Cecil Moore

Cecil Moore, (1913-2009) was a prolific architect, developer and general contractor who left his mark on the built environment of Tucson, Arizona. Architecture in Tucson Moore arrived in Southern Arizona in 1926 and by his early twenties, had worked for the two most significant architects in Tucson at that time, Merritt Starkweather and Henry Jaastad. Though not formally educated in architecture, he became a registered architect in the state of Arizona in 1936 after starting his own firm a year earlier. Moore was responsible for countless single-family residences in the prestigious El Encanto Estate, Colonia Solona, San Clemente and El Montevideo subdivisions; multi-family residential buildings, including the former 12-unit Spanish Colonial Revival Gamma Apartments (1508-30 E. Sixth Street, most recently used as an administrative annex for Parking and Transportation to the University of Arizona and demolished in 1997); an early International-styled four-plex currently called Victoria Apartments, at 2811 E. Sixth Street, the architecturally progressive Anshei Israel Synagogue on 5th Street and Campbell Avenue (demolished 2014), as well as the development and numerous residences in the planned subdivision, Encanto Park (bounded roughly by Speedway on the north, Miramonte on the west, Sixth Street on the south and Palo Verde on the east). Some of his residential work was photographed by famed Architectural photographer Maynard Parker. Styles Moore quickly diversified his building repertoire and participation in the building process. For many buildings, Moore worked through his Moore Building Company in which he was both the architect and general contractor, allowing him more control over the design process and budget. Through his relationships with influential Tucson developers, such as Al Kivel, he designed and built many shopping centers, including the original El Rancho Shopping Center (currently the remodeled Whole Foods) on East Speedway, El Con Shopping Center (with Nicholas Sakellar) and Park Mall, as well as Art Deco/Streamline gas stations including the Art Deco "Ice Cream Cone" building now occupied by D & D Accounting at 648 N. Stone Avenue, the current Sparkle Cleaners at 2-16 W. Drachman, and numerous tourist auto courts all along Benson Highway, South Sixth Avenue and the Miracle Mile.