she contacted Mayor Terry Goddard’s office and asked if she purchased the property would the City operate and maintain the facility. After due deliberations the City Council accepted the generous offer and at great expense to herself, with no tax advantages, Martha Shemer made the property available – at no cost – to the City of Phoenix.