It's a Barn Raising: The Great RE-Do

To this day, the unusual looking structure sitting atop the knoll near what is now East Van Buren and 52nd Street, remains a curiosity to Valley residents and passersby. Resembling a wedding cake or castle, Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights has a rich and interesting history – a history that began with the vision of one man, Alessio Carraro.  That vision included a boutique hotel with deluxe, custom home sites surrounding it.  Alessio’s dreams were short-lived, however, as the unique hotel never opened and a portion of the property along with the Castle was sold in 1931, due in large part to the Great Depression.

E.A. Tovrea founded the Arizona Packing Company in 1919, later known as the Tovrea Packing Company, located just west of what was to become Mr. Carraro's castle and gardens. In 1931, E.A. Tovrea and his second wife, Della, purchased the castle from Alessio Carraro.  Sadly, E.A. passed away within a year.  Della Tovrea resided in the castle until her death in 1969.

The castle was purchased from the Tovrea estate by the City of Phoenix in 1993 with monies raised through a series of bond elections approved overwhelmingly by the Citizens of Phoenix.  A complete renovation and refurbishment process was completed in 2010. 

Also, in 2010 Tovrea Carraro Society, was formed as a nonprofit organization tasked with providing access to visitors and preserving, maintaining, and restoring this historic site through an operating agreement with the City of Phoenix.  Public tours of Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights are the primary way that Tovrea Carraro Society lives out its goal of sharing a unique experience for all who visit this historic site.

The historic sheet metal Machine Shop, aka Barn, used by the visionary developer, Alessio Carraro, as a workshop and storage for machinery while building the Castle in 1928, was destroyed with micro-burst strength during a summer monsoon in August of 2015.  The plan is to reconstruct the building to become an integral part of the tour, with displays plus space for meetings and gatherings.

The Carraro Cottage was also destroyed in the 2015 micro-burst.  This is the original dwelling of Mr. Carraro and his son, Leo, while they were creating the Cactus Gardens and building the Castle.  This wooden structure once had a wonderous view of South Mountain through its picture window. 

The 44-acre site contains several other historic outbuildings and structures, including a Fuel House, Caretaker's Cabin, a Well House and Dovecote.  The restoration of these buildings will enhance the historic interpretation of the property at special events and on tours.

It is our goal to raise the necessary dollars to refurbish, restore and rebuild these buildings that represent so much of the history of the City of Phoenix, as well as the State of Arizona, its people and way of life in a Century just past.