Hackett House
Across from the old Hayden Flour Mill sits a building that was once known as the Tempe Bakery. The Hackett House is a fired red brick structure that still has almost all of its original material. This building was completed in 1888 and is actually one of the first brick buildings in Tempe. Brick would become a popular alternative to the standard adobe.
William Hilge, a German immigrant, was the first owner of the complex and he chose a prime spot for the bakery, opening it in 1888. Hilge was the first baker to deliver fresh bread and pastries for Tempe. He used his profits to invest in the cattle business and lived a prosperous life. Hilge suffered from bouts of "melancholy," what today would be called depression. He committed suicide in 1905.
The Craig family took over the complex in 1907. They moved to Tempe from Texas in search of a better life and converted the bakery into their home. Roy Hackett married their daughter and lived on the lot until the City of Tempe bought the property in 1974 from Mrs. Hackett. Today, the Hackett House is restored and is home to the Tempe Sister Cities organization.
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