Includes Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District, Encanto Manor Historic District, Encanto Vista Historic District, Del Norte Place Historic District, Fairview Place Historic District, Margarita Place Historic District

Encanto-Palmcroft, one of Phoenix’s priciest and most beautiful neighborhoods, is the end result of the merging of two picturesque early subdivisions — Palmcroft (“croft” meaning “little garden”) and Encanto. Both developed in the late 1920s following the explosion of the streetcar and the automobile; they gradually came together as expansion occurred.

The original plans for Palmcroft called for a neighborhood of winding streets lined with lush foliage and houses that “looked toward each other.” The Encanto subdivision’s main draw was the straight-on views of Encanto Park, which is still today one of the city’s largest and most popular recreation spots. Palmcroft (to the south of Palm Lane) and Encanto (to the north) gradually combined into what is now one of the largest historic districts in Phoenix. Palm Lane, once the dividing line between the two subdivisions, is one of the more iconic residential streets in Phoenix, characteristically lined with soaring palm trees.

Period Revival in architectural range, the homes in this neighborhood use a variety of materials, orientations, colors and designs. It is perhaps the most architecturally interesting and varied among all the historic districts in the city, borrowing influences from all over the world. Encanto Park, with its lagoon, “Enchanted Island” and recreation, is still the iconic park of the Avenues.

For more information on Encanto-Palmcroft, check out the Encanto-Palmcroft Historic Preservation Association.