FAQs ABOUT THE O'CONNOR HOUSE

What Is the O'Connor House project?
The O'Connor House project began as a community-based effort to relocate the original adobe bricks and the spirit of the home of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and John O'Connor. The house has been moved to a new site in Papago Park, Tempe, adjacent to the Arizona Historical Society Museum. With construction almost complete, Justice O'Connor made it clear that she did not want her home to be just another museum. She hoped that it would be used as she had used it in the past—as a place where people could gather to cross party lines and ideologies to develop consensus and practical solutions to important community issues. O'Connor House will soon open to the public as a gathering place "Where Civil Talk Leads to Civic Action". Groups will be able to convene civil discussions, community forums and other events at O'Connor House, where we can work beyond our differences in a civil and beautiful environment.

Why is this house significant?
John and Sandra Day O'Connor built their Arizona home in 1957 in Paradise Valley. The adobe bricks were made of mud from the Salt River in Tempe. Because Sandra had grown up on the Lazy B Ranch, she wanted to live in a home built of natural adobe. Over the years, the home came to reflect not only their love of desert materials and landscapes but also Sandra's unique spirit and perspective on law, politics and society. Until she was appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1981, it was where people came together to discuss issues and reach compromises that crossed party lines. In the process, friendships were created that helped make the Valley and the state a better place to live. It can become an important reminder that using civil talk to solve problems is more effective than the polarizing methods often used that drive people apart and cause stalemates.

What was the cost to move the house?
The budget for removing the sun-baked adobe brick home from its original location and relocating it to its current site in Tempe's Papago Park is $3 million. This includes completing the work to bring the house up to current codes, add public bathrooms, and create paths and landscaping along with a road that leads to the house.

Who has funded this project?
Support for the house move and for O'Connor House programs comes from foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arizona and the nation. All donations are tax deductible.
The project to move the house was originally undertaken by the Rio Salado Foundation. Over $2.5 million have already been raised to pay the construction costs, with the balance of the construction expenses to be retired from proceeds of our annual spring fundraising events. Since the completion of construction, a new entity, O'Connor House, a 501(c)(3) Arizona non-profit organization was created. Tax deductible donations for the operation of O'Connor House and its programs can be made here.

For a list of donors, click here.

How are funds being managed for this project?
All gifts are tax-deductible and funds are deposited into a seperate O'Connor House account. Funds specifically donated for the house move or house management and operations are segregated from those supporting programs. A formal audit of O'Connor House occurs annually, and O'Connor House files Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service.

Is Justice O'Connor involved in this project?
Justice O'Connor is very much part of this project. She is committed to helping groups use non-polarizing techniques to find non-partisan solutions that face our state and nation. She has been and continues to be directly involved in identifying how the house can be used and defining its mission. She initiated and facilitated the discussion that led to choose Good Government for Arizona's second century as the first project launched by the O'Connor House Policy Advisory Committee. She also selected Domestic Violence as the first issue to be addressed by O'Connor House's AVON Program for Women and Justice. The AVON Program was established through at $250,000 grant awarded to Connor House by the AVON Foundation for that purpose. Justice O'Connor is an ex officio member of the O'Connor House Board of Directors, and all program committees. She regularly attends Board and Project meetings when her schedule allows.