This house was designed by Al Beadle in 1958 or 1959, sits in a really nice part of town on the southern slope of Caemback Mountain where there seems to be a slow-moving competition to build the highest and ugliest and most ego-inflated residence. It's regarded as something of an eyesore in the immediate neighborhood, and appears on the list of Arizona's most endangered properties in 2007.

For my money this is the only house on this slope that's not an eyesore. In any case this house was here first.

Beadle was quite young when he designed this -- 31 -- and fresh from his experience from a Fighting Seabee if fresh is the right word. (A more thorough discussion of his whole career is over here.) And this was his own home.

An Arizona Republic article from September 20, 1959, in the Sun Living section, says, "Its flat roof with overhang covers a rectangular-shaped home that features absolutely no stairs and ramp-type walks for the exterior. It represents a home of five or ten years from now, and is a complete study in 100% function."

Compare to William Pereira's Metropolitan Water District Building on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. The date on that one? It's 1963.

Received this message via email in November 2007:

Stumbled across your web site while looking for some local FLW photos, and when I saw your photos of the White Gates Residence it sure brought back some memories.

At first glance I thought it was the house I lived in with my folks during the 80s and some of the 90s. but it wasn't. The home we lived in was by the same architect but built directly behind it and a little higher up the mountain, and is now gone. (The address was 5221 North Cliffside Drive.)

I am taking the time to write and share with you this story because of your comment about the "ugliest house in Phoenix"....

Back in the 80's the White Gates house had a lot of shrubs and vegetation around it and was difficult to see from the road. Our house, however, was sitting more on a shelf, and the pool was in the front yard, as were the two levels of grass that we/grandkids played on.

As you may or may not be aware of, on the weekends and especially during the winter months, people drive around the mountains looking at houses. Sometimes it would be difficult to get out of the driveway, because of the traffic. Well, on any given weekend, we would be outside enjoying the pool, swing set, playing catch, chasing kids around the yard.......and at least one or two cars a weekend would stop along the road and yell out....

"YOU HAVE THE UGLIEST HOUSE ON THE MOUNTAIN"

Had a great laugh today when I saw your web site. Even called my Mom to let her know there is someone else out there who thinks her house was beautiful too. Sorry I'm jaded, I heard it was ugly so many times. I hated to have my friends over....or I would give directions, and tell them to look for the ugliest one.

FYI, if I'm not mistaken the house in your photo was built as a guest house, or in-law house, for the home my parents owned. My parents' home was absolutely spectacular inside. It had 3 master bedrooms and in the back behind the kitchen it had two smaller bedrooms and a private bath and entrance for cook/butler. The entire front of the house was wall to wall/floor to ceiling windows, so two of the master bedrooms the formal dining room and the formal living room all had beautiful views of the valley.

Fondly remembering our ugly house --