Chandler’s Historic Silk Stocking District

Chandler’s Silk Stocking District – A historic community

Let me introduce you to my favorite community near Downtown Chandler, the historic Chandler Silk Stocking District. You can find newer bigger and more exclusive houses in the gated community of San Marcos Estates, but nowhere will you find the charm and character of this small community.

The Silk Stocking District is on the Northeast corner of Arizona and Chandler Blvd. Most maps you see of the historic Chandler housing district are not correct. On the south side of the district is Chandler Blvd and from there the community goes north to Erie St and includes Detroit St. On the west side of the community is Washington Ave and on the east side is Colorado. Now almost every map out there shows Delaware St, which is to the east of Colorado as the border. The fact is, only two houses on the very northeast side of Delaware and Erie are included in the Silk Stocking District. You can see the correct map below.

Also not included, but built during the same time are the homes that run right along Arizona. Most of them have been converted into businesses and no longer hold the same architectural integrity of the times.

Why is it called the Silk Stocking District?

The reason this Chandler historical district is called the “Silk Stocking District” is because during the early 1920’s, when this area was considered the “ritzy” part of Chandler, locals would say

“If you can afford to pay $4,000 for a house, you can afford silk stockings for your wife.”

Imagine that, a new house in the “ritzy” part of town for $4,000.

There were two big building phases of the Silk Stocking district. The first phase went from 1912 and 1930. These houses build before the great depression are the oldest houses in the area. Then building picked up again in 1938 and lasted through about 1950. This accounts for almost all the houses in the area with only a few built after 1950.

The lots were all originally 50 feet wide by 150 feet deep. Almost all the houses are between 1000 and 1800 sq feet with one big exception. On the southeast end of Washington St is a 5800 sqft house that was a Roman Catholic convent and has since been turned into a senior living center.

Location, Location, Location.

Not only is it the unique older houses that make Chandler’s Silk Stocking District so great, but also the location. Silk Stocking District is just a couple minute walk to Downtown Chandler, Chandler High School, the post office, library and just about anything you could need.

Below is a list of homes that may be for sale in the Silk Stocking District. Very few houses actually go on the market, so this list below may not have any houses for sale at this time. If you want to be notified as soon as anything in this area goes up for sale you can always email me and I will set you up on an alert.