The Miracle Mile Historic District, located on North Stone Avenue, Drachman Street, Oracle Road and Miracle Mile in Tucson, Arizona, United States, was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
History
Located north of downtown Tucson, the Miracle Mile Historic District is a significant commercial corridor connected to the development and alignment of Tucson's northern segment of U.S. Route 80, U.S. Route 89, and Arizona State Route 84. Throughout the mid-twentieth century, this commercial strip, known as “Miracle Mile,” functioned as the northern vehicular gateway of Tucson for travelers traversing the nation. The Miracle Mile Historic District follows the alignment of the following extant arterials: Stone Avenue, Drachman Street, Oracle Road, and Miracle Mile. Also included in the district and associated with the highway site is a two block segment of Main Avenue lined with trucking transfer warehouses and roadside commercial buildings, as well as four blocks of Flores Street containing a cluster of small motels. The bulk of the contributing resources, facing or within one block of the historic highway alignment, relate to mid‑century auto culture and were constructed in 1920 through 1963 during the district's period of significance. While the district has been rendered discontiguous by development, the identified segments have sufficient significance and integrity to meet National Register criteria. Two designated highways are routed down the Miracle Mile Historic District. The Stone Avenue, Drachman Street and Oracle Road segments of the Historic District are part of Historic U.S. Route 80, while the West Miracle Mile segment is part of Arizona State Route 77.
The Miracle Mile Historic District represents four visually and historically linked groups of buildings connected by the alignment of historical U.S. Route 80/89, which is also a contributor to the district. In total, the Miracle Mile Historic District includes 102 individual properties, many with multiple buildings, structures, and objects. Within the Miracle Mile Historic District are 279 individual resources, including 215 buildings, 1 site, 34 structures, and 29 objects. Of these resources, 258 are contributors to the district, including 198 buildings, 31 structures, 28 objects, and 1 site, while 21 are non-contributors, including 17 buildings, 3 structures, and 1 object. The district includes important buildings including the 1953 Tucson Inn, and African American Beau Brummel Club both of which have since been demolished.
Important buildings AAA Branch Office, 234 West Drachman Street, 1960 De Luxe Motel, 1650 North Oracle Road, 1948 Duke's Drive Inn & Beau Brummel Club, 1148 North Main Avenue, 1947 El Rancho Motor Hotel, 225 West Drachman Street, 1948 Frontier Motel, 227 West Drachman Street, 1941/48 architect: George J. Wolf Flamingo Hotel, 1300 North Stone Avenue, 1954 G. D. F. Frazier Service Station, 648 North Stone Avenue, 1937 Ghost Ranch Lodge, 801 West Miracle Mile, 1941 Golden Pin Lanes, 922 West Miracle Mile, 1950 Hacienda Motel, 1704 North Oracle Road, c.1940 Highland Tower Motel, 1919 North Oracle Road, 1941 No-Tel Motel, 2425 North Oracle Road, 1940 Oracle Court, 2649 North Oracle Road, 1940 Pago Pago Restaurant & Lounge, 2201 North Oracle Road, c, 1945 Riviera Motor Lodge, 515 West Miracle Mile, 1953 Monterey Court, 505 West Miracle Mile, 1952 Motel El Corral, 2725 North Oracle Road, 1949 La Siesta Motel, 1602 North Oracle Road, 1941 Sun Land Motel, 465 West Miracle Mile, 1952 Thunderbird Lodge, 1941, architect: George J. Wolf Terrace Mote, 631 West Miracle Mile, 1949 Tidelands Motor Inn (Sahara Motel), 919 North Stone Avenue, 1960 Tucson House, 1501 North Oracle Road, 1963 Tucson Inn, 143 West Drachman Street, 1953 Wash Well, 2 West Drachman Street, 1955 Wayward Winds Motel, 707 West Miracle Mile, 1958
See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Pima County, Arizona
References