Escalante House, 482-484 South Convent Avenue, Tucson

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ARIZ,10-TUCSO,30/16-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Re s i dent i al; apartment s. Signifii;ance: "Built"'by" its" original owner and occupant /Miguel" "Esealahtey this Early Transitional Sonoran row house is of traditional adobe construction and is set flush with the street. The structure deminates its neighbors to the south because of its somewhat larger size and the extensive rehabilitation it has undergone. The structure recently received a new layer of stucco and paint, a new corrugated metal roof, and new windows and doors. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION - - A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: ca. 2. Architect: None known. 3. Original and subsequent owners: See chain of title below. Part of Lot k, Block 2Ul, parcel 25. Deed, December IT, recorded in Volume 35, page hi.

Candelario and Petra Ortega to Miguel Escalante- Deed, March 1, recorded in Volume 52, page Estate of Miguel Escalante to Soledad Escalante (wife). Deed, July 7, recorded in Volume 71, page Board of Supervisors, Pima County, Az. to Soledad Escalante. Deed, July 7, recorded in Volume 71, page City of Tucson and 0. C. Parker Major and Trustee to Soledad Escalante. ESCALANTE HOUSE, 1+82-U8U S. CONVENT AVE. HABS Ho. AZ-T3-16 (Page 2) Deed, February 19, recorded in Volume 76, page Soledad de Escalante to Vicente and Trinidad Almenar. Deed, August IT, recorded in Volume 78, page Trinidad G. Almenar to Vicente G. Almenar. Deed, November 8, recorded in Volume 9&> Page Vicente G. and Cristina Almenar to Nick Turk. Deed, July recorded in Volume page Estate of Nick Turk to Sadie N. Turk.

Deed, May 13, recorded in Volume page Estate of Sadie N. Turk to Carlos G. Robles. _ .Deed, ..Eebruary...20,.1962-, recorded-in -Volume page Robles, Trustee to Turk. Deed, March 10, recorded in Volume page Turk to Ahee. Deed, June ih, recorded in Volume page Ahee to Abodeely. Deed, February l6, recorded in Volume Ul89, page Abodeely to Rollings Motor Co. . _ _ U. Builder: Miguel Escalante. 5. Alterations and additions: This dwelling was converted to two apartments around Two small additions, one adobe and one frame, modified the rear of the structure between 191U and Another small frame addition was built prior to These extra rooms were probably added to accommodate more persons in the two apart- ments. The structure may have housed three apartments at one time.

A frame stable at the rear of the house disappeared by > and. a small frame shed in the southwest corner of the property was gone by There are no longer any outbuildings associated with this building. B. Historical Events and Persons Connected with the Structure: Miguel escalante, a butcher, was the original occupant and butcher of this house. He owned a ranch in the Rinc6n Mountains and also ran a butcher shop at k69 S. Meyer Ave., a block from this residence. The Escalante family retained ownership of the house until the when it was sold and converted to two apartments. One of the Escalante daughters married Manuel Ahloy and lived next door, at S. Con- vent Ave.

A number of short-term working-class tenants occupied the two apartments from to the present, one family,that of Ramon Sanchez, living there from about to *^h-*i&*-***^&#^-iM*^&^^ ESCALANTE HOUSE, S. CONVENT AVE. HABS No- A2-T3-16 (Page 3) PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural character: This Early Transitional adobe structure has undergone extensive rehabilitation for two living units. The building sits at the front property line and its flush front is broken only with an entrance doorway and four windows. The high corrugated metal roof is hipped laterally only, leaving a gablet form at the end of each side just "below the ridge. 2. Condition of fabric: Excellent. B. Description of Exterior: 1.

_ Over-all dimensions: The building measures north-to-south along its east facade and east-to-west along its north side; the south side measures and has a strong bend toward the north. 2. Foundations: Inaccessible. 3. Wall construction, finish and color: The building is constructed of mud adobe, the exterior avails being stuccoed and painted blue. k. Structural system, framing: The adobe bearing walls support an exposed ceiling joist system (2" x the ceilings have been removed. The roof rafters are 2" x U", with plywood sheathing. 5. Porches: There is a porch on the west rear of the building; it has a shed roof. At the southwest corner there is an open struc- ture walled on three sides and roofed over. 6. Chimneys: There is one brick chimney located at the south wall of the building. 7.

Openings: a. Doorways and doors: The main entrance to is on the north side of the building. The doorway contains a four-panel door vith sidelights and a transom. The material is wood. The entrance to is on the east front. The doorway con- tains a four-panel door. The material is wood. Rear doors are located along the west side. They are wood, either paneled (four panels) or glass over panel, b. Windows: The windows are steel double-hung with four-over four light sash. im-nitfrteriMifr&rinriir ESCALANTE HOUSE, U82-U8U S. CONVENT AVE. HABS Mo. AZ-T3-16 (Page k) 8. Roof: a. Shape, covering: This "building has a high hip roof with gablets. The roofing material is corrugated metal. "b. Cornice, eaves: There is a flat fascia board at the eaves. The rafter ends abut the fascia. C.

Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: The buildings is divided into two living units. The north unit is two rooms deep with a bedroom loft area. The front room serves as the living room; the rear room contains the kitchen and a dining area; a small bathroom is built into the northwest corner of this room. The south unit is larger, having a major living area on the east side, a kitchen in the northwest corner, and a wing extending west along the south side. This wing contains a bathroom and a small studio space. To the outside rear is the enclosed open area. The lo:ft area of this unit is subdivided with low partitions into several spaces. 2. Stairways: Each unit has a stairway to the loft. The stairs are of open wood framing. The stringers support 2"x 12" treads with a TV open riser.

There are 2" x V handrails and balusters. The south unit has a brick, platform prior to the lk risers. The stair- way in the north unit has 15 risers. 3. Flooring: Floors throughout the first floor of both units are of brick in a basket-weave pattern. There are several one-step changes of level in the south unit. The loft floors are of wood with car- pet coverings. k. Wall and ceiling finishes: The walls have plaster surfaces and are painted. The ceilings have been removed, exposing the under- side of the roof. The plywood sheathing is visible. The ceil- ing joists are still in position; they measure 2" x 5. Openings: Interior doors are paneled ( five and six panels). The openings have board jambs and flat board trim. 6.

Mechanical equipment: The units have a central heating unit and evaporative coolers. They have full electrical service and com- plete plumbing. D. Site: 1. General setting and orientation: The building is located on the west side of South Convent Avenue, about seven feet back from the curb. ESCALANTE HOUSE, U82-U8U S. CONVENT AVE. HABS No. AS-73-16 (Page 5) 2, Landscaping, enclosures: There is a yard which wraps the build- ing on the west and north sides. The rear yard "belonging to is well developed with a variety of plantings. The yard associ- ated with #U8^ is devoid of any vegetation. The yards are en- closed with a railroad tie post-and-metal-grate fencing on the west side, and a chain-link fence on the street front. Prepared by: Prof. Robert C.

Giebner Project Supervisor Professor of Architecture University of Arizona July "PART "III.""SOURCES"OF INFORMATION ~ Building slip, Pima County Assessor's Office. Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps, Tract Books, National Title Insurance Company (Microfilm, Recorder's records). Tucson City Directories, Oral Interviews: Adelina Flores, $6 W. Kennedy St. Felix Fimbres, h62 E. St. - - PART IV. PROJECT INFORMATION This project was undertaken by the Historic American buildings Survey (HABS) of the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service's National Architectural and Engineering Record (NAER) in cooperation with the Tucson Barrio Association, Inc.

Funds for the project were provided by the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office and the Arizona State Office of Economic Planning and Development. Under the direction of Robert Kapsch, Chief of NAER, John Poppeliers, Chief of HABS, and Kenneth L- Anderson, Principal Architect, the project was completed during the summer of at the HABS field office in Tucson, Arizona, by Robert C. Giebner, Project Supervisor (Professor of Architecture, University of Arizona); William Joseph Graham, Project Foreman (University of Maryland); Ann E.

Huston, Project Historian (Pennsylvania State University); Student Architects Scott Marshall Dolph (University of Arizona); Carol Jean Lemon (Washington State Uni- versity); and Harrison Adam Sutphin (Virginia Tech); and Comprehensive Employ- ment and Training Act (CETA) Summer Youth Employment Program Interns: Maria Arriola (Tucson High School); Ernest Cota; Lupita Lopez (Tucson High School); and Anna Trinidad. Photographic records were made for HABS by.David J". Kaminsky, Photo- grapher, Roswell, New Mexico. Editing and final preparation of the documenta- tion was carried out in in the HABS Washington Office by William Joseph Graham, Architect, and Lucy Pope Wheeler, Writer/Editor, of the HABS professional staff.