Niels Petersen House

Niels Petersen, a native of Denmark, homesteaded 160 acres of land in Tempe in 1872.  He continued to add land to his holdings and 20 years later was one of the wealthiest men in the Salt River Valley and by that time the Petersen Ranch had grown to well over 1,000 acres.  He built this lovely Victorian home for his second wife, Susanna, of South Montrose, PA, in 1892.  Nielson was a respected community leader holding several public offices.  When he died in 1923 at the age of 78, the town flag was flown at half mast and schools and businesses were closed for his funeral.  The Petersen House, owned today by the City of Tempe, still stands in its original location.  It is operated by the Tempe Historical Museum as a historic house museum and is listed on the National Register.  It is open to the public for meetings, social events, and tours.  Niels and Susanna are buried on the grounds of the estate.