Lee Lung Sing Market, 600 South Meyer Avenue, Tucson

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ARIZ,10-TUCSO,30/25-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

This "building at the corner of S. Meyer Avenue and W. Street has been a Chinese, grocery, operated by the same family, since Remodeled several times, it was orig- inally an adobe building about half of its present size. Currently the largest grocery store in the area, it is also the most dominant building on the block because of its large size and non-traditional architectural style. 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. Block Lot Ik. Deed, August 27, recorded in Volume 29, page Rafaela Vasquez to Andres and Guadalupe Herreras.

Deed, October 11, recorded in Volume ^8, page Andres Herreras, guardian of Eleazar Delfina Rodolfo, Andres and Arnoldo Herreras to Lee Goon and Lee Sum Man. Deed, October 13, recorded in Volume 50, page 39- Andres Herreras to Lee Goon and Lee Sum Man. Deed, June 13, recorded in Volume 69, page kk, Andres Herreras to Lee Goon and Lee Shan Man. Deed, March l6, recorded in Volume Ik, page Estate of Lee Shan Man to Long Shee {h interest) and Lee Goon {h interest). LEE LUNG SING MAPJ3T 600 SOUTH MEYER ATS3U2 HABS No. AZ-T3-25 (Page 2) Deed, November 8, recording in Volume 79, page 32. Lee Goon and Fong How and Long Shee to Lee Ho. 19Ul Deed, February 28, recorded in Volume page Estate of Oh Shee to Lee Ho. Deed, June IT, recorded in Volume page Jacome's Department Stores, Inc., to Jerry Lee.

Deed, October 30, recorded in Volume page Estate of Hose Fong Lee to Jerry W. Lee. Deed, March 10, recorded in Volume page U98. Lee to Gee. h. Builder: Unknown. 5. Alterations and additions: This structure began as a corner grocery store facing S. Meyer Avenue with an overhanging porch and two apartments at the rear. Between and three more apartments were added to the rear. Between 19lU and the store was enlarged to the north, and the adjoining dwelling unit to the west was enlarged and converted to a warehouse. Between and the store was again enlarged, this time toward the west (rear) and the corner section converted to # dwellings. In the most recent remodeling took place, with the corner dwellings being reconverted to store quarters.

At this time the facade of the store was modified to meet cur- rent commercial design standards. B. Historic Persons and Events Connected with the Structure: This grocery store was started in by Lee Lung Sing and passed down through three generations from father to son(daughter). The present owner is the great-granddaughter of Lee Lung Sing. Lee Lung Sing, his son,Lee Ho, and his grandson, Jerry Lee, were all' born in China. The men came to America to earn a living, while their wives maintained residences in China. Lillian Gee, the present owner, was born in Arizona. Lee Lung Sing first rented the store from Andres Herreras, owner of the property on the corner of S. Meyer Avenue and W. 17th'Street.

In Lee Lung Sing was able to purchase the property, and it has remained in the family ever since. The periodic enlargements of the store, demonstrate its neighborhood popularity. The remodeling established the market as the foremost grocery store, in the area, and it remains today the largest market in the Barrio Libre vicinity. LEE LUNG SING MARKET 600 SOUTH MEYER AVENUE HABS Ho. AZ-73-25 (Page 3) PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION (See Significance, above, and Barrio Li"bre (Barrio Historico)(HABS NO. AZ-73) for site plan and historical background essay. ) PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps, 19U8, Tract Books, Pioneer National Title Insurance Company (Recorder's records;.

on Microfilm)- Tucson City Directories, Oral Interviews: Suey and Lillian Gee, 600 S. Meyer Avenue Eliazar Herreras, E. Waverly Prepared hy: Ann E Huston Project Historian, Maureen L- Gerhold Assistant Project Historian Historic American Buildings Survey September.1980 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. Euston, Project Historian (California State University, Sacramento); Maureen L. Gerhold, Assistant Historian (Pennvylvania 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 En?loy- sent and Training Act (CETA) Summer Youth Employment Program Interns: Maria Arriola (Tucson High School); Ernest Cotta: 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 documentation was carried out in in the HABS Washington Office by William Joseph C-rsham, Architect, and Lucy Pope Wheeler, Writer/Editor, of the HABS professional staff. ADDENDUM TO HABS No. AZ-73-25 600 SOUTH MEYER AVENUE (COMMERCIAL) (LEE LUNG SING MARKET) Barrio Libre (Barrio Historico) 600 South Meyer Avenue 4 fZ Tucson ._ Pima County /^ " / VtSO Arizona 7 =3 XEROGRAPHIC COPIES OF COLOR TRANSPARENCIES HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington,