Heritage Square

Phoenix was re-founded by Anglos, most of whom were Victorians through and through despite their isolation out here in adobeland. With the coming of the railroad in the 1880s, building materials other than mud and rocks became available, and the homes in the Valley began to reflect this; suddenly the adobe huts of the early years were replaced by red-brick and lumber homes, some of them as big and ornate as anything in the East.

The remains of Phoenix’s Victorian past can be seen at this downtown collection of museums and restaurants (115 N. 6th St., 602/262-5071, www.phoenix.gov/parks/heritage.html), especially through a tour of the Rosson House (602/262-5029, www.rossonhousemuseum.org, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wed.–Sat., noon–4 p.m. Sun., $5 adults, $2 kids under 12), a refurbished Victorian showcase built in 1895 at a cost of about $8,000. The tour takes about 45 minutes and will likely disabuse one of any lingering notions that what passed for the good life in late 19th century America didn’t find its way out to the frontier as well.

Nearby the Teeter House (602/252-4682), a little Midwestern bungalow built in 1899, is now a Victorian tearoom. The Stevens House, a red-brick Midwestern bungalow built in 1901, now houses the Arizona Doll and Toy Museum (602/253-9337, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Tues.–Sat., noon–4 p.m. Sun., $3 adults, $1 kids under 12), of interest only to kids and other toy enthusiasts.