REVIVAL STYLES
Neoclassical/Classical Revival (1895-1930)
During the last decade of the 19th century, architecture inspired by
ancient Greece and Rome became popular throughout the country.
Classical proportions, gabled roofs, and symmetrical façades characterize
this style, along with masonry or wood clapboard exteriors and double-height
or full-façade porches supported by elaborate columns.
California Mission Revival (1895-1930)
As the turn of the 19th century approached, Tucson began to look to
the West Coast for architectural ideas. Inspired by the Spanish period
missions, this revival style is characterized by one-story homes with red
clay roof tiles, smooth-stuccoed white walls, arched casement windows,
curved roof parapets, and decorative entryways.
Spanish Colonial Revival/Spanish Eclectic (1915-1945)
The Spanish Colonial Revival style features red clay tiled roofs and court-
yard plans, and asymmetrical façades with more elaborate elements—
balconies with iron railings, post-and-lintel or arched window and door
openings, and triple groupings of casement and fixed windows with grills
of wrought iron or wood. The related Spanish Eclectic (Southwest) style,
developed in the 1920s typically features the flat-roofed box-like forms
of the latter, but with arched openings and small gabled or shed-roofed
entries with clay tile.
Pueblo Revival (1920-1950)
This revival style spread from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is characterized
by earth-colored stucco on adobe, brick, or wood construction, along
with simple window openings and flat roofs with rounded or stepped
parapets and projecting round roof beams, or vigas.
Mediterranean Revival (1920-1930)
These large, two-story homes with asymmetrical façades and irregular
floor plans feature smooth, white-plastered walls with projecting bays;
polygonal or square towers; porches with low, stuccoed walls;
low-pitched and hipped red-tile roofs; small-paned casement windows;
elaborate door openings; and cast-concrete columns and urns.
Monterey Revival (1925-1955)
Houses in this style are sparsely ornamented two-story buildings with
L-shaped or rectangular floor plans featuring low-pitched red tile roofs,
large second-floor balconies with square wooden posts, smooth,
white-plastered walls and chimneys, and casement windows.
Tudor Revival (1920-1940)
Brick, stone and plaster walls and leaded casement windows signal this
style along with steeply pitched roofs with gable dormers covered with
wood or slate shingles. Chimneys are high and/or massive. The tops of
doors and casement windows are flat, Gothic-arched, or round-arched.
ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT STYLES
Prairie/Wrightian (1900-1920)
The Prairie style developed in the Midwest and was influenced by
Japanese architecture and the Arts and Crafts movement. It is charac-
terized by a low profile, horizontal emphasis, low-pitched and hipped
roof, projecting eaves, cornices, hipped-roof porches and dormers, and
casement windows in horizontal groupings. The later phase of this style,
sometimes called “Wrightian,” also has horizontal massing but is
distinguished by multiple flat, projecting roofs with parapets, and repeated
bas-relief ornamentation in cast concrete or plaster.
Craftsman Bungalow Style (1905-1930)
The philosophy of the Craftsman style, an expression of the Arts and
Crafts movement, broke away from historical precedents and emphasized
simplicity of form, local natural materials, and handicraft. Hallmarks of the
bungalow form are floors above grade, spacious porches with tapered
supports, oversized eaves, exposed rafters, and double hung wooden
windows. The “Western Stick” variation of the Craftsman bungalow has
exposed structural systems and Japanese-influenced joinery.
AMERICAN VERNACULAR STYLES
National Folk (1880-1955)
Not designed by professional architects, vernacular houses have modest
scales, simple forms, and minimal decorative details. The National Folk
style, with balloon-frame construction usually clad with wood clapboard
siding, spread across the country along with the railroad systems that
carried lumber from distant sawmills. Windows are double hung and roof
forms include pyramidal and gabled variations.
Minimal Traditional (1930-1955)
With the onset of the Depression, this style emerged to reflect frugality.
Characteristics include compact size and simple floor plan; construction
of brick, concrete block, or wood; small front porches; low-pitch roofs
with shallow eaves; and limited ornamentation.
EARLY MODERN STYLES
Art Deco (1925-1940)
This style is an expression of Modernity through decoration with
geometric and stylized floral motifs; vertical forms are emphasized, and
bas-relief ornaments decorate entries and roof parapets. The Zigzag
variation features zigzags, chevrons, sunbursts and spirals as ornamentation.
Streamline Moderne (1930-1945)
This stripped-down version of Art Deco borrowed from aerodynamic
industrial design, emphasizing horizontal massing and accents. Other
characteristics include flat roofs, asymmetrical façades, rounded corners,
horizontal steel railings, steel casement windows, glass block, and round
“porthole” windows.
International (1925-present)
Like the other Early Modern styles, this style intentionally broke away
from historical references and is generally indierent to location, site,
and climate. Like Streamline Moderne it celebrates aesthetic properties
of materials rather than ornament and treats houses as “machines for
living.” Characteristics include one or two stories, asymmetrical façades,
flat roofs, smooth and unornamented wall surfaces, steel casement
windows—sometimes wrapping around corners, and lack of decorative
detailing at openings.
POST-WAR MODERNISM AND REVIVALS
Ranch (1935-1975)
Housing development boomed in Tucson after World War II, and in
response to the need for inexpensive housing the modern Ranch style
was imported from California. Set far back from the property line these
houses have a horizontal emphasis and rectilinear or L-shaped floor
plans, and are constructed of burnt adobe, brick, or stuccoed concrete.
They feature low-pitched roofs, porches and carports or garages under
the main roof, large picture windows, and sliding glass doors connecting
to outdoor living areas. There are many variations of the basic Ranch
style in roof forms and materials, trim, and ornamentation.
Post-war Territorial (1955-1965)
Featuring all of the characteristics of the basic Ranch (and sometimes
called Territorial Ranch)—but with flat roofs, parapets, articulated front
facades, and tiled shed roofs at entries—this style revived the mixture
of Sonoran and American influences that characterized the late-19th
century Transitional style.
Post-war Pueblo (1955-1965)
This style closely resembles the Pueblo Revival style of the ’20s and ‘30s,
but with metal casement windows rather than small and simple openings,
and with applied, decorative vigas and canales.
Mid-Century Modern (1950-1970)
Known as “Contemporary” during the height of its popularity, this
one-story style borrowed elements from the International style, including
a horizontal emphasis and expanses of glass interspersed with solid walls.
Homes have rectilinear or irregular floor plans and are built of brick, burnt
adobe, or slump block. Complex roofs with varied planes and broad
overhangs usually combine a low-pitched, front-facing gable with flat
and shed roof elements. Other features include entry courtyards, wing
walls and planters, and attached garages or carports.
PRE-RAILROAD STYLE
Sonoran (1840s-1890)
Tucson’s oldest surviving homes date from the 1840s, when southern
Arizona was still part of Mexico. The Sonoran style is characterized by
one-story rowhouses with their fronts on the street, and construction
of exposed mud adobe block. Common features included high ceilings,
stone foundations, canales (roof drainage pipes), vigas (round roof
timbers), and zaguans (central hallways). In Arizona, this style of urban
architecture is unique to Tucson.
POST-RAILROAD STYLES OF THE TERRITORIAL PERIOD
Transformed Sonoran (1863-1912)
The arrival of Americans, initially in small numbers, and then in a rush after
the Southern Pacific Railroad connected to Tucson in 1880, brought new
construction materials and architectural tastes from the eastern U.S. and
California. Existing Sonoran-style houses were transformed by additions of
pyramidal or gabled metal roofs, brick caps on roof parapets, and Victorian
embellishments.
Transitional (Territorial) (1880-1900)
Early Transitional construction continued to locate buildings on the
street. Walls were usually lime-stuccoed, and fixed-glass windows with
shutters began to appear. Late Transitional houses were set back to
accommodate a front porch, had pyramidal and gabled wooden roofs,
wooden sash windows and flush-set shutters and showcased Victorian-style
wooden trim.
American Territorial (1880-1910)
A new American style adapted for the Arizona desert came with the
arrival of the first local brick factory in the 1890s. Houses moved
to the centers of lots, brick construction on stone foundations was
widely used, and corner porches with lathe-turned wooden columns
became popular.
Queen Anne (1880-1910)
This Victorian-era style became popular throughout the United States,
and was transplanted to Tucson. Defining characteristics include
complex roof forms with steep pitches, turrets, chimneys, bay windows
and leaded glass, and elaborate woodwork on wrap-around porches.
During Tucson’s Mexican period, neighborhoods were based on Spanish
community planning principles – attached, street-abutting buildings enclosing
outdoor courtyards – and occupied by the increasingly mixed populations of
Mexican and American descents.
After the arrival of the railroad in 1880, Tucson experienced an increasing
Americanization evident in everything from fashions and food to building
materials and neighborhood characters. New neighborhoods were
established that reflected American traditions of urban planning – detached
houses on a gridiron pattern of streets and blocks – and an eclectic mix of
architectural styles, including the ubiquitous bungalow.
By the 1920s, Tucson developers began promoting regional revival styles -
Spanish Colonial, Mission, and Pueblo - to connect with the imagery of the
romantic Southwest. Some of Tucson’s new subdivisions were developed
outside the corporate city limits using curvilinear streets, native landscaping,
and architectural themes regulated through deed restrictions as marketing
tools to lure the auent to Tucson.
Tucson’s post-World War II population boom led to new subdivisions extending
further from the city’s core and defined by community planning that was
increasingly automobile oriented. The modern Ranch-style house, which
followed design standards driven by federally insured housing loan regulations,
soon replaced the regional revival styles as the dominant residential expression
in these Tucson neighborhoods.
The local historic preservation movement that began in the 1970s led to the
recognition and preservation of Tucson’s historic neighborhoods featured on
this map. Understanding and experiencing the diversity of these neighborhoods
allows us to also honor the diversity of cultural influences that created them,
and continue to define Tucson’s unique sense of place.
...ARE A VIBRANT EXPRESSION OF THIS COMMUNITY’S DIVERSE CULTURAL HERITAGE. ITS
ORIGINS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE PREHISTORIC AND EARLY HISTORIC NATIVE AMERICAN
AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND SPANISH PERIOD MISSION AND PRESIDIO SETTLEMENTS
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER, THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS REGION.
TUCSON’S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS...
The Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Historic Guide Committee gratefully acknowledges the contributions of UA
Healthcare, whose financial support made this project possible; WHYFOR Design, LLC, graphic design and layout;
Erika Parrino, artist; Jonathan Mabry, City of Tucson Historic Preservation Ocer; Jennifer Burdick, City of Tucson
Preservation Planner; R. Brooks Jeery, UA Drachman Institute and College of Architecture and Landscape
Architecture Heritage Conservation Program; Alice Roe, President, Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association;
Gerry and Marge McCue, Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition.
Additional Information:
Erika Parrino, artist • erikaparrino.com
WHYFOR • whyfordesign.com
Allegra Printing • allegra-arizona.com
UA Healthcare (University Medical Center & University Physicians Healthcare) • azumc.com
Tucson Historic Preservation Oce (THPO) • tucsonaz.gov/preservation
Sources used for this Guide and available on the THPO web site:
• Additional materials about Tucson’s historic architecture and related preservation issues
• “Tucson Post World War II Residential Subdivision Development 1945-1973” Report
• Tucson National Register Historic District documentation and maps
University of Arizona, College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Drachman Institute • drachmaninstitute.org
A Guide to Tucson Architecture, Jeery, R. Brooks and Nequette, Anne M., The University of Arizona Press, 2002
Historic Neighborhoods of Phoenix, Self-Guided Driving Tour, Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition
To request copies of this guide contact: BENA Historic Guide distribution (520) 326-1632 or [email protected]
A Guide to Historic Neighborhoods of Tucson © Copyright Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association (BENA)
Architectural illustrations © Copyright Erika Parrino
The Tucson Historic Neighborhood Guide is a project of the
Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association, historic districts, and
the City of Tucson Historic Preservation Oce to highlight,
recognize, and preserve Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods.
R. BROOKS JEFFERY
Director, The Drachman Institute
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
ALDEA LINDA \\ ARMORY PARK \\ BARRIO ANITA \\ BARRIO EL HOYO \\ BARRIO EL MEMBRILLO \\ BARRIO LIBRE \\ BARRIO SANTA ROSA \\ BLENMAN-ELM \\ CATALINA VISTA \\
COLONIA SOLANA \\ DUNBAR SPRING \ JOHN SPRING \\ EL ENCANTO ESTATES \\ EL MONTEVIDEO \\ EL PRESIDIO \\ FELDMAN’S \\ FORT LOWELL \\ HAROLD BELL WRIGHT ESTATES
\\ INDIAN HOUSE \\ IRON HORSE \\ JEFFERSON PARK \\ MENLO PARK \\ PIE ALLEN \\ RINCON HEIGHTS \\ SAM HUGHES \\ SAN CLEMENTE \\ WEST UNIVERSITY \\ WINTERHAVEN
TUC
TUCSON’S HISTORIC
NEIGHBORHOODS
A Guide to
First Edition © Copyright 2011. Printing courtesy of UA Healthcare
A Publication of the Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association
ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
REVIVAL STYLES
Neoclassical/Classical Revival (1895-1930)
During the last decade of the 19th century, architecture inspired by
ancient Greece and Rome became popular throughout the country.
Classical proportions, gabled roofs, and symmetrical façades characterize
this style, along with masonry or wood clapboard exteriors and double-height
or full-façade porches supported by elaborate columns.
California Mission Revival (1895-1930)
As the turn of the 19th century approached, Tucson began to look to
the West Coast for architectural ideas. Inspired by the Spanish period
missions, this revival style is characterized by one-story homes with red
clay roof tiles, smooth-stuccoed white walls, arched casement windows,
curved roof parapets, and decorative entryways.
Spanish Colonial Revival/Spanish Eclectic (1915-1945)
The Spanish Colonial Revival style features red clay tiled roofs and court-
yard plans, and asymmetrical façades with more elaborate elements—
balconies with iron railings, post-and-lintel or arched window and door
openings, and triple groupings of casement and fixed windows with grills
of wrought iron or wood. The related Spanish Eclectic (Southwest) style,
developed in the 1920s typically features the flat-roofed box-like forms
of the latter, but with arched openings and small gabled or shed-roofed
entries with clay tile.
Pueblo Revival (1920-1950)
This revival style spread from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is characterized
by earth-colored stucco on adobe, brick, or wood construction, along
with simple window openings and flat roofs with rounded or stepped
parapets and projecting round roof beams, or vigas.
Mediterranean Revival (1920-1930)
These large, two-story homes with asymmetrical façades and irregular
floor plans feature smooth, white-plastered walls with projecting bays;
polygonal or square towers; porches with low, stuccoed walls;
low-pitched and hipped red-tile roofs; small-paned casement windows;
elaborate door openings; and cast-concrete columns and urns.
Monterey Revival (1925-1955)
Houses in this style are sparsely ornamented two-story buildings with
L-shaped or rectangular floor plans featuring low-pitched red tile roofs,
large second-floor balconies with square wooden posts, smooth,
white-plastered walls and chimneys, and casement windows.
Tudor Revival (1920-1940)
Brick, stone and plaster walls and leaded casement windows signal this
style along with steeply pitched roofs with gable dormers covered with
wood or slate shingles. Chimneys are high and/or massive. The tops of
doors and casement windows are flat, Gothic-arched, or round-arched.
ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT STYLES
Prairie/Wrightian (1900-1920)
The Prairie style developed in the Midwest and was influenced by
Japanese architecture and the Arts and Crafts movement. It is charac-
terized by a low profile, horizontal emphasis, low-pitched and hipped
roof, projecting eaves, cornices, hipped-roof porches and dormers, and
casement windows in horizontal groupings. The later phase of this style,
sometimes called “Wrightian,” also has horizontal massing but is
distinguished by multiple flat, projecting roofs with parapets, and repeated
bas-relief ornamentation in cast concrete or plaster.
Craftsman Bungalow Style (1905-1930)
The philosophy of the Craftsman style, an expression of the Arts and
Crafts movement, broke away from historical precedents and emphasized
simplicity of form, local natural materials, and handicraft. Hallmarks of the
bungalow form are floors above grade, spacious porches with tapered
supports, oversized eaves, exposed rafters, and double hung wooden
windows. The “Western Stick” variation of the Craftsman bungalow has
exposed structural systems and Japanese-influenced joinery.
AMERICAN VERNACULAR STYLES
National Folk (1880-1955)
Not designed by professional architects, vernacular houses have modest
scales, simple forms, and minimal decorative details. The National Folk
style, with balloon-frame construction usually clad with wood clapboard
siding, spread across the country along with the railroad systems that
carried lumber from distant sawmills. Windows are double hung and roof
forms include pyramidal and gabled variations.
Minimal Traditional (1930-1955)
With the onset of the Depression, this style emerged to reflect frugality.
Characteristics include compact size and simple floor plan; construction
of brick, concrete block, or wood; small front porches; low-pitch roofs
with shallow eaves; and limited ornamentation.
EARLY MODERN STYLES
Art Deco (1925-1940)
This style is an expression of Modernity through decoration with
geometric and stylized floral motifs; vertical forms are emphasized, and
bas-relief ornaments decorate entries and roof parapets. The Zigzag
variation features zigzags, chevrons, sunbursts and spirals as ornamentation.
Streamline Moderne (1930-1945)
This stripped-down version of Art Deco borrowed from aerodynamic
industrial design, emphasizing horizontal massing and accents. Other
characteristics include flat roofs, asymmetrical façades, rounded corners,
horizontal steel railings, steel casement windows, glass block, and round
“porthole” windows.
International (1925-present)
Like the other Early Modern styles, this style intentionally broke away
from historical references and is generally indierent to location, site,
and climate. Like Streamline Moderne it celebrates aesthetic properties
of materials rather than ornament and treats houses as “machines for
living.” Characteristics include one or two stories, asymmetrical façades,
flat roofs, smooth and unornamented wall surfaces, steel casement
windows—sometimes wrapping around corners, and lack of decorative
detailing at openings.
POST-WAR MODERNISM AND REVIVALS
Ranch (1935-1975)
Housing development boomed in Tucson after World War II, and in
response to the need for inexpensive housing the modern Ranch style
was imported from California. Set far back from the property line these
houses have a horizontal emphasis and rectilinear or L-shaped floor
plans, and are constructed of burnt adobe, brick, or stuccoed concrete.
They feature low-pitched roofs, porches and carports or garages under
the main roof, large picture windows, and sliding glass doors connecting
to outdoor living areas. There are many variations of the basic Ranch
style in roof forms and materials, trim, and ornamentation.
Post-war Territorial (1955-1965)
Featuring all of the characteristics of the basic Ranch (and sometimes
called Territorial Ranch)—but with flat roofs, parapets, articulated front
facades, and tiled shed roofs at entries—this style revived the mixture
of Sonoran and American influences that characterized the late-19th
century Transitional style.
Post-war Pueblo (1955-1965)
This style closely resembles the Pueblo Revival style of the ’20s and ‘30s,
but with metal casement windows rather than small and simple openings,
and with applied, decorative vigas and canales.
Mid-Century Modern (1950-1970)
Known as “Contemporary” during the height of its popularity, this
one-story style borrowed elements from the International style, including
a horizontal emphasis and expanses of glass interspersed with solid walls.
Homes have rectilinear or irregular floor plans and are built of brick, burnt
adobe, or slump block. Complex roofs with varied planes and broad
overhangs usually combine a low-pitched, front-facing gable with flat
and shed roof elements. Other features include entry courtyards, wing
walls and planters, and attached garages or carports.
PRE-RAILROAD STYLE
Sonoran (1840s-1890)
Tucson’s oldest surviving homes date from the 1840s, when southern
Arizona was still part of Mexico. The Sonoran style is characterized by
one-story rowhouses with their fronts on the street, and construction
of exposed mud adobe block. Common features included high ceilings,
stone foundations, canales (roof drainage pipes), vigas (round roof
timbers), and zaguans (central hallways). In Arizona, this style of urban
architecture is unique to Tucson.
POST-RAILROAD STYLES OF THE TERRITORIAL PERIOD
Transformed Sonoran (1863-1912)
The arrival of Americans, initially in small numbers, and then in a rush after
the Southern Pacific Railroad connected to Tucson in 1880, brought new
construction materials and architectural tastes from the eastern U.S. and
California. Existing Sonoran-style houses were transformed by additions of
pyramidal or gabled metal roofs, brick caps on roof parapets, and Victorian
embellishments.
Transitional (Territorial) (1880-1900)
Early Transitional construction continued to locate buildings on the
street. Walls were usually lime-stuccoed, and fixed-glass windows with
shutters began to appear. Late Transitional houses were set back to
accommodate a front porch, had pyramidal and gabled wooden roofs,
wooden sash windows and flush-set shutters and showcased Victorian-style
wooden trim.
American Territorial (1880-1910)
A new American style adapted for the Arizona desert came with the
arrival of the first local brick factory in the 1890s. Houses moved
to the centers of lots, brick construction on stone foundations was
widely used, and corner porches with lathe-turned wooden columns
became popular.
Queen Anne (1880-1910)
This Victorian-era style became popular throughout the United States,
and was transplanted to Tucson. Defining characteristics include
complex roof forms with steep pitches, turrets, chimneys, bay windows
and leaded glass, and elaborate woodwork on wrap-around porches.
During Tucson’s Mexican period, neighborhoods were based on Spanish
community planning principles – attached, street-abutting buildings enclosing
outdoor courtyards – and occupied by the increasingly mixed populations of
Mexican and American descents.
After the arrival of the railroad in 1880, Tucson experienced an increasing
Americanization evident in everything from fashions and food to building
materials and neighborhood characters. New neighborhoods were
established that reflected American traditions of urban planning – detached
houses on a gridiron pattern of streets and blocks – and an eclectic mix of
architectural styles, including the ubiquitous bungalow.
By the 1920s, Tucson developers began promoting regional revival styles -
Spanish Colonial, Mission, and Pueblo - to connect with the imagery of the
romantic Southwest. Some of Tucson’s new subdivisions were developed
outside the corporate city limits using curvilinear streets, native landscaping,
and architectural themes regulated through deed restrictions as marketing
tools to lure the auent to Tucson.
Tucson’s post-World War II population boom led to new subdivisions extending
further from the city’s core and defined by community planning that was
increasingly automobile oriented. The modern Ranch-style house, which
followed design standards driven by federally insured housing loan regulations,
soon replaced the regional revival styles as the dominant residential expression
in these Tucson neighborhoods.
The local historic preservation movement that began in the 1970s led to the
recognition and preservation of Tucson’s historic neighborhoods featured on
this map. Understanding and experiencing the diversity of these neighborhoods
allows us to also honor the diversity of cultural influences that created them,
and continue to define Tucson’s unique sense of place.
...ARE A VIBRANT EXPRESSION OF THIS COMMUNITY’S DIVERSE CULTURAL HERITAGE. ITS
ORIGINS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE PREHISTORIC AND EARLY HISTORIC NATIVE AMERICAN
AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND SPANISH PERIOD MISSION AND PRESIDIO SETTLEMENTS
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER, THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS REGION.
TUCSON’S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS...
The Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Historic Guide Committee gratefully acknowledges the contributions of UA
Healthcare, whose financial support made this project possible; WHYFOR Design, LLC, graphic design and layout;
Erika Parrino, artist; Jonathan Mabry, City of Tucson Historic Preservation Ocer; Jennifer Burdick, City of Tucson
Preservation Planner; R. Brooks Jeery, UA Drachman Institute and College of Architecture and Landscape
Architecture Heritage Conservation Program; Alice Roe, President, Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association;
Gerry and Marge McCue, Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition.
Additional Information:
Erika Parrino, artist • erikaparrino.com
WHYFOR • whyfordesign.com
Allegra Printing • allegra-arizona.com
UA Healthcare (University Medical Center & University Physicians Healthcare) • azumc.com
Tucson Historic Preservation Oce (THPO) • tucsonaz.gov/preservation
Sources used for this Guide and available on the THPO web site:
• Additional materials about Tucson’s historic architecture and related preservation issues
• “Tucson Post World War II Residential Subdivision Development 1945-1973” Report
• Tucson National Register Historic District documentation and maps
University of Arizona, College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Drachman Institute • drachmaninstitute.org
A Guide to Tucson Architecture, Jeery, R. Brooks and Nequette, Anne M., The University of Arizona Press, 2002
Historic Neighborhoods of Phoenix, Self-Guided Driving Tour, Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition
To request copies of this guide contact: BENA Historic Guide distribution (520) 326-1632 or [email protected]
A Guide to Historic Neighborhoods of Tucson © Copyright Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association (BENA)
Architectural illustrations © Copyright Erika Parrino
The Tucson Historic Neighborhood Guide is a project of the
Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association, historic districts, and
the City of Tucson Historic Preservation Oce to highlight,
recognize, and preserve Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods.
R. BROOKS JEFFERY
Director, The Drachman Institute
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
ALDEA LINDA \\ ARMORY PARK \\ BARRIO ANITA \\ BARRIO EL HOYO \\ BARRIO EL MEMBRILLO \\ BARRIO LIBRE \\ BARRIO SANTA ROSA \\ BLENMAN-ELM \\ CATALINA VISTA \\
COLONIA SOLANA \\ DUNBAR SPRING \ JOHN SPRING \\ EL ENCANTO ESTATES \\ EL MONTEVIDEO \\ EL PRESIDIO \\ FELDMAN’S \\ FORT LOWELL \\ HAROLD BELL WRIGHT ESTATES
\\ INDIAN HOUSE \\ IRON HORSE \\ JEFFERSON PARK \\ MENLO PARK \\ PIE ALLEN \\ RINCON HEIGHTS \\ SAM HUGHES \\ SAN CLEMENTE \\ WEST UNIVERSITY \\ WINTERHAVEN
TUC
TUCSON’S HISTORIC
NEIGHBORHOODS
A Guide to
First Edition © Copyright 2011. Printing courtesy of UA Healthcare
A Publication of the Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association
ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
REVIVAL STYLES
Neoclassical/Classical Revival (1895-1930)
During the last decade of the 19th century, architecture inspired by
ancient Greece and Rome became popular throughout the country.
Classical proportions, gabled roofs, and symmetrical façades characterize
this style, along with masonry or wood clapboard exteriors and double-height
or full-façade porches supported by elaborate columns.
California Mission Revival (1895-1930)
As the turn of the 19th century approached, Tucson began to look to
the West Coast for architectural ideas. Inspired by the Spanish period
missions, this revival style is characterized by one-story homes with red
clay roof tiles, smooth-stuccoed white walls, arched casement windows,
curved roof parapets, and decorative entryways.
Spanish Colonial Revival/Spanish Eclectic (1915-1945)
The Spanish Colonial Revival style features red clay tiled roofs and court-
yard plans, and asymmetrical façades with more elaborate elements—
balconies with iron railings, post-and-lintel or arched window and door
openings, and triple groupings of casement and fixed windows with grills
of wrought iron or wood. The related Spanish Eclectic (Southwest) style,
developed in the 1920s typically features the flat-roofed box-like forms
of the latter, but with arched openings and small gabled or shed-roofed
entries with clay tile.
Pueblo Revival (1920-1950)
This revival style spread from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is characterized
by earth-colored stucco on adobe, brick, or wood construction, along
with simple window openings and flat roofs with rounded or stepped
parapets and projecting round roof beams, or vigas.
Mediterranean Revival (1920-1930)
These large, two-story homes with asymmetrical façades and irregular
floor plans feature smooth, white-plastered walls with projecting bays;
polygonal or square towers; porches with low, stuccoed walls;
low-pitched and hipped red-tile roofs; small-paned casement windows;
elaborate door openings; and cast-concrete columns and urns.
Monterey Revival (1925-1955)
Houses in this style are sparsely ornamented two-story buildings with
L-shaped or rectangular floor plans featuring low-pitched red tile roofs,
large second-floor balconies with square wooden posts, smooth,
white-plastered walls and chimneys, and casement windows.
Tudor Revival (1920-1940)
Brick, stone and plaster walls and leaded casement windows signal this
style along with steeply pitched roofs with gable dormers covered with
wood or slate shingles. Chimneys are high and/or massive. The tops of
doors and casement windows are flat, Gothic-arched, or round-arched.
ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT STYLES
Prairie/Wrightian (1900-1920)
The Prairie style developed in the Midwest and was influenced by
Japanese architecture and the Arts and Crafts movement. It is charac-
terized by a low profile, horizontal emphasis, low-pitched and hipped
roof, projecting eaves, cornices, hipped-roof porches and dormers, and
casement windows in horizontal groupings. The later phase of this style,
sometimes called “Wrightian,” also has horizontal massing but is
distinguished by multiple flat, projecting roofs with parapets, and repeated
bas-relief ornamentation in cast concrete or plaster.
Craftsman Bungalow Style (1905-1930)
The philosophy of the Craftsman style, an expression of the Arts and
Crafts movement, broke away from historical precedents and emphasized
simplicity of form, local natural materials, and handicraft. Hallmarks of the
bungalow form are floors above grade, spacious porches with tapered
supports, oversized eaves, exposed rafters, and double hung wooden
windows. The “Western Stick” variation of the Craftsman bungalow has
exposed structural systems and Japanese-influenced joinery.
AMERICAN VERNACULAR STYLES
National Folk (1880-1955)
Not designed by professional architects, vernacular houses have modest
scales, simple forms, and minimal decorative details. The National Folk
style, with balloon-frame construction usually clad with wood clapboard
siding, spread across the country along with the railroad systems that
carried lumber from distant sawmills. Windows are double hung and roof
forms include pyramidal and gabled variations.
Minimal Traditional (1930-1955)
With the onset of the Depression, this style emerged to reflect frugality.
Characteristics include compact size and simple floor plan; construction
of brick, concrete block, or wood; small front porches; low-pitch roofs
with shallow eaves; and limited ornamentation.
EARLY MODERN STYLES
Art Deco (1925-1940)
This style is an expression of Modernity through decoration with
geometric and stylized floral motifs; vertical forms are emphasized, and
bas-relief ornaments decorate entries and roof parapets. The Zigzag
variation features zigzags, chevrons, sunbursts and spirals as ornamentation.
Streamline Moderne (1930-1945)
This stripped-down version of Art Deco borrowed from aerodynamic
industrial design, emphasizing horizontal massing and accents. Other
characteristics include flat roofs, asymmetrical façades, rounded corners,
horizontal steel railings, steel casement windows, glass block, and round
“porthole” windows.
International (1925-present)
Like the other Early Modern styles, this style intentionally broke away
from historical references and is generally indierent to location, site,
and climate. Like Streamline Moderne it celebrates aesthetic properties
of materials rather than ornament and treats houses as “machines for
living.” Characteristics include one or two stories, asymmetrical façades,
flat roofs, smooth and unornamented wall surfaces, steel casement
windows—sometimes wrapping around corners, and lack of decorative
detailing at openings.
POST-WAR MODERNISM AND REVIVALS
Ranch (1935-1975)
Housing development boomed in Tucson after World War II, and in
response to the need for inexpensive housing the modern Ranch style
was imported from California. Set far back from the property line these
houses have a horizontal emphasis and rectilinear or L-shaped floor
plans, and are constructed of burnt adobe, brick, or stuccoed concrete.
They feature low-pitched roofs, porches and carports or garages under
the main roof, large picture windows, and sliding glass doors connecting
to outdoor living areas. There are many variations of the basic Ranch
style in roof forms and materials, trim, and ornamentation.
Post-war Territorial (1955-1965)
Featuring all of the characteristics of the basic Ranch (and sometimes
called Territorial Ranch)—but with flat roofs, parapets, articulated front
facades, and tiled shed roofs at entries—this style revived the mixture
of Sonoran and American influences that characterized the late-19th
century Transitional style.
Post-war Pueblo (1955-1965)
This style closely resembles the Pueblo Revival style of the ’20s and ‘30s,
but with metal casement windows rather than small and simple openings,
and with applied, decorative vigas and canales.
Mid-Century Modern (1950-1970)
Known as “Contemporary” during the height of its popularity, this
one-story style borrowed elements from the International style, including
a horizontal emphasis and expanses of glass interspersed with solid walls.
Homes have rectilinear or irregular floor plans and are built of brick, burnt
adobe, or slump block. Complex roofs with varied planes and broad
overhangs usually combine a low-pitched, front-facing gable with flat
and shed roof elements. Other features include entry courtyards, wing
walls and planters, and attached garages or carports.
PRE-RAILROAD STYLE
Sonoran (1840s-1890)
Tucson’s oldest surviving homes date from the 1840s, when southern
Arizona was still part of Mexico. The Sonoran style is characterized by
one-story rowhouses with their fronts on the street, and construction
of exposed mud adobe block. Common features included high ceilings,
stone foundations, canales (roof drainage pipes), vigas (round roof
timbers), and zaguans (central hallways). In Arizona, this style of urban
architecture is unique to Tucson.
POST-RAILROAD STYLES OF THE TERRITORIAL PERIOD
Transformed Sonoran (1863-1912)
The arrival of Americans, initially in small numbers, and then in a rush after
the Southern Pacific Railroad connected to Tucson in 1880, brought new
construction materials and architectural tastes from the eastern U.S. and
California. Existing Sonoran-style houses were transformed by additions of
pyramidal or gabled metal roofs, brick caps on roof parapets, and Victorian
embellishments.
Transitional (Territorial) (1880-1900)
Early Transitional construction continued to locate buildings on the
street. Walls were usually lime-stuccoed, and fixed-glass windows with
shutters began to appear. Late Transitional houses were set back to
accommodate a front porch, had pyramidal and gabled wooden roofs,
wooden sash windows and flush-set shutters and showcased Victorian-style
wooden trim.
American Territorial (1880-1910)
A new American style adapted for the Arizona desert came with the
arrival of the first local brick factory in the 1890s. Houses moved
to the centers of lots, brick construction on stone foundations was
widely used, and corner porches with lathe-turned wooden columns
became popular.
Queen Anne (1880-1910)
This Victorian-era style became popular throughout the United States,
and was transplanted to Tucson. Defining characteristics include
complex roof forms with steep pitches, turrets, chimneys, bay windows
and leaded glass, and elaborate woodwork on wrap-around porches.
During Tucson’s Mexican period, neighborhoods were based on Spanish
community planning principles – attached, street-abutting buildings enclosing
outdoor courtyards – and occupied by the increasingly mixed populations of
Mexican and American descents.
After the arrival of the railroad in 1880, Tucson experienced an increasing
Americanization evident in everything from fashions and food to building
materials and neighborhood characters. New neighborhoods were
established that reflected American traditions of urban planning – detached
houses on a gridiron pattern of streets and blocks – and an eclectic mix of
architectural styles, including the ubiquitous bungalow.
By the 1920s, Tucson developers began promoting regional revival styles -
Spanish Colonial, Mission, and Pueblo - to connect with the imagery of the
romantic Southwest. Some of Tucson’s new subdivisions were developed
outside the corporate city limits using curvilinear streets, native landscaping,
and architectural themes regulated through deed restrictions as marketing
tools to lure the auent to Tucson.
Tucson’s post-World War II population boom led to new subdivisions extending
further from the city’s core and defined by community planning that was
increasingly automobile oriented. The modern Ranch-style house, which
followed design standards driven by federally insured housing loan regulations,
soon replaced the regional revival styles as the dominant residential expression
in these Tucson neighborhoods.
The local historic preservation movement that began in the 1970s led to the
recognition and preservation of Tucson’s historic neighborhoods featured on
this map. Understanding and experiencing the diversity of these neighborhoods
allows us to also honor the diversity of cultural influences that created them,
and continue to define Tucson’s unique sense of place.
...ARE A VIBRANT EXPRESSION OF THIS COMMUNITY’S DIVERSE CULTURAL HERITAGE. ITS
ORIGINS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE PREHISTORIC AND EARLY HISTORIC NATIVE AMERICAN
AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND SPANISH PERIOD MISSION AND PRESIDIO SETTLEMENTS
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER, THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS REGION.
TUCSON’S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS...
The Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Historic Guide Committee gratefully acknowledges the contributions of UA
Healthcare, whose financial support made this project possible; WHYFOR Design, LLC, graphic design and layout;
Erika Parrino, artist; Jonathan Mabry, City of Tucson Historic Preservation Ocer; Jennifer Burdick, City of Tucson
Preservation Planner; R. Brooks Jeery, UA Drachman Institute and College of Architecture and Landscape
Architecture Heritage Conservation Program; Alice Roe, President, Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association;
Gerry and Marge McCue, Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition.
Additional Information:
Erika Parrino, artist • erikaparrino.com
WHYFOR • whyfordesign.com
Allegra Printing • allegra-arizona.com
UA Healthcare (University Medical Center & University Physicians Healthcare) • azumc.com
Tucson Historic Preservation Oce (THPO) • tucsonaz.gov/preservation
Sources used for this Guide and available on the THPO web site:
• Additional materials about Tucson’s historic architecture and related preservation issues
• “Tucson Post World War II Residential Subdivision Development 1945-1973” Report
• Tucson National Register Historic District documentation and maps
University of Arizona, College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Drachman Institute • drachmaninstitute.org
A Guide to Tucson Architecture, Jeery, R. Brooks and Nequette, Anne M., The University of Arizona Press, 2002
Historic Neighborhoods of Phoenix, Self-Guided Driving Tour, Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition
To request copies of this guide contact: BENA Historic Guide distribution (520) 326-1632 or [email protected]
A Guide to Historic Neighborhoods of Tucson © Copyright Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association (BENA)
Architectural illustrations © Copyright Erika Parrino
The Tucson Historic Neighborhood Guide is a project of the
Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association, historic districts, and
the City of Tucson Historic Preservation Oce to highlight,
recognize, and preserve Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods.
R. BROOKS JEFFERY
Director, The Drachman Institute
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
ALDEA LINDA \\ ARMORY PARK \\ BARRIO ANITA \\ BARRIO EL HOYO \\ BARRIO EL MEMBRILLO \\ BARRIO LIBRE \\ BARRIO SANTA ROSA \\ BLENMAN-ELM \\ CATALINA VISTA \\
COLONIA SOLANA \\ DUNBAR SPRING \ JOHN SPRING \\ EL ENCANTO ESTATES \\ EL MONTEVIDEO \\ EL PRESIDIO \\ FELDMAN’S \\ FORT LOWELL \\ HAROLD BELL WRIGHT ESTATES
\\ INDIAN HOUSE \\ IRON HORSE \\ JEFFERSON PARK \\ MENLO PARK \\ PIE ALLEN \\ RINCON HEIGHTS \\ SAM HUGHES \\ SAN CLEMENTE \\ WEST UNIVERSITY \\ WINTERHAVEN
TUC
TUCSON’S HISTORIC
NEIGHBORHOODS
A Guide to
First Edition © Copyright 2011. Printing courtesy of UA Healthcare
A Publication of the Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association
ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
REVIVAL STYLES
Neoclassical/Classical Revival (1895-1930)
During the last decade of the 19th century, architecture inspired by
ancient Greece and Rome became popular throughout the country.
Classical proportions, gabled roofs, and symmetrical façades characterize
this style, along with masonry or wood clapboard exteriors and double-height
or full-façade porches supported by elaborate columns.
California Mission Revival (1895-1930)
As the turn of the 19th century approached, Tucson began to look to
the West Coast for architectural ideas. Inspired by the Spanish period
missions, this revival style is characterized by one-story homes with red
clay roof tiles, smooth-stuccoed white walls, arched casement windows,
curved roof parapets, and decorative entryways.
Spanish Colonial Revival/Spanish Eclectic (1915-1945)
The Spanish Colonial Revival style features red clay tiled roofs and court-
yard plans, and asymmetrical façades with more elaborate elements—
balconies with iron railings, post-and-lintel or arched window and door
openings, and triple groupings of casement and fixed windows with grills
of wrought iron or wood. The related Spanish Eclectic (Southwest) style,
developed in the 1920s typically features the flat-roofed box-like forms
of the latter, but with arched openings and small gabled or shed-roofed
entries with clay tile.
Pueblo Revival (1920-1950)
This revival style spread from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is characterized
by earth-colored stucco on adobe, brick, or wood construction, along
with simple window openings and flat roofs with rounded or stepped
parapets and projecting round roof beams, or vigas.
Mediterranean Revival (1920-1930)
These large, two-story homes with asymmetrical façades and irregular
floor plans feature smooth, white-plastered walls with projecting bays;
polygonal or square towers; porches with low, stuccoed walls;
low-pitched and hipped red-tile roofs; small-paned casement windows;
elaborate door openings; and cast-concrete columns and urns.
Monterey Revival (1925-1955)
Houses in this style are sparsely ornamented two-story buildings with
L-shaped or rectangular floor plans featuring low-pitched red tile roofs,
large second-floor balconies with square wooden posts, smooth,
white-plastered walls and chimneys, and casement windows.
Tudor Revival (1920-1940)
Brick, stone and plaster walls and leaded casement windows signal this
style along with steeply pitched roofs with gable dormers covered with
wood or slate shingles. Chimneys are high and/or massive. The tops of
doors and casement windows are flat, Gothic-arched, or round-arched.
ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT STYLES
Prairie/Wrightian (1900-1920)
The Prairie style developed in the Midwest and was influenced by
Japanese architecture and the Arts and Crafts movement. It is charac-
terized by a low profile, horizontal emphasis, low-pitched and hipped
roof, projecting eaves, cornices, hipped-roof porches and dormers, and
casement windows in horizontal groupings. The later phase of this style,
sometimes called “Wrightian,” also has horizontal massing but is
distinguished by multiple flat, projecting roofs with parapets, and repeated
bas-relief ornamentation in cast concrete or plaster.
Craftsman Bungalow Style (1905-1930)
The philosophy of the Craftsman style, an expression of the Arts and
Crafts movement, broke away from historical precedents and emphasized
simplicity of form, local natural materials, and handicraft. Hallmarks of the
bungalow form are floors above grade, spacious porches with tapered
supports, oversized eaves, exposed rafters, and double hung wooden
windows. The “Western Stick” variation of the Craftsman bungalow has
exposed structural systems and Japanese-influenced joinery.
AMERICAN VERNACULAR STYLES
National Folk (1880-1955)
Not designed by professional architects, vernacular houses have modest
scales, simple forms, and minimal decorative details. The National Folk
style, with balloon-frame construction usually clad with wood clapboard
siding, spread across the country along with the railroad systems that
carried lumber from distant sawmills. Windows are double hung and roof
forms include pyramidal and gabled variations.
Minimal Traditional (1930-1955)
With the onset of the Depression, this style emerged to reflect frugality.
Characteristics include compact size and simple floor plan; construction
of brick, concrete block, or wood; small front porches; low-pitch roofs
with shallow eaves; and limited ornamentation.
EARLY MODERN STYLES
Art Deco (1925-1940)
This style is an expression of Modernity through decoration with
geometric and stylized floral motifs; vertical forms are emphasized, and
bas-relief ornaments decorate entries and roof parapets. The Zigzag
variation features zigzags, chevrons, sunbursts and spirals as ornamentation.
Streamline Moderne (1930-1945)
This stripped-down version of Art Deco borrowed from aerodynamic
industrial design, emphasizing horizontal massing and accents. Other
characteristics include flat roofs, asymmetrical façades, rounded corners,
horizontal steel railings, steel casement windows, glass block, and round
“porthole” windows.
International (1925-present)
Like the other Early Modern styles, this style intentionally broke away
from historical references and is generally indierent to location, site,
and climate. Like Streamline Moderne it celebrates aesthetic properties
of materials rather than ornament and treats houses as “machines for
living.” Characteristics include one or two stories, asymmetrical façades,
flat roofs, smooth and unornamented wall surfaces, steel casement
windows—sometimes wrapping around corners, and lack of decorative
detailing at openings.
POST-WAR MODERNISM AND REVIVALS
Ranch (1935-1975)
Housing development boomed in Tucson after World War II, and in
response to the need for inexpensive housing the modern Ranch style
was imported from California. Set far back from the property line these
houses have a horizontal emphasis and rectilinear or L-shaped floor
plans, and are constructed of burnt adobe, brick, or stuccoed concrete.
They feature low-pitched roofs, porches and carports or garages under
the main roof, large picture windows, and sliding glass doors connecting
to outdoor living areas. There are many variations of the basic Ranch
style in roof forms and materials, trim, and ornamentation.
Post-war Territorial (1955-1965)
Featuring all of the characteristics of the basic Ranch (and sometimes
called Territorial Ranch)—but with flat roofs, parapets, articulated front
facades, and tiled shed roofs at entries—this style revived the mixture
of Sonoran and American influences that characterized the late-19th
century Transitional style.
Post-war Pueblo (1955-1965)
This style closely resembles the Pueblo Revival style of the ’20s and ‘30s,
but with metal casement windows rather than small and simple openings,
and with applied, decorative vigas and canales.
Mid-Century Modern (1950-1970)
Known as “Contemporary” during the height of its popularity, this
one-story style borrowed elements from the International style, including
a horizontal emphasis and expanses of glass interspersed with solid walls.
Homes have rectilinear or irregular floor plans and are built of brick, burnt
adobe, or slump block. Complex roofs with varied planes and broad
overhangs usually combine a low-pitched, front-facing gable with flat
and shed roof elements. Other features include entry courtyards, wing
walls and planters, and attached garages or carports.
PRE-RAILROAD STYLE
Sonoran (1840s-1890)
Tucson’s oldest surviving homes date from the 1840s, when southern
Arizona was still part of Mexico. The Sonoran style is characterized by
one-story rowhouses with their fronts on the street, and construction
of exposed mud adobe block. Common features included high ceilings,
stone foundations, canales (roof drainage pipes), vigas (round roof
timbers), and zaguans (central hallways). In Arizona, this style of urban
architecture is unique to Tucson.
POST-RAILROAD STYLES OF THE TERRITORIAL PERIOD
Transformed Sonoran (1863-1912)
The arrival of Americans, initially in small numbers, and then in a rush after
the Southern Pacific Railroad connected to Tucson in 1880, brought new
construction materials and architectural tastes from the eastern U.S. and
California. Existing Sonoran-style houses were transformed by additions of
pyramidal or gabled metal roofs, brick caps on roof parapets, and Victorian
embellishments.
Transitional (Territorial) (1880-1900)
Early Transitional construction continued to locate buildings on the
street. Walls were usually lime-stuccoed, and fixed-glass windows with
shutters began to appear. Late Transitional houses were set back to
accommodate a front porch, had pyramidal and gabled wooden roofs,
wooden sash windows and flush-set shutters and showcased Victorian-style
wooden trim.
American Territorial (1880-1910)
A new American style adapted for the Arizona desert came with the
arrival of the first local brick factory in the 1890s. Houses moved
to the centers of lots, brick construction on stone foundations was
widely used, and corner porches with lathe-turned wooden columns
became popular.
Queen Anne (1880-1910)
This Victorian-era style became popular throughout the United States,
and was transplanted to Tucson. Defining characteristics include
complex roof forms with steep pitches, turrets, chimneys, bay windows
and leaded glass, and elaborate woodwork on wrap-around porches.
During Tucson’s Mexican period, neighborhoods were based on Spanish
community planning principles – attached, street-abutting buildings enclosing
outdoor courtyards – and occupied by the increasingly mixed populations of
Mexican and American descents.
After the arrival of the railroad in 1880, Tucson experienced an increasing
Americanization evident in everything from fashions and food to building
materials and neighborhood characters. New neighborhoods were
established that reflected American traditions of urban planning – detached
houses on a gridiron pattern of streets and blocks – and an eclectic mix of
architectural styles, including the ubiquitous bungalow.
By the 1920s, Tucson developers began promoting regional revival styles -
Spanish Colonial, Mission, and Pueblo - to connect with the imagery of the
romantic Southwest. Some of Tucson’s new subdivisions were developed
outside the corporate city limits using curvilinear streets, native landscaping,
and architectural themes regulated through deed restrictions as marketing
tools to lure the auent to Tucson.
Tucson’s post-World War II population boom led to new subdivisions extending
further from the city’s core and defined by community planning that was
increasingly automobile oriented. The modern Ranch-style house, which
followed design standards driven by federally insured housing loan regulations,
soon replaced the regional revival styles as the dominant residential expression
in these Tucson neighborhoods.
The local historic preservation movement that began in the 1970s led to the
recognition and preservation of Tucson’s historic neighborhoods featured on
this map. Understanding and experiencing the diversity of these neighborhoods
allows us to also honor the diversity of cultural influences that created them,
and continue to define Tucson’s unique sense of place.
...ARE A VIBRANT EXPRESSION OF THIS COMMUNITY’S DIVERSE CULTURAL HERITAGE. ITS
ORIGINS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE PREHISTORIC AND EARLY HISTORIC NATIVE AMERICAN
AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND SPANISH PERIOD MISSION AND PRESIDIO SETTLEMENTS
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER, THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS REGION.
TUCSON’S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS...
The Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Historic Guide Committee gratefully acknowledges the contributions of UA
Healthcare, whose financial support made this project possible; WHYFOR Design, LLC, graphic design and layout;
Erika Parrino, artist; Jonathan Mabry, City of Tucson Historic Preservation Ocer; Jennifer Burdick, City of Tucson
Preservation Planner; R. Brooks Jeery, UA Drachman Institute and College of Architecture and Landscape
Architecture Heritage Conservation Program; Alice Roe, President, Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association;
Gerry and Marge McCue, Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition.
Additional Information:
Erika Parrino, artist • erikaparrino.com
WHYFOR • whyfordesign.com
Allegra Printing • allegra-arizona.com
UA Healthcare (University Medical Center & University Physicians Healthcare) • azumc.com
Tucson Historic Preservation Oce (THPO) • tucsonaz.gov/preservation
Sources used for this Guide and available on the THPO web site:
• Additional materials about Tucson’s historic architecture and related preservation issues
• “Tucson Post World War II Residential Subdivision Development 1945-1973” Report
• Tucson National Register Historic District documentation and maps
University of Arizona, College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Drachman Institute • drachmaninstitute.org
A Guide to Tucson Architecture, Jeery, R. Brooks and Nequette, Anne M., The University of Arizona Press, 2002
Historic Neighborhoods of Phoenix, Self-Guided Driving Tour, Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition
To request copies of this guide contact: BENA Historic Guide distribution (520) 326-1632 or [email protected]
A Guide to Historic Neighborhoods of Tucson © Copyright Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association (BENA)
Architectural illustrations © Copyright Erika Parrino
The Tucson Historic Neighborhood Guide is a project of the
Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association, historic districts, and
the City of Tucson Historic Preservation Oce to highlight,
recognize, and preserve Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods.
R. BROOKS JEFFERY
Director, The Drachman Institute
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
ALDEA LINDA \\ ARMORY PARK \\ BARRIO ANITA \\ BARRIO EL HOYO \\ BARRIO EL MEMBRILLO \\ BARRIO LIBRE \\ BARRIO SANTA ROSA \\ BLENMAN-ELM \\ CATALINA VISTA \\
COLONIA SOLANA \\ DUNBAR SPRING \ JOHN SPRING \\ EL ENCANTO ESTATES \\ EL MONTEVIDEO \\ EL PRESIDIO \\ FELDMAN’S \\ FORT LOWELL \\ HAROLD BELL WRIGHT ESTATES
\\ INDIAN HOUSE \\ IRON HORSE \\ JEFFERSON PARK \\ MENLO PARK \\ PIE ALLEN \\ RINCON HEIGHTS \\ SAM HUGHES \\ SAN CLEMENTE \\ WEST UNIVERSITY \\ WINTERHAVEN
TUC
TUCSON’S HISTORIC
NEIGHBORHOODS
A Guide to
First Edition © Copyright 2011. Printing courtesy of UA Healthcare
A Publication of the Blenman-Elm Neighborhood Association
ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
ALDEA LINDA
This subdivision, its name meaning “beautiful small village,” was founded in 1946 by former Arizona
Governor Samuel P. Goddard, Jr. Still in eect are deed restrictions protecting the neighborhood
and guaranteeing that the area, with its large lots, will remain residential. The majority of the 18
residences date between 1947 and 1964 and reflect post-World War II styles, including Ranch and
Modern, as well as Territorial Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival. The dense creosote, curvilinear
streets, and cul de sac layout have insured a rural feel to this oasis near 22nd Street.
ARMORY PARK
The first residential district in Tucson to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this
downtown neighborhood takes its name from the Military Plaza where the Armory was located
prior to its relocation to Fort Lowell in 1873. With its close proximity to the railroad tracks, rapid
growth in the area occurred following the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, oering
prominent railroad men and their families a convenient place to live. The neighborhood features
wide avenues, and the Queen Anne, Greek Revival, and Territorial styles predominate. The Carnegie
Free Library, completed in 1901, is now home to the Tucson Children’s Museum.
BARRIO ANITA
First platted in 1903, over 90 percent of the houses in this historic Hispanic barrio were built by 1920,
with the remainder built prior to World War II. Early neighborhood dwellings were constructed in
the Sonoran style with adobe walls and flat roofs, and later houses were built in the American
Territorial and Queen Anne styles. Beginning in the 1930s, the Oury Park Tigers baseball team used
to bring out 400 fans at a time in what is now the David G. Herrera/Ramon Quiroz Park. Once
featuring an irrigation canal which watered trees and gardens, the barrio also included numerous
Chinese-American owned grocery stores; only the Anita Street Market, known for its tortillas and
burritos, continues today.
BARRIO EL HOYO
El Hoyo (“the Hole”) was so named because it is lower than the surrounding land. Originally part
of the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River, most of the neighborhood was once owned by Leopoldo
Carrillo and developed as Carrillo Gardens, a lush park with large trees and small ponds. It later
became a popular gathering spot and amusement park known as Elysian Grove. The houses, mostly
built between 1908 and 1950, include many small adobe structures built in the Sonoran style by the
owner-occupants. It retains a distinct, almost rural feel, still reminiscent of when it was the garden
spot of downtown Tucson.
BARRIO EL MEMBRILLO
Until the late 19th century, this historically Hispanic barrio between the freeway and Sentinel Peak
was cultivated land on the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River. Named for the quince trees that
grew here, El Membrillo was platted in 1920. The construction of the Interstate-10 highway in the
early 1950s resulted in the loss of more than half of the neighborhood. During the Urban Renewal
initiative of the late 1960s, another portion of the neighborhood was demolished for the Tucson
Convention Center. Of the 13 houses left today, the characteristic type is the single- or multiple-unit
dwelling built in the Sonoran style with bearing walls of adobe brick and flat or pitched roofs.
BARRIO LIBRE
Tucson’s third oldest historic district, this neighborhood provides a sense of Tucson during the
1870s. Originally more extensive, its northern half was demolished during Urban Renewal in the
late 1960s. It still has more Territorial-period adobe buildings than any other part of Tucson, and its
intact Mexican-style urban streetscapes are unique in Arizona. The architecture is predominantly
Sonoran, Transformed Sonoran, and Transitional styles with building fronts flush with the streets.
The Carrillo K-5 Magnet School (1930) was designed in the Mission Revival Style by architect Merritt
H. Starkweather. El Tiradito (“The Little Castaway”), is a 1940 update of a shrine established in the
1870s. Barrio Libre, along with neighboring Barrio El Hoyo and the tiny Barrio El Membrillo, are
commonly known together as Barrio Viejo.
BARRIO SANTA ROSA
This neighborhood lies directly south of Barrio Libre. Part of the original urban core of the city, its
history began in the 1890s and two-thirds of its historic buildings are representative of Tucson’s
indigenous Sonoran style architecture, consisting of adobe structures with flat roofs, typically
grouped in rowhouses with their fronts flush with the street. During the early 20th century, the
Craftsman Bungalow and Mission Revival styles were introduced. In the mid-1950s the Ranch style
was favored by younger families moving to the area. The neighborhood is also home to the Pio
Decimo Center, a Catholic community center built in 1946 in the Mission Revival style.
BLENMAN-ELM
Midtown home of the 14-acre garden resort, the Arizona Inn (1930), as well as Blenman Elementary
School (1942), this midtown neighborhood consists of 17 styles of homes popular between the
1920s and the 1950s, a majority of which are Ranch style with Spanish Revival influences. The
neighborhood also contains a large number of homes designed by Swiss-born Tucson architect
Josias Joesler. Featuring wide landscaped streets, Blenman-Elm continues to be a popular housing
area for its proximity to the University of Arizona and University Medical Center.
CATALINA VISTA
Ocially platted in 1940, this 170-acre neighborhood was once part of the Kramer Ranch, home of
Tucson’s first rodeo. Its design was influenced by the “City Beautiful” movement and incorporates
landscaped medians, trac roundabouts, and a small neighborhood park. Many of the homes
reflect the modern Ranch style, with broad front faces, low-pitched roofs, and attached garages.
The subdivision today continues to reflect the unique character outlined in early advertisements
which described it as, “…scientifically planned to conform to the Tucson of tomorrow… with
curvilinear streets that eliminated …monotonous straight street lines… and …no two-story houses
to obstruct the mountain view.”
COLONIA SOLANA
One of the first suburban subdivisions in Arizona, Colonia Solana is located in midtown on the border
of Reid Park, home to the Reid Park Zoo. Landscape architect Stephen Child, who studied with
Frederick Law Olmstead, designed Colonia Solana in 1928 incorporating natural elements such as
the Arroyo Chico, a lush desert riparian habitat for birds and wildlife. The neighborhood is designed
around five small triangular parks and intersecting curvilinear streets featuring homes located on
large desert-landscaped lots. Architectural styles range from Spanish Colonial Revival to post -World
War II Ranch houses designed by prominent architects such as Roy Place and Arthur T. Brown.
MENLO PARK
Nestled dramatically between downtown Tucson and the Santa Cruz River to the east, and Sentinel
Peak (“A” Mountain) and Tumamoc Hill to the west, this neighborhood includes the birthplace of
Tucson, and the area of irrigated fields for the mission visita of San Agustín del Tucson, completed
by 1800. Platted in 1913 as the first major subdivision west of the Santa Cruz River, and originally
developed as an Anglo/European-American neighborhoood during a time of discriminatory
covenants, Menlo Park evolved into Tucson’s most upscale Mexican-American barrio. It features
Spanish Colonial Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, Prairie, post-World War II Ranch, and Mid-century
Modern architectural styles.
PIE ALLEN
Named for homesteader and former mayor, John Brackett “Pie” Allen—known for selling dried-apple
pies to soldiers— this 23-block area counted railroad families as early tenants after the arrival of the
Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880. By 1910, 60 percent of the neighborhood residents were railroad
employees and their families, many of whom lived in some of the first rental properties in Tucson.
Numerous architectural styles are represented, including Transformed Sonoran, American Territorial,
Queen Anne Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, and a variety of period revivals.
RINCON HEIGHTS
Developed as one of Tucson’s first suburban neighborhoods, Rincon Heights exhibits an eclectic
blend of 1920s-1940s revival styles and vernacular designs, including Craftsman Bungalow, Spanish
Colonial Revival, and Modern Ranch. A unique feature of this walkable neighborhood is High School
Wash, a natural riparian area with WPA-era curbs, sidewalks, and culverts. Neighborhood planting
and beautification projects continue to make this a popular housing area intent on keeping its
historic character.
SAM HUGHES
This early suburban neighborhood developed between 1921 and the 1950s immediately east of
the University of Arizona campus. Named after well-known business leader Sam Hughes, who
was instrumental in establishing Tucson’s free public school system, the Roy Place-designed Sam
Hughes Elementary School (1927), along with the 24-acre Himmel Park, are notable features of this
one-square-mile district. While there are 16 architectural styles represented, including Craftsman
Bungalow, Mission Revival, and International, the majority are constructed in the Spanish Eclectic
style. A major bike route boulevard is an additional amenity of this popular area.
SAN CLEMENTE
In 1923, developer Stanley Williamson named this east-central subdivision after the seacoast town
of San Clemente, California, intending to evoke an image of an upscale Spanish Colonial Revival
community. First homesteaded in 1909, the area saw most of its development between 1930 and
1959, and is considered the first Tucson neighborhood to pioneer automobile-related Ranch Style
Suburb planning. Among the dozen architectural styles represented, Classic Ranch and Spanish
Colonial Revival predominate, within a natural desert environment.
WEST UNIVERSITY
This was the first Tucson suburb north of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and was built out between
1890 and 1930. The neighborhood includes more than 700 buildings in a great variety of architectural
styles, ranging from Transitional to Art Deco, with about half being Craftsman Bungalows. Built
as the first high school in Tucson, Roskruge Bilingual Magnet School (1908/1914) is a distinctive
landmark on Sixth Street. In 1980, this neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places and became the largest historic district in Arizona.
WINTERHAVEN
The unique community of Winterhaven was developed between 1949-1961 by developer C. B.
Richards, who sought to emulate the environment and architectural aesthetics of the Midwest. The
neighborhood is characterized by wide curving streets, dominant green lawns, non-native trees, and
a park-like Midwestern flavor. The sense of community is fostered by the annual Festival of Lights, a
popular Christmas light display. Among 265 examples of modern Ranch style residences, there are
four distinct ranch style subcategories: Traditional, Modern, Minimal, and Transverse. Many were
designed by Anne Jackson Rysdale, among the first female architects practicing in Tucson and
Arizona.
DUNBAR SPRING/ JOHN SPRING
Built on land that was originally the Court Street Cemetery (1875-1909), and platted in 1904, this
neighborhood has always been ethnically mixed. Eventually it became the first predominantly
African-American neighborhood in Tucson and the site of the Dunbar School, Tucson’s segregated
elementary school. Designed by architect Henry O. Jastaad in 1917, the school later became the
non-segregated John Spring Junior High School, named after one of Tucson’s early schoolteachers.
The neighborhood reflects its diverse early roots in its mix of architectural styles, from Sonoran to
early 20th-century revival styles. Jim’s Market, at the corner of 9th Ave. and 4th St., is representative
of several former markets now converted to residential use.
EL ENCANTO ESTATES
With houses built primarily between 1929 and 1961, the formal, curvilinear, Neoclassical subdivision
plan of midtown El Encanto Estates was inspired by the “City Beautiful” movement and represented
a deliberate break from the gridiron developments of post-World War I Tucson. A central circular
park is notable for its idyllic rendering of a native desert landscape. Formal plantings of palm trees
and green lawns enhance the architectural designs in the Spanish Colonial, Mission, and Pueblo
revival styles by locally prominent architects, including Josias Joesler, Henry O. Jaastad, Arthur T.
Brown, Anne Jackson Rysdale, and Merritt H. Starkweather.
EL MONTEVIDEO
Founded in 1930, El Montevideo was one of several subdivisions established around the prestigious
1928 El Conquistador Hotel (demolished in 1968). Lacking curbs and sidewalks, and featuring
native desert vegetation, the neighborhood initially grew with architectural revival styles popular
in the 1930s, including Spanish Colonial, Territorial (Sonoran), and Pueblo Revivals. As elsewhere in
Tucson, this semi-rural, one and one-half block enclave filled-in rapidly during the post-World War
II era with Ranch and Mid-Century Modern (Contemporary) style residences by architects Lew Place
and Arthur T. Brown.
EL PRESIDIO
This neighborhood is where Tucson began as a Spanish Colonial outpost. Most of the structures
date from 1860 to 1920, and styles include Sonoran, Transformed Sonoran, Transitional, American
Territorial, Mission Revival, and Craftsman Bungalow. Preserved remnants of Hohokam pit houses,
the 18th-century Spanish period presidio, and the subsequent Mexican village can also be found
here. Celebrated Territorial period families are still associated with houses they built, including
merchants such as the Steinfelds and Jacomes. Home to restaurants, oces, shops, and the Tucson
Museum of Art, this is an eminently walkable neighborhood.
FELDMAN’S
Less than a mile from the University of Arizona, Feldman’s was platted in 1901 and includes the
first house built on Speedway Boulevard (then called Feldman Street) in 1904. Most construction
occurred between 1920 and 1927, and these structures predominate in the neighborhood’s core.
Numerous architectural styles can be found, including National Folk, Craftsman Bungalow, Mission
Revival, Pueblo Revival, Spanish Eclectic, and Monterey Revival. The neighborhood is also home to
two former tuberculosis sanatoria, University Heights School (1917), and the Josias Joesler-designed
St. Francis Chapel (1933).
FORT LOWELL
This semi-rural neighborhood in the central urban area oers an abundant mix of icons of Tucson’s
history, including the soldiers of Fort Lowell (1873-1891) and the priests of the San Pedro Chapel
(1932), along with the families, craftsmen, and historians who have called it home since the 1890s.
Architectural styles include the Sonoran Ranch, the Santa Fe-Sonoran Ranch, the Bungalow Vernacular,
and the Sonoran Military. Protected remnants of the mesquite groves along the Rillito River and
Hohokam archeological sites oer reminders of the original natural setting and ancient indigenous
peoples of the valley.
HAROLD BELL WRIGHT ESTATES
In the center of this semi-rural subdivision sits the home of popular American novelist Harold Bell
Wright (1872-1942). Street names gracing this 116-acre neighborhood are all derived from the
characters or places in his numerous novels. Intended for relatively auent homeowners, many of
the burnt adobe buildings built primarily in the 1950s are situated on large desert-landscaped lots,
with floor plans larger than was typical for the period. Many homes were designed in the post-World
War II custom Ranch style by prominent Tucson architects and designers, including Henry Jaastad,
William Cook, and Robert Swaim.
INDIAN HOUSE
Located in the east central part of Tucson, this semi-rural neighborhood includes 11 contributing
historic residences built between 1926 and 1950 on 2 to 6½ acre lots, all excellent examples of
Southwestern Revival and Mid-century Modern (Contemporary) styles. Indian House follows in the
tradition of several other Tucson desert subdivisions that were established to promote a distinctive
Southwestern lifestyle, which appealed to its early residents, including internationally renowned
pianist Van Cliburn. Notable architects who designed houses in this neighborhood include Merritt
H. Starkweather, Richard A. Morse, and Gordon Luepke.
IRON HORSE
In order to follow the “one mile rule” established by the Southern Pacific Railroad, numerous railroad
employees lived in this district in order to hear the whistle blow, calling them to work. Developed
beginning in 1890, this neighborhood presents a mix of building styles, including Sonoran, American
Territorial, Craftsman Bungalow, and Queen Anne Revival. Foundation stones of basalt on numerous
residences were gathered locally from Sentinel Peak (‘A’ Mountain). 180 historic properties, including
the Josias Joesler-designed Don Martin Apartments (1929) and Roy Place’s Coronado Hotel (1928),
add to the charm of this neighborhood, noted as the “most walkable in Tucson” thanks to bike
and walking paths and its proximity to cafes, restaurants, and shops on North Fourth Avenue and
downtown.
JEFFERSON PARK
As Tucson stretched from its downtown core, beyond the railroad tracks and into the desert north
of town, homesteaders such as young Anna Stattelman ventured out to stake claims, followed by
families settling in neighborhoods surrounding the University of Arizona. Established in 1898, this
walking- and bike-friendly neighborhood has its roots in early to mid-20th century construction
of distinctive Southwestern homes, including Craftsman Bungalow, Spanish Colonial Revival, and
Pueblo Revival. Post-WWII Ranch style brick homes followed as this historic “outskirts” development
transformed into a central neighborhood of rich history and diversity.
A
B
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D
E
F
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Z
AA
O
W
J
Starr Pass Blvd. 22nd St. 22nd St.
Mission Rd.
S. Freeway
10th Ave.
6th Ave.
4th Ave.
Park Ave.
Country Club Rd.
Tucson Blvd.
Campbell Rd.
Cherry Ave.
Mountain Ave.
Euclid Ave.
6th Ave.
1st Ave.
Stone Ave.
Oracle Rd.
Flowing Wells Rd.
Alvernon Way
Columbus Blvd.
Swan Rd.
Craycroft Rd.
Congress St.
Broadway Blvd.
6th St.
Speedway Blvd.
Grant Rd.
Fort Lowell Rd.
Miracle Mile
Prince Rd.
Pima St.
Wilmot Rd.
St. Mary’s Rd.
Anklam Rd.
Silverbell Rd.
Grande Ave.
Main Ave.
Cushing St.
4th Ave.
Toole Ave.
Aviation Pkwy.
Kino Pkwy.
River Rd.
Tanque Verde Rd.
5
26
21
9
18
27
22
4
13
11
7
15
6
24
17
12
16
23
28
14
19
3
8
2
1
20
10
25
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AA
INDEX LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS ADDRESS
1 Arizona Inn 2200 E. Elm St.
2 Benedictine Sanctuary 800 N. Country Club Rd.
3 Broadway Village 3000 E. Broadway Blvd.
4 Carnegie Library (Tucson Children’s Museum) 200 S. 6th Ave.
5 Carrillo School 440 S. Main Ave.
6 Casa Cordova 175 N. Meyer Ave.
7 Charles O. Brown House 40 W. Broadway Blvd.
8 El Conquistador Water Tower 134 S. Randolph Way
9 El Tiradito (Wishing Shrine) 420 S. Main Ave.
10 Fort Lowell Ocer’s Quarters, No. 3 2951 N. Craycroft Rd.
11 Fox Theatre 17 W. Congress St.
12 Hotel Congress 311 E. Congress St.
13 Marist College 64 W. Ochoa St.
14 Old Main, University of Arizona 1200 E. University Blvd.
15 Pima County Courthouse 115 N. Church Ave.
16 Rialto Theatre & Block 318 E. Congress St.
17 Roy Place Building 10 E. Pennington St.
18 Saord School 200 E. 13th St.
19 Sam Hughes School 700 N. Wilson Ave.
20 San Pedro Chapel 5230 E. Fort Lowell Rd.
21 Santa Cruz Catholic Church 1220 S. 6th Ave.
22 Scottish Rite Cathedral 160 S. Scott Ave.
23 Southern Pacific Railroad Depot 400 N. Toole Ave.
24 St. Augustine Cathedral 192 S. Stone Ave.
25 St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church 602 N. Wilmot Rd.
26 Stone Avenue Temple 564 S. Stone Ave.
27 Temple of Music and Art 330 S. Scott Ave.
28 Tucson High Magnet School 400 N. 2nd Ave.
TUCSON’S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS
ALDEA LINDA
This subdivision, its name meaning “beautiful small village,” was founded in 1946 by former Arizona
Governor Samuel P. Goddard, Jr. Still in eect are deed restrictions protecting the neighborhood
and guaranteeing that the area, with its large lots, will remain residential. The majority of the 18
residences date between 1947 and 1964 and reflect post-World War II styles, including Ranch and
Modern, as well as Territorial Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival. The dense creosote, curvilinear
streets, and cul de sac layout have insured a rural feel to this oasis near 22nd Street.
ARMORY PARK
The first residential district in Tucson to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this
downtown neighborhood takes its name from the Military Plaza where the Armory was located
prior to its relocation to Fort Lowell in 1873. With its close proximity to the railroad tracks, rapid
growth in the area occurred following the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, oering
prominent railroad men and their families a convenient place to live. The neighborhood features
wide avenues, and the Queen Anne, Greek Revival, and Territorial styles predominate. The Carnegie
Free Library, completed in 1901, is now home to the Tucson Children’s Museum.
BARRIO ANITA
First platted in 1903, over 90 percent of the houses in this historic Hispanic barrio were built by 1920,
with the remainder built prior to World War II. Early neighborhood dwellings were constructed in
the Sonoran style with adobe walls and flat roofs, and later houses were built in the American
Territorial and Queen Anne styles. Beginning in the 1930s, the Oury Park Tigers baseball team used
to bring out 400 fans at a time in what is now the David G. Herrera/Ramon Quiroz Park. Once
featuring an irrigation canal which watered trees and gardens, the barrio also included numerous
Chinese-American owned grocery stores; only the Anita Street Market, known for its tortillas and
burritos, continues today.
BARRIO EL HOYO
El Hoyo (“the Hole”) was so named because it is lower than the surrounding land. Originally part
of the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River, most of the neighborhood was once owned by Leopoldo
Carrillo and developed as Carrillo Gardens, a lush park with large trees and small ponds. It later
became a popular gathering spot and amusement park known as Elysian Grove. The houses, mostly
built between 1908 and 1950, include many small adobe structures built in the Sonoran style by the
owner-occupants. It retains a distinct, almost rural feel, still reminiscent of when it was the garden
spot of downtown Tucson.
BARRIO EL MEMBRILLO
Until the late 19th century, this historically Hispanic barrio between the freeway and Sentinel Peak
was cultivated land on the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River. Named for the quince trees that
grew here, El Membrillo was platted in 1920. The construction of the Interstate-10 highway in the
early 1950s resulted in the loss of more than half of the neighborhood. During the Urban Renewal
initiative of the late 1960s, another portion of the neighborhood was demolished for the Tucson
Convention Center. Of the 13 houses left today, the characteristic type is the single- or multiple-unit
dwelling built in the Sonoran style with bearing walls of adobe brick and flat or pitched roofs.
BARRIO LIBRE
Tucson’s third oldest historic district, this neighborhood provides a sense of Tucson during the
1870s. Originally more extensive, its northern half was demolished during Urban Renewal in the
late 1960s. It still has more Territorial-period adobe buildings than any other part of Tucson, and its
intact Mexican-style urban streetscapes are unique in Arizona. The architecture is predominantly
Sonoran, Transformed Sonoran, and Transitional styles with building fronts flush with the streets.
The Carrillo K-5 Magnet School (1930) was designed in the Mission Revival Style by architect Merritt
H. Starkweather. El Tiradito (“The Little Castaway”), is a 1940 update of a shrine established in the
1870s. Barrio Libre, along with neighboring Barrio El Hoyo and the tiny Barrio El Membrillo, are
commonly known together as Barrio Viejo.
BARRIO SANTA ROSA
This neighborhood lies directly south of Barrio Libre. Part of the original urban core of the city, its
history began in the 1890s and two-thirds of its historic buildings are representative of Tucson’s
indigenous Sonoran style architecture, consisting of adobe structures with flat roofs, typically
grouped in rowhouses with their fronts flush with the street. During the early 20th century, the
Craftsman Bungalow and Mission Revival styles were introduced. In the mid-1950s the Ranch style
was favored by younger families moving to the area. The neighborhood is also home to the Pio
Decimo Center, a Catholic community center built in 1946 in the Mission Revival style.
BLENMAN-ELM
Midtown home of the 14-acre garden resort, the Arizona Inn (1930), as well as Blenman Elementary
School (1942), this midtown neighborhood consists of 17 styles of homes popular between the
1920s and the 1950s, a majority of which are Ranch style with Spanish Revival influences. The
neighborhood also contains a large number of homes designed by Swiss-born Tucson architect
Josias Joesler. Featuring wide landscaped streets, Blenman-Elm continues to be a popular housing
area for its proximity to the University of Arizona and University Medical Center.
CATALINA VISTA
Ocially platted in 1940, this 170-acre neighborhood was once part of the Kramer Ranch, home of
Tucson’s first rodeo. Its design was influenced by the “City Beautiful” movement and incorporates
landscaped medians, trac roundabouts, and a small neighborhood park. Many of the homes
reflect the modern Ranch style, with broad front faces, low-pitched roofs, and attached garages.
The subdivision today continues to reflect the unique character outlined in early advertisements
which described it as, “…scientifically planned to conform to the Tucson of tomorrow… with
curvilinear streets that eliminated …monotonous straight street lines… and …no two-story houses
to obstruct the mountain view.”
COLONIA SOLANA
One of the first suburban subdivisions in Arizona, Colonia Solana is located in midtown on the border
of Reid Park, home to the Reid Park Zoo. Landscape architect Stephen Child, who studied with
Frederick Law Olmstead, designed Colonia Solana in 1928 incorporating natural elements such as
the Arroyo Chico, a lush desert riparian habitat for birds and wildlife. The neighborhood is designed
around five small triangular parks and intersecting curvilinear streets featuring homes located on
large desert-landscaped lots. Architectural styles range from Spanish Colonial Revival to post -World
War II Ranch houses designed by prominent architects such as Roy Place and Arthur T. Brown.
MENLO PARK
Nestled dramatically between downtown Tucson and the Santa Cruz River to the east, and Sentinel
Peak (“A” Mountain) and Tumamoc Hill to the west, this neighborhood includes the birthplace of
Tucson, and the area of irrigated fields for the mission visita of San Agustín del Tucson, completed
by 1800. Platted in 1913 as the first major subdivision west of the Santa Cruz River, and originally
developed as an Anglo/European-American neighborhoood during a time of discriminatory
covenants, Menlo Park evolved into Tucson’s most upscale Mexican-American barrio. It features
Spanish Colonial Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, Prairie, post-World War II Ranch, and Mid-century
Modern architectural styles.
PIE ALLEN
Named for homesteader and former mayor, John Brackett “Pie” Allen—known for selling dried-apple
pies to soldiers— this 23-block area counted railroad families as early tenants after the arrival of the
Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880. By 1910, 60 percent of the neighborhood residents were railroad
employees and their families, many of whom lived in some of the first rental properties in Tucson.
Numerous architectural styles are represented, including Transformed Sonoran, American Territorial,
Queen Anne Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, and a variety of period revivals.
RINCON HEIGHTS
Developed as one of Tucson’s first suburban neighborhoods, Rincon Heights exhibits an eclectic
blend of 1920s-1940s revival styles and vernacular designs, including Craftsman Bungalow, Spanish
Colonial Revival, and Modern Ranch. A unique feature of this walkable neighborhood is High School
Wash, a natural riparian area with WPA-era curbs, sidewalks, and culverts. Neighborhood planting
and beautification projects continue to make this a popular housing area intent on keeping its
historic character.
SAM HUGHES
This early suburban neighborhood developed between 1921 and the 1950s immediately east of
the University of Arizona campus. Named after well-known business leader Sam Hughes, who
was instrumental in establishing Tucson’s free public school system, the Roy Place-designed Sam
Hughes Elementary School (1927), along with the 24-acre Himmel Park, are notable features of this
one-square-mile district. While there are 16 architectural styles represented, including Craftsman
Bungalow, Mission Revival, and International, the majority are constructed in the Spanish Eclectic
style. A major bike route boulevard is an additional amenity of this popular area.
SAN CLEMENTE
In 1923, developer Stanley Williamson named this east-central subdivision after the seacoast town
of San Clemente, California, intending to evoke an image of an upscale Spanish Colonial Revival
community. First homesteaded in 1909, the area saw most of its development between 1930 and
1959, and is considered the first Tucson neighborhood to pioneer automobile-related Ranch Style
Suburb planning. Among the dozen architectural styles represented, Classic Ranch and Spanish
Colonial Revival predominate, within a natural desert environment.
WEST UNIVERSITY
This was the first Tucson suburb north of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and was built out between
1890 and 1930. The neighborhood includes more than 700 buildings in a great variety of architectural
styles, ranging from Transitional to Art Deco, with about half being Craftsman Bungalows. Built
as the first high school in Tucson, Roskruge Bilingual Magnet School (1908/1914) is a distinctive
landmark on Sixth Street. In 1980, this neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places and became the largest historic district in Arizona.
WINTERHAVEN
The unique community of Winterhaven was developed between 1949-1961 by developer C. B.
Richards, who sought to emulate the environment and architectural aesthetics of the Midwest. The
neighborhood is characterized by wide curving streets, dominant green lawns, non-native trees, and
a park-like Midwestern flavor. The sense of community is fostered by the annual Festival of Lights, a
popular Christmas light display. Among 265 examples of modern Ranch style residences, there are
four distinct ranch style subcategories: Traditional, Modern, Minimal, and Transverse. Many were
designed by Anne Jackson Rysdale, among the first female architects practicing in Tucson and
Arizona.
DUNBAR SPRING/ JOHN SPRING
Built on land that was originally the Court Street Cemetery (1875-1909), and platted in 1904, this
neighborhood has always been ethnically mixed. Eventually it became the first predominantly
African-American neighborhood in Tucson and the site of the Dunbar School, Tucson’s segregated
elementary school. Designed by architect Henry O. Jastaad in 1917, the school later became the
non-segregated John Spring Junior High School, named after one of Tucson’s early schoolteachers.
The neighborhood reflects its diverse early roots in its mix of architectural styles, from Sonoran to
early 20th-century revival styles. Jim’s Market, at the corner of 9th Ave. and 4th St., is representative
of several former markets now converted to residential use.
EL ENCANTO ESTATES
With houses built primarily between 1929 and 1961, the formal, curvilinear, Neoclassical subdivision
plan of midtown El Encanto Estates was inspired by the “City Beautiful” movement and represented
a deliberate break from the gridiron developments of post-World War I Tucson. A central circular
park is notable for its idyllic rendering of a native desert landscape. Formal plantings of palm trees
and green lawns enhance the architectural designs in the Spanish Colonial, Mission, and Pueblo
revival styles by locally prominent architects, including Josias Joesler, Henry O. Jaastad, Arthur T.
Brown, Anne Jackson Rysdale, and Merritt H. Starkweather.
EL MONTEVIDEO
Founded in 1930, El Montevideo was one of several subdivisions established around the prestigious
1928 El Conquistador Hotel (demolished in 1968). Lacking curbs and sidewalks, and featuring
native desert vegetation, the neighborhood initially grew with architectural revival styles popular
in the 1930s, including Spanish Colonial, Territorial (Sonoran), and Pueblo Revivals. As elsewhere in
Tucson, this semi-rural, one and one-half block enclave filled-in rapidly during the post-World War
II era with Ranch and Mid-Century Modern (Contemporary) style residences by architects Lew Place
and Arthur T. Brown.
EL PRESIDIO
This neighborhood is where Tucson began as a Spanish Colonial outpost. Most of the structures
date from 1860 to 1920, and styles include Sonoran, Transformed Sonoran, Transitional, American
Territorial, Mission Revival, and Craftsman Bungalow. Preserved remnants of Hohokam pit houses,
the 18th-century Spanish period presidio, and the subsequent Mexican village can also be found
here. Celebrated Territorial period families are still associated with houses they built, including
merchants such as the Steinfelds and Jacomes. Home to restaurants, oces, shops, and the Tucson
Museum of Art, this is an eminently walkable neighborhood.
FELDMAN’S
Less than a mile from the University of Arizona, Feldman’s was platted in 1901 and includes the
first house built on Speedway Boulevard (then called Feldman Street) in 1904. Most construction
occurred between 1920 and 1927, and these structures predominate in the neighborhood’s core.
Numerous architectural styles can be found, including National Folk, Craftsman Bungalow, Mission
Revival, Pueblo Revival, Spanish Eclectic, and Monterey Revival. The neighborhood is also home to
two former tuberculosis sanatoria, University Heights School (1917), and the Josias Joesler-designed
St. Francis Chapel (1933).
FORT LOWELL
This semi-rural neighborhood in the central urban area oers an abundant mix of icons of Tucson’s
history, including the soldiers of Fort Lowell (1873-1891) and the priests of the San Pedro Chapel
(1932), along with the families, craftsmen, and historians who have called it home since the 1890s.
Architectural styles include the Sonoran Ranch, the Santa Fe-Sonoran Ranch, the Bungalow Vernacular,
and the Sonoran Military. Protected remnants of the mesquite groves along the Rillito River and
Hohokam archeological sites oer reminders of the original natural setting and ancient indigenous
peoples of the valley.
HAROLD BELL WRIGHT ESTATES
In the center of this semi-rural subdivision sits the home of popular American novelist Harold Bell
Wright (1872-1942). Street names gracing this 116-acre neighborhood are all derived from the
characters or places in his numerous novels. Intended for relatively auent homeowners, many of
the burnt adobe buildings built primarily in the 1950s are situated on large desert-landscaped lots,
with floor plans larger than was typical for the period. Many homes were designed in the post-World
War II custom Ranch style by prominent Tucson architects and designers, including Henry Jaastad,
William Cook, and Robert Swaim.
INDIAN HOUSE
Located in the east central part of Tucson, this semi-rural neighborhood includes 11 contributing
historic residences built between 1926 and 1950 on 2 to 6½ acre lots, all excellent examples of
Southwestern Revival and Mid-century Modern (Contemporary) styles. Indian House follows in the
tradition of several other Tucson desert subdivisions that were established to promote a distinctive
Southwestern lifestyle, which appealed to its early residents, including internationally renowned
pianist Van Cliburn. Notable architects who designed houses in this neighborhood include Merritt
H. Starkweather, Richard A. Morse, and Gordon Luepke.
IRON HORSE
In order to follow the “one mile rule” established by the Southern Pacific Railroad, numerous railroad
employees lived in this district in order to hear the whistle blow, calling them to work. Developed
beginning in 1890, this neighborhood presents a mix of building styles, including Sonoran, American
Territorial, Craftsman Bungalow, and Queen Anne Revival. Foundation stones of basalt on numerous
residences were gathered locally from Sentinel Peak (‘A’ Mountain). 180 historic properties, including
the Josias Joesler-designed Don Martin Apartments (1929) and Roy Place’s Coronado Hotel (1928),
add to the charm of this neighborhood, noted as the “most walkable in Tucson” thanks to bike
and walking paths and its proximity to cafes, restaurants, and shops on North Fourth Avenue and
downtown.
JEFFERSON PARK
As Tucson stretched from its downtown core, beyond the railroad tracks and into the desert north
of town, homesteaders such as young Anna Stattelman ventured out to stake claims, followed by
families settling in neighborhoods surrounding the University of Arizona. Established in 1898, this
walking- and bike-friendly neighborhood has its roots in early to mid-20th century construction
of distinctive Southwestern homes, including Craftsman Bungalow, Spanish Colonial Revival, and
Pueblo Revival. Post-WWII Ranch style brick homes followed as this historic “outskirts” development
transformed into a central neighborhood of rich history and diversity.
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Starr Pass Blvd. 22nd St. 22nd St.
Mission Rd.
S. Freeway
10th Ave.
6th Ave.
4th Ave.
Park Ave.
Country Club Rd.
Tucson Blvd.
Campbell Rd.
Cherry Ave.
Mountain Ave.
Euclid Ave.
6th Ave.
1st Ave.
Stone Ave.
Oracle Rd.
Flowing Wells Rd.
Alvernon Way
Columbus Blvd.
Swan Rd.
Craycroft Rd.
Congress St.
Broadway Blvd.
6th St.
Speedway Blvd.
Grant Rd.
Fort Lowell Rd.
Miracle Mile
Prince Rd.
Pima St.
Wilmot Rd.
St. Mary’s Rd.
Anklam Rd.
Silverbell Rd.
Grande Ave.
Main Ave.
Cushing St.
4th Ave.
Toole Ave.
Aviation Pkwy.
Kino Pkwy.
River Rd.
Tanque Verde Rd.
5
26
21
9
18
27
22
4
13
11
7
15
6
24
17
12
16
23
28
14
19
3
8
2
1
20
10
25
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INDEX LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS ADDRESS
1 Arizona Inn 2200 E. Elm St.
2 Benedictine Sanctuary 800 N. Country Club Rd.
3 Broadway Village 3000 E. Broadway Blvd.
4 Carnegie Library (Tucson Children’s Museum) 200 S. 6th Ave.
5 Carrillo School 440 S. Main Ave.
6 Casa Cordova 175 N. Meyer Ave.
7 Charles O. Brown House 40 W. Broadway Blvd.
8 El Conquistador Water Tower 134 S. Randolph Way
9 El Tiradito (Wishing Shrine) 420 S. Main Ave.
10 Fort Lowell Ocer’s Quarters, No. 3 2951 N. Craycroft Rd.
11 Fox Theatre 17 W. Congress St.
12 Hotel Congress 311 E. Congress St.
13 Marist College 64 W. Ochoa St.
14 Old Main, University of Arizona 1200 E. University Blvd.
15 Pima County Courthouse 115 N. Church Ave.
16 Rialto Theatre & Block 318 E. Congress St.
17 Roy Place Building 10 E. Pennington St.
18 Saord School 200 E. 13th St.
19 Sam Hughes School 700 N. Wilson Ave.
20 San Pedro Chapel 5230 E. Fort Lowell Rd.
21 Santa Cruz Catholic Church 1220 S. 6th Ave.
22 Scottish Rite Cathedral 160 S. Scott Ave.
23 Southern Pacific Railroad Depot 400 N. Toole Ave.
24 St. Augustine Cathedral 192 S. Stone Ave.
25 St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church 602 N. Wilmot Rd.
26 Stone Avenue Temple 564 S. Stone Ave.
27 Temple of Music and Art 330 S. Scott Ave.
28 Tucson High Magnet School 400 N. 2nd Ave.
TUCSON’S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS
ALDEA LINDA
This subdivision, its name meaning “beautiful small village,” was founded in 1946 by former Arizona
Governor Samuel P. Goddard, Jr. Still in eect are deed restrictions protecting the neighborhood
and guaranteeing that the area, with its large lots, will remain residential. The majority of the 18
residences date between 1947 and 1964 and reflect post-World War II styles, including Ranch and
Modern, as well as Territorial Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival. The dense creosote, curvilinear
streets, and cul de sac layout have insured a rural feel to this oasis near 22nd Street.
ARMORY PARK
The first residential district in Tucson to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this
downtown neighborhood takes its name from the Military Plaza where the Armory was located
prior to its relocation to Fort Lowell in 1873. With its close proximity to the railroad tracks, rapid
growth in the area occurred following the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, oering
prominent railroad men and their families a convenient place to live. The neighborhood features
wide avenues, and the Queen Anne, Greek Revival, and Territorial styles predominate. The Carnegie
Free Library, completed in 1901, is now home to the Tucson Children’s Museum.
BARRIO ANITA
First platted in 1903, over 90 percent of the houses in this historic Hispanic barrio were built by 1920,
with the remainder built prior to World War II. Early neighborhood dwellings were constructed in
the Sonoran style with adobe walls and flat roofs, and later houses were built in the American
Territorial and Queen Anne styles. Beginning in the 1930s, the Oury Park Tigers baseball team used
to bring out 400 fans at a time in what is now the David G. Herrera/Ramon Quiroz Park. Once
featuring an irrigation canal which watered trees and gardens, the barrio also included numerous
Chinese-American owned grocery stores; only the Anita Street Market, known for its tortillas and
burritos, continues today.
BARRIO EL HOYO
El Hoyo (“the Hole”) was so named because it is lower than the surrounding land. Originally part
of the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River, most of the neighborhood was once owned by Leopoldo
Carrillo and developed as Carrillo Gardens, a lush park with large trees and small ponds. It later
became a popular gathering spot and amusement park known as Elysian Grove. The houses, mostly
built between 1908 and 1950, include many small adobe structures built in the Sonoran style by the
owner-occupants. It retains a distinct, almost rural feel, still reminiscent of when it was the garden
spot of downtown Tucson.
BARRIO EL MEMBRILLO
Until the late 19th century, this historically Hispanic barrio between the freeway and Sentinel Peak
was cultivated land on the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River. Named for the quince trees that
grew here, El Membrillo was platted in 1920. The construction of the Interstate-10 highway in the
early 1950s resulted in the loss of more than half of the neighborhood. During the Urban Renewal
initiative of the late 1960s, another portion of the neighborhood was demolished for the Tucson
Convention Center. Of the 13 houses left today, the characteristic type is the single- or multiple-unit
dwelling built in the Sonoran style with bearing walls of adobe brick and flat or pitched roofs.
BARRIO LIBRE
Tucson’s third oldest historic district, this neighborhood provides a sense of Tucson during the
1870s. Originally more extensive, its northern half was demolished during Urban Renewal in the
late 1960s. It still has more Territorial-period adobe buildings than any other part of Tucson, and its
intact Mexican-style urban streetscapes are unique in Arizona. The architecture is predominantly
Sonoran, Transformed Sonoran, and Transitional styles with building fronts flush with the streets.
The Carrillo K-5 Magnet School (1930) was designed in the Mission Revival Style by architect Merritt
H. Starkweather. El Tiradito (“The Little Castaway”), is a 1940 update of a shrine established in the
1870s. Barrio Libre, along with neighboring Barrio El Hoyo and the tiny Barrio El Membrillo, are
commonly known together as Barrio Viejo.
BARRIO SANTA ROSA
This neighborhood lies directly south of Barrio Libre. Part of the original urban core of the city, its
history began in the 1890s and two-thirds of its historic buildings are representative of Tucson’s
indigenous Sonoran style architecture, consisting of adobe structures with flat roofs, typically
grouped in rowhouses with their fronts flush with the street. During the early 20th century, the
Craftsman Bungalow and Mission Revival styles were introduced. In the mid-1950s the Ranch style
was favored by younger families moving to the area. The neighborhood is also home to the Pio
Decimo Center, a Catholic community center built in 1946 in the Mission Revival style.
BLENMAN-ELM
Midtown home of the 14-acre garden resort, the Arizona Inn (1930), as well as Blenman Elementary
School (1942), this midtown neighborhood consists of 17 styles of homes popular between the
1920s and the 1950s, a majority of which are Ranch style with Spanish Revival influences. The
neighborhood also contains a large number of homes designed by Swiss-born Tucson architect
Josias Joesler. Featuring wide landscaped streets, Blenman-Elm continues to be a popular housing
area for its proximity to the University of Arizona and University Medical Center.
CATALINA VISTA
Ocially platted in 1940, this 170-acre neighborhood was once part of the Kramer Ranch, home of
Tucson’s first rodeo. Its design was influenced by the “City Beautiful” movement and incorporates
landscaped medians, trac roundabouts, and a small neighborhood park. Many of the homes
reflect the modern Ranch style, with broad front faces, low-pitched roofs, and attached garages.
The subdivision today continues to reflect the unique character outlined in early advertisements
which described it as, “…scientifically planned to conform to the Tucson of tomorrow… with
curvilinear streets that eliminated …monotonous straight street lines… and …no two-story houses
to obstruct the mountain view.”
COLONIA SOLANA
One of the first suburban subdivisions in Arizona, Colonia Solana is located in midtown on the border
of Reid Park, home to the Reid Park Zoo. Landscape architect Stephen Child, who studied with
Frederick Law Olmstead, designed Colonia Solana in 1928 incorporating natural elements such as
the Arroyo Chico, a lush desert riparian habitat for birds and wildlife. The neighborhood is designed
around five small triangular parks and intersecting curvilinear streets featuring homes located on
large desert-landscaped lots. Architectural styles range from Spanish Colonial Revival to post -World
War II Ranch houses designed by prominent architects such as Roy Place and Arthur T. Brown.
MENLO PARK
Nestled dramatically between downtown Tucson and the Santa Cruz River to the east, and Sentinel
Peak (“A” Mountain) and Tumamoc Hill to the west, this neighborhood includes the birthplace of
Tucson, and the area of irrigated fields for the mission visita of San Agustín del Tucson, completed
by 1800. Platted in 1913 as the first major subdivision west of the Santa Cruz River, and originally
developed as an Anglo/European-American neighborhoood during a time of discriminatory
covenants, Menlo Park evolved into Tucson’s most upscale Mexican-American barrio. It features
Spanish Colonial Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, Prairie, post-World War II Ranch, and Mid-century
Modern architectural styles.
PIE ALLEN
Named for homesteader and former mayor, John Brackett “Pie” Allen—known for selling dried-apple
pies to soldiers— this 23-block area counted railroad families as early tenants after the arrival of the
Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880. By 1910, 60 percent of the neighborhood residents were railroad
employees and their families, many of whom lived in some of the first rental properties in Tucson.
Numerous architectural styles are represented, including Transformed Sonoran, American Territorial,
Queen Anne Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, and a variety of period revivals.
RINCON HEIGHTS
Developed as one of Tucson’s first suburban neighborhoods, Rincon Heights exhibits an eclectic
blend of 1920s-1940s revival styles and vernacular designs, including Craftsman Bungalow, Spanish
Colonial Revival, and Modern Ranch. A unique feature of this walkable neighborhood is High School
Wash, a natural riparian area with WPA-era curbs, sidewalks, and culverts. Neighborhood planting
and beautification projects continue to make this a popular housing area intent on keeping its
historic character.
SAM HUGHES
This early suburban neighborhood developed between 1921 and the 1950s immediately east of
the University of Arizona campus. Named after well-known business leader Sam Hughes, who
was instrumental in establishing Tucson’s free public school system, the Roy Place-designed Sam
Hughes Elementary School (1927), along with the 24-acre Himmel Park, are notable features of this
one-square-mile district. While there are 16 architectural styles represented, including Craftsman
Bungalow, Mission Revival, and International, the majority are constructed in the Spanish Eclectic
style. A major bike route boulevard is an additional amenity of this popular area.
SAN CLEMENTE
In 1923, developer Stanley Williamson named this east-central subdivision after the seacoast town
of San Clemente, California, intending to evoke an image of an upscale Spanish Colonial Revival
community. First homesteaded in 1909, the area saw most of its development between 1930 and
1959, and is considered the first Tucson neighborhood to pioneer automobile-related Ranch Style
Suburb planning. Among the dozen architectural styles represented, Classic Ranch and Spanish
Colonial Revival predominate, within a natural desert environment.
WEST UNIVERSITY
This was the first Tucson suburb north of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and was built out between
1890 and 1930. The neighborhood includes more than 700 buildings in a great variety of architectural
styles, ranging from Transitional to Art Deco, with about half being Craftsman Bungalows. Built
as the first high school in Tucson, Roskruge Bilingual Magnet School (1908/1914) is a distinctive
landmark on Sixth Street. In 1980, this neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places and became the largest historic district in Arizona.
WINTERHAVEN
The unique community of Winterhaven was developed between 1949-1961 by developer C. B.
Richards, who sought to emulate the environment and architectural aesthetics of the Midwest. The
neighborhood is characterized by wide curving streets, dominant green lawns, non-native trees, and
a park-like Midwestern flavor. The sense of community is fostered by the annual Festival of Lights, a
popular Christmas light display. Among 265 examples of modern Ranch style residences, there are
four distinct ranch style subcategories: Traditional, Modern, Minimal, and Transverse. Many were
designed by Anne Jackson Rysdale, among the first female architects practicing in Tucson and
Arizona.
DUNBAR SPRING/ JOHN SPRING
Built on land that was originally the Court Street Cemetery (1875-1909), and platted in 1904, this
neighborhood has always been ethnically mixed. Eventually it became the first predominantly
African-American neighborhood in Tucson and the site of the Dunbar School, Tucson’s segregated
elementary school. Designed by architect Henry O. Jastaad in 1917, the school later became the
non-segregated John Spring Junior High School, named after one of Tucson’s early schoolteachers.
The neighborhood reflects its diverse early roots in its mix of architectural styles, from Sonoran to
early 20th-century revival styles. Jim’s Market, at the corner of 9th Ave. and 4th St., is representative
of several former markets now converted to residential use.
EL ENCANTO ESTATES
With houses built primarily between 1929 and 1961, the formal, curvilinear, Neoclassical subdivision
plan of midtown El Encanto Estates was inspired by the “City Beautiful” movement and represented
a deliberate break from the gridiron developments of post-World War I Tucson. A central circular
park is notable for its idyllic rendering of a native desert landscape. Formal plantings of palm trees
and green lawns enhance the architectural designs in the Spanish Colonial, Mission, and Pueblo
revival styles by locally prominent architects, including Josias Joesler, Henry O. Jaastad, Arthur T.
Brown, Anne Jackson Rysdale, and Merritt H. Starkweather.
EL MONTEVIDEO
Founded in 1930, El Montevideo was one of several subdivisions established around the prestigious
1928 El Conquistador Hotel (demolished in 1968). Lacking curbs and sidewalks, and featuring
native desert vegetation, the neighborhood initially grew with architectural revival styles popular
in the 1930s, including Spanish Colonial, Territorial (Sonoran), and Pueblo Revivals. As elsewhere in
Tucson, this semi-rural, one and one-half block enclave filled-in rapidly during the post-World War
II era with Ranch and Mid-Century Modern (Contemporary) style residences by architects Lew Place
and Arthur T. Brown.
EL PRESIDIO
This neighborhood is where Tucson began as a Spanish Colonial outpost. Most of the structures
date from 1860 to 1920, and styles include Sonoran, Transformed Sonoran, Transitional, American
Territorial, Mission Revival, and Craftsman Bungalow. Preserved remnants of Hohokam pit houses,
the 18th-century Spanish period presidio, and the subsequent Mexican village can also be found
here. Celebrated Territorial period families are still associated with houses they built, including
merchants such as the Steinfelds and Jacomes. Home to restaurants, oces, shops, and the Tucson
Museum of Art, this is an eminently walkable neighborhood.
FELDMAN’S
Less than a mile from the University of Arizona, Feldman’s was platted in 1901 and includes the
first house built on Speedway Boulevard (then called Feldman Street) in 1904. Most construction
occurred between 1920 and 1927, and these structures predominate in the neighborhood’s core.
Numerous architectural styles can be found, including National Folk, Craftsman Bungalow, Mission
Revival, Pueblo Revival, Spanish Eclectic, and Monterey Revival. The neighborhood is also home to
two former tuberculosis sanatoria, University Heights School (1917), and the Josias Joesler-designed
St. Francis Chapel (1933).
FORT LOWELL
This semi-rural neighborhood in the central urban area oers an abundant mix of icons of Tucson’s
history, including the soldiers of Fort Lowell (1873-1891) and the priests of the San Pedro Chapel
(1932), along with the families, craftsmen, and historians who have called it home since the 1890s.
Architectural styles include the Sonoran Ranch, the Santa Fe-Sonoran Ranch, the Bungalow Vernacular,
and the Sonoran Military. Protected remnants of the mesquite groves along the Rillito River and
Hohokam archeological sites oer reminders of the original natural setting and ancient indigenous
peoples of the valley.
HAROLD BELL WRIGHT ESTATES
In the center of this semi-rural subdivision sits the home of popular American novelist Harold Bell
Wright (1872-1942). Street names gracing this 116-acre neighborhood are all derived from the
characters or places in his numerous novels. Intended for relatively auent homeowners, many of
the burnt adobe buildings built primarily in the 1950s are situated on large desert-landscaped lots,
with floor plans larger than was typical for the period. Many homes were designed in the post-World
War II custom Ranch style by prominent Tucson architects and designers, including Henry Jaastad,
William Cook, and Robert Swaim.
INDIAN HOUSE
Located in the east central part of Tucson, this semi-rural neighborhood includes 11 contributing
historic residences built between 1926 and 1950 on 2 to 6½ acre lots, all excellent examples of
Southwestern Revival and Mid-century Modern (Contemporary) styles. Indian House follows in the
tradition of several other Tucson desert subdivisions that were established to promote a distinctive
Southwestern lifestyle, which appealed to its early residents, including internationally renowned
pianist Van Cliburn. Notable architects who designed houses in this neighborhood include Merritt
H. Starkweather, Richard A. Morse, and Gordon Luepke.
IRON HORSE
In order to follow the “one mile rule” established by the Southern Pacific Railroad, numerous railroad
employees lived in this district in order to hear the whistle blow, calling them to work. Developed
beginning in 1890, this neighborhood presents a mix of building styles, including Sonoran, American
Territorial, Craftsman Bungalow, and Queen Anne Revival. Foundation stones of basalt on numerous
residences were gathered locally from Sentinel Peak (‘A’ Mountain). 180 historic properties, including
the Josias Joesler-designed Don Martin Apartments (1929) and Roy Place’s Coronado Hotel (1928),
add to the charm of this neighborhood, noted as the “most walkable in Tucson” thanks to bike
and walking paths and its proximity to cafes, restaurants, and shops on North Fourth Avenue and
downtown.
JEFFERSON PARK
As Tucson stretched from its downtown core, beyond the railroad tracks and into the desert north
of town, homesteaders such as young Anna Stattelman ventured out to stake claims, followed by
families settling in neighborhoods surrounding the University of Arizona. Established in 1898, this
walking- and bike-friendly neighborhood has its roots in early to mid-20th century construction
of distinctive Southwestern homes, including Craftsman Bungalow, Spanish Colonial Revival, and
Pueblo Revival. Post-WWII Ranch style brick homes followed as this historic “outskirts” development
transformed into a central neighborhood of rich history and diversity.
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Starr Pass Blvd. 22nd St. 22nd St.
Mission Rd.
S. Freeway
10th Ave.
6th Ave.
4th Ave.
Park Ave.
Country Club Rd.
Tucson Blvd.
Campbell Rd.
Cherry Ave.
Mountain Ave.
Euclid Ave.
6th Ave.
1st Ave.
Stone Ave.
Oracle Rd.
Flowing Wells Rd.
Alvernon Way
Columbus Blvd.
Swan Rd.
Craycroft Rd.
Congress St.
Broadway Blvd.
6th St.
Speedway Blvd.
Grant Rd.
Fort Lowell Rd.
Miracle Mile
Prince Rd.
Pima St.
Wilmot Rd.
St. Mary’s Rd.
Anklam Rd.
Silverbell Rd.
Grande Ave.
Main Ave.
Cushing St.
4th Ave.
Toole Ave.
Aviation Pkwy.
Kino Pkwy.
River Rd.
Tanque Verde Rd.
5
26
21
9
18
27
22
4
13
11
7
15
6
24
17
12
16
23
28
14
19
3
8
2
1
20
10
25
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INDEX LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS ADDRESS
1 Arizona Inn 2200 E. Elm St.
2 Benedictine Sanctuary 800 N. Country Club Rd.
3 Broadway Village 3000 E. Broadway Blvd.
4 Carnegie Library (Tucson Children’s Museum) 200 S. 6th Ave.
5 Carrillo School 440 S. Main Ave.
6 Casa Cordova 175 N. Meyer Ave.
7 Charles O. Brown House 40 W. Broadway Blvd.
8 El Conquistador Water Tower 134 S. Randolph Way
9 El Tiradito (Wishing Shrine) 420 S. Main Ave.
10 Fort Lowell Ocer’s Quarters, No. 3 2951 N. Craycroft Rd.
11 Fox Theatre 17 W. Congress St.
12 Hotel Congress 311 E. Congress St.
13 Marist College 64 W. Ochoa St.
14 Old Main, University of Arizona 1200 E. University Blvd.
15 Pima County Courthouse 115 N. Church Ave.
16 Rialto Theatre & Block 318 E. Congress St.
17 Roy Place Building 10 E. Pennington St.
18 Saord School 200 E. 13th St.
19 Sam Hughes School 700 N. Wilson Ave.
20 San Pedro Chapel 5230 E. Fort Lowell Rd.
21 Santa Cruz Catholic Church 1220 S. 6th Ave.
22 Scottish Rite Cathedral 160 S. Scott Ave.
23 Southern Pacific Railroad Depot 400 N. Toole Ave.
24 St. Augustine Cathedral 192 S. Stone Ave.
25 St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church 602 N. Wilmot Rd.
26 Stone Avenue Temple 564 S. Stone Ave.
27 Temple of Music and Art 330 S. Scott Ave.
28 Tucson High Magnet School 400 N. 2nd Ave.
TUCSON’S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS
ALDEA LINDA
This subdivision, its name meaning “beautiful small village,” was founded in 1946 by former Arizona
Governor Samuel P. Goddard, Jr. Still in eect are deed restrictions protecting the neighborhood
and guaranteeing that the area, with its large lots, will remain residential. The majority of the 18
residences date between 1947 and 1964 and reflect post-World War II styles, including Ranch and
Modern, as well as Territorial Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival. The dense creosote, curvilinear
streets, and cul de sac layout have insured a rural feel to this oasis near 22nd Street.
ARMORY PARK
The first residential district in Tucson to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this
downtown neighborhood takes its name from the Military Plaza where the Armory was located
prior to its relocation to Fort Lowell in 1873. With its close proximity to the railroad tracks, rapid
growth in the area occurred following the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, oering
prominent railroad men and their families a convenient place to live. The neighborhood features
wide avenues, and the Queen Anne, Greek Revival, and Territorial styles predominate. The Carnegie
Free Library, completed in 1901, is now home to the Tucson Children’s Museum.
BARRIO ANITA
First platted in 1903, over 90 percent of the houses in this historic Hispanic barrio were built by 1920,
with the remainder built prior to World War II. Early neighborhood dwellings were constructed in
the Sonoran style with adobe walls and flat roofs, and later houses were built in the American
Territorial and Queen Anne styles. Beginning in the 1930s, the Oury Park Tigers baseball team used
to bring out 400 fans at a time in what is now the David G. Herrera/Ramon Quiroz Park. Once
featuring an irrigation canal which watered trees and gardens, the barrio also included numerous
Chinese-American owned grocery stores; only the Anita Street Market, known for its tortillas and
burritos, continues today.
BARRIO EL HOYO
El Hoyo (“the Hole”) was so named because it is lower than the surrounding land. Originally part
of the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River, most of the neighborhood was once owned by Leopoldo
Carrillo and developed as Carrillo Gardens, a lush park with large trees and small ponds. It later
became a popular gathering spot and amusement park known as Elysian Grove. The houses, mostly
built between 1908 and 1950, include many small adobe structures built in the Sonoran style by the
owner-occupants. It retains a distinct, almost rural feel, still reminiscent of when it was the garden
spot of downtown Tucson.
BARRIO EL MEMBRILLO
Until the late 19th century, this historically Hispanic barrio between the freeway and Sentinel Peak
was cultivated land on the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River. Named for the quince trees that
grew here, El Membrillo was platted in 1920. The construction of the Interstate-10 highway in the
early 1950s resulted in the loss of more than half of the neighborhood. During the Urban Renewal
initiative of the late 1960s, another portion of the neighborhood was demolished for the Tucson
Convention Center. Of the 13 houses left today, the characteristic type is the single- or multiple-unit
dwelling built in the Sonoran style with bearing walls of adobe brick and flat or pitched roofs.
BARRIO LIBRE
Tucson’s third oldest historic district, this neighborhood provides a sense of Tucson during the
1870s. Originally more extensive, its northern half was demolished during Urban Renewal in the
late 1960s. It still has more Territorial-period adobe buildings than any other part of Tucson, and its
intact Mexican-style urban streetscapes are unique in Arizona. The architecture is predominantly
Sonoran, Transformed Sonoran, and Transitional styles with building fronts flush with the streets.
The Carrillo K-5 Magnet School (1930) was designed in the Mission Revival Style by architect Merritt
H. Starkweather. El Tiradito (“The Little Castaway”), is a 1940 update of a shrine established in the
1870s. Barrio Libre, along with neighboring Barrio El Hoyo and the tiny Barrio El Membrillo, are
commonly known together as Barrio Viejo.
BARRIO SANTA ROSA
This neighborhood lies directly south of Barrio Libre. Part of the original urban core of the city, its
history began in the 1890s and two-thirds of its historic buildings are representative of Tucson’s
indigenous Sonoran style architecture, consisting of adobe structures with flat roofs, typically
grouped in rowhouses with their fronts flush with the street. During the early 20th century, the
Craftsman Bungalow and Mission Revival styles were introduced. In the mid-1950s the Ranch style
was favored by younger families moving to the area. The neighborhood is also home to the Pio
Decimo Center, a Catholic community center built in 1946 in the Mission Revival style.
BLENMAN-ELM
Midtown home of the 14-acre garden resort, the Arizona Inn (1930), as well as Blenman Elementary
School (1942), this midtown neighborhood consists of 17 styles of homes popular between the
1920s and the 1950s, a majority of which are Ranch style with Spanish Revival influences. The
neighborhood also contains a large number of homes designed by Swiss-born Tucson architect
Josias Joesler. Featuring wide landscaped streets, Blenman-Elm continues to be a popular housing
area for its proximity to the University of Arizona and University Medical Center.
CATALINA VISTA
Ocially platted in 1940, this 170-acre neighborhood was once part of the Kramer Ranch, home of
Tucson’s first rodeo. Its design was influenced by the “City Beautiful” movement and incorporates
landscaped medians, trac roundabouts, and a small neighborhood park. Many of the homes
reflect the modern Ranch style, with broad front faces, low-pitched roofs, and attached garages.
The subdivision today continues to reflect the unique character outlined in early advertisements
which described it as, “…scientifically planned to conform to the Tucson of tomorrow… with
curvilinear streets that eliminated …monotonous straight street lines… and …no two-story houses
to obstruct the mountain view.”
COLONIA SOLANA
One of the first suburban subdivisions in Arizona, Colonia Solana is located in midtown on the border
of Reid Park, home to the Reid Park Zoo. Landscape architect Stephen Child, who studied with
Frederick Law Olmstead, designed Colonia Solana in 1928 incorporating natural elements such as
the Arroyo Chico, a lush desert riparian habitat for birds and wildlife. The neighborhood is designed
around five small triangular parks and intersecting curvilinear streets featuring homes located on
large desert-landscaped lots. Architectural styles range from Spanish Colonial Revival to post -World
War II Ranch houses designed by prominent architects such as Roy Place and Arthur T. Brown.
MENLO PARK
Nestled dramatically between downtown Tucson and the Santa Cruz River to the east, and Sentinel
Peak (“A” Mountain) and Tumamoc Hill to the west, this neighborhood includes the birthplace of
Tucson, and the area of irrigated fields for the mission visita of San Agustín del Tucson, completed
by 1800. Platted in 1913 as the first major subdivision west of the Santa Cruz River, and originally
developed as an Anglo/European-American neighborhoood during a time of discriminatory
covenants, Menlo Park evolved into Tucson’s most upscale Mexican-American barrio. It features
Spanish Colonial Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, Prairie, post-World War II Ranch, and Mid-century
Modern architectural styles.
PIE ALLEN
Named for homesteader and former mayor, John Brackett “Pie” Allen—known for selling dried-apple
pies to soldiers— this 23-block area counted railroad families as early tenants after the arrival of the
Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880. By 1910, 60 percent of the neighborhood residents were railroad
employees and their families, many of whom lived in some of the first rental properties in Tucson.
Numerous architectural styles are represented, including Transformed Sonoran, American Territorial,
Queen Anne Revival, Craftsman Bungalow, and a variety of period revivals.
RINCON HEIGHTS
Developed as one of Tucson’s first suburban neighborhoods, Rincon Heights exhibits an eclectic
blend of 1920s-1940s revival styles and vernacular designs, including Craftsman Bungalow, Spanish
Colonial Revival, and Modern Ranch. A unique feature of this walkable neighborhood is High School
Wash, a natural riparian area with WPA-era curbs, sidewalks, and culverts. Neighborhood planting
and beautification projects continue to make this a popular housing area intent on keeping its
historic character.
SAM HUGHES
This early suburban neighborhood developed between 1921 and the 1950s immediately east of
the University of Arizona campus. Named after well-known business leader Sam Hughes, who
was instrumental in establishing Tucson’s free public school system, the Roy Place-designed Sam
Hughes Elementary School (1927), along with the 24-acre Himmel Park, are notable features of this
one-square-mile district. While there are 16 architectural styles represented, including Craftsman
Bungalow, Mission Revival, and International, the majority are constructed in the Spanish Eclectic
style. A major bike route boulevard is an additional amenity of this popular area.
SAN CLEMENTE
In 1923, developer Stanley Williamson named this east-central subdivision after the seacoast town
of San Clemente, California, intending to evoke an image of an upscale Spanish Colonial Revival
community. First homesteaded in 1909, the area saw most of its development between 1930 and
1959, and is considered the first Tucson neighborhood to pioneer automobile-related Ranch Style
Suburb planning. Among the dozen architectural styles represented, Classic Ranch and Spanish
Colonial Revival predominate, within a natural desert environment.
WEST UNIVERSITY
This was the first Tucson suburb north of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and was built out between
1890 and 1930. The neighborhood includes more than 700 buildings in a great variety of architectural
styles, ranging from Transitional to Art Deco, with about half being Craftsman Bungalows. Built
as the first high school in Tucson, Roskruge Bilingual Magnet School (1908/1914) is a distinctive
landmark on Sixth Street. In 1980, this neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places and became the largest historic district in Arizona.
WINTERHAVEN
The unique community of Winterhaven was developed between 1949-1961 by developer C. B.
Richards, who sought to emulate the environment and architectural aesthetics of the Midwest. The
neighborhood is characterized by wide curving streets, dominant green lawns, non-native trees, and
a park-like Midwestern flavor. The sense of community is fostered by the annual Festival of Lights, a
popular Christmas light display. Among 265 examples of modern Ranch style residences, there are
four distinct ranch style subcategories: Traditional, Modern, Minimal, and Transverse. Many were
designed by Anne Jackson Rysdale, among the first female architects practicing in Tucson and
Arizona.
DUNBAR SPRING/ JOHN SPRING
Built on land that was originally the Court Street Cemetery (1875-1909), and platted in 1904, this
neighborhood has always been ethnically mixed. Eventually it became the first predominantly
African-American neighborhood in Tucson and the site of the Dunbar School, Tucson’s segregated
elementary school. Designed by architect Henry O. Jastaad in 1917, the school later became the
non-segregated John Spring Junior High School, named after one of Tucson’s early schoolteachers.
The neighborhood reflects its diverse early roots in its mix of architectural styles, from Sonoran to
early 20th-century revival styles. Jim’s Market, at the corner of 9th Ave. and 4th St., is representative
of several former markets now converted to residential use.
EL ENCANTO ESTATES
With houses built primarily between 1929 and 1961, the formal, curvilinear, Neoclassical subdivision
plan of midtown El Encanto Estates was inspired by the “City Beautiful” movement and represented
a deliberate break from the gridiron developments of post-World War I Tucson. A central circular
park is notable for its idyllic rendering of a native desert landscape. Formal plantings of palm trees
and green lawns enhance the architectural designs in the Spanish Colonial, Mission, and Pueblo
revival styles by locally prominent architects, including Josias Joesler, Henry O. Jaastad, Arthur T.
Brown, Anne Jackson Rysdale, and Merritt H. Starkweather.
EL MONTEVIDEO
Founded in 1930, El Montevideo was one of several subdivisions established around the prestigious
1928 El Conquistador Hotel (demolished in 1968). Lacking curbs and sidewalks, and featuring
native desert vegetation, the neighborhood initially grew with architectural revival styles popular
in the 1930s, including Spanish Colonial, Territorial (Sonoran), and Pueblo Revivals. As elsewhere in
Tucson, this semi-rural, one and one-half block enclave filled-in rapidly during the post-World War
II era with Ranch and Mid-Century Modern (Contemporary) style residences by architects Lew Place
and Arthur T. Brown.
EL PRESIDIO
This neighborhood is where Tucson began as a Spanish Colonial outpost. Most of the structures
date from 1860 to 1920, and styles include Sonoran, Transformed Sonoran, Transitional, American
Territorial, Mission Revival, and Craftsman Bungalow. Preserved remnants of Hohokam pit houses,
the 18th-century Spanish period presidio, and the subsequent Mexican village can also be found
here. Celebrated Territorial period families are still associated with houses they built, including
merchants such as the Steinfelds and Jacomes. Home to restaurants, oces, shops, and the Tucson
Museum of Art, this is an eminently walkable neighborhood.
FELDMAN’S
Less than a mile from the University of Arizona, Feldman’s was platted in 1901 and includes the
first house built on Speedway Boulevard (then called Feldman Street) in 1904. Most construction
occurred between 1920 and 1927, and these structures predominate in the neighborhood’s core.
Numerous architectural styles can be found, including National Folk, Craftsman Bungalow, Mission
Revival, Pueblo Revival, Spanish Eclectic, and Monterey Revival. The neighborhood is also home to
two former tuberculosis sanatoria, University Heights School (1917), and the Josias Joesler-designed
St. Francis Chapel (1933).
FORT LOWELL
This semi-rural neighborhood in the central urban area oers an abundant mix of icons of Tucson’s
history, including the soldiers of Fort Lowell (1873-1891) and the priests of the San Pedro Chapel
(1932), along with the families, craftsmen, and historians who have called it home since the 1890s.
Architectural styles include the Sonoran Ranch, the Santa Fe-Sonoran Ranch, the Bungalow Vernacular,
and the Sonoran Military. Protected remnants of the mesquite groves along the Rillito River and
Hohokam archeological sites oer reminders of the original natural setting and ancient indigenous
peoples of the valley.
HAROLD BELL WRIGHT ESTATES
In the center of this semi-rural subdivision sits the home of popular American novelist Harold Bell
Wright (1872-1942). Street names gracing this 116-acre neighborhood are all derived from the
characters or places in his numerous novels. Intended for relatively auent homeowners, many of
the burnt adobe buildings built primarily in the 1950s are situated on large desert-landscaped lots,
with floor plans larger than was typical for the period. Many homes were designed in the post-World
War II custom Ranch style by prominent Tucson architects and designers, including Henry Jaastad,
William Cook, and Robert Swaim.
INDIAN HOUSE
Located in the east central part of Tucson, this semi-rural neighborhood includes 11 contributing
historic residences built between 1926 and 1950 on 2 to 6½ acre lots, all excellent examples of
Southwestern Revival and Mid-century Modern (Contemporary) styles. Indian House follows in the
tradition of several other Tucson desert subdivisions that were established to promote a distinctive
Southwestern lifestyle, which appealed to its early residents, including internationally renowned
pianist Van Cliburn. Notable architects who designed houses in this neighborhood include Merritt
H. Starkweather, Richard A. Morse, and Gordon Luepke.
IRON HORSE
In order to follow the “one mile rule” established by the Southern Pacific Railroad, numerous railroad
employees lived in this district in order to hear the whistle blow, calling them to work. Developed
beginning in 1890, this neighborhood presents a mix of building styles, including Sonoran, American
Territorial, Craftsman Bungalow, and Queen Anne Revival. Foundation stones of basalt on numerous
residences were gathered locally from Sentinel Peak (‘A’ Mountain). 180 historic properties, including
the Josias Joesler-designed Don Martin Apartments (1929) and Roy Place’s Coronado Hotel (1928),
add to the charm of this neighborhood, noted as the “most walkable in Tucson” thanks to bike
and walking paths and its proximity to cafes, restaurants, and shops on North Fourth Avenue and
downtown.
JEFFERSON PARK
As Tucson stretched from its downtown core, beyond the railroad tracks and into the desert north
of town, homesteaders such as young Anna Stattelman ventured out to stake claims, followed by
families settling in neighborhoods surrounding the University of Arizona. Established in 1898, this
walking- and bike-friendly neighborhood has its roots in early to mid-20th century construction
of distinctive Southwestern homes, including Craftsman Bungalow, Spanish Colonial Revival, and
Pueblo Revival. Post-WWII Ranch style brick homes followed as this historic “outskirts” development
transformed into a central neighborhood of rich history and diversity.
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Starr Pass Blvd. 22nd St. 22nd St.
Mission Rd.
S. Freeway
10th Ave.
6th Ave.
4th Ave.
Park Ave.
Country Club Rd.
Tucson Blvd.
Campbell Rd.
Cherry Ave.
Mountain Ave.
Euclid Ave.
6th Ave.
1st Ave.
Stone Ave.
Oracle Rd.
Flowing Wells Rd.
Alvernon Way
Columbus Blvd.
Swan Rd.
Craycroft Rd.
Congress St.
Broadway Blvd.
6th St.
Speedway Blvd.
Grant Rd.
Fort Lowell Rd.
Miracle Mile
Prince Rd.
Pima St.
Wilmot Rd.
St. Mary’s Rd.
Anklam Rd.
Silverbell Rd.
Grande Ave.
Main Ave.
Cushing St.
4th Ave.
Toole Ave.
Aviation Pkwy.
Kino Pkwy.
River Rd.
Tanque Verde Rd.
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27
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24
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INDEX LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS ADDRESS
1 Arizona Inn 2200 E. Elm St.
2 Benedictine Sanctuary 800 N. Country Club Rd.
3 Broadway Village 3000 E. Broadway Blvd.
4 Carnegie Library (Tucson Children’s Museum) 200 S. 6th Ave.
5 Carrillo School 440 S. Main Ave.
6 Casa Cordova 175 N. Meyer Ave.
7 Charles O. Brown House 40 W. Broadway Blvd.
8 El Conquistador Water Tower 134 S. Randolph Way
9 El Tiradito (Wishing Shrine) 420 S. Main Ave.
10 Fort Lowell Ocer’s Quarters, No. 3 2951 N. Craycroft Rd.
11 Fox Theatre 17 W. Congress St.
12 Hotel Congress 311 E. Congress St.
13 Marist College 64 W. Ochoa St.
14 Old Main, University of Arizona 1200 E. University Blvd.
15 Pima County Courthouse 115 N. Church Ave.
16 Rialto Theatre & Block 318 E. Congress St.
17 Roy Place Building 10 E. Pennington St.
18 Saord School 200 E. 13th St.
19 Sam Hughes School 700 N. Wilson Ave.
20 San Pedro Chapel 5230 E. Fort Lowell Rd.
21 Santa Cruz Catholic Church 1220 S. 6th Ave.
22 Scottish Rite Cathedral 160 S. Scott Ave.
23 Southern Pacific Railroad Depot 400 N. Toole Ave.
24 St. Augustine Cathedral 192 S. Stone Ave.
25 St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church 602 N. Wilmot Rd.
26 Stone Avenue Temple 564 S. Stone Ave.
27 Temple of Music and Art 330 S. Scott Ave.
28 Tucson High Magnet School 400 N. 2nd Ave.
TUCSON’S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS