The Wherehouse, 551-557 South Meyer Avenue, Tucson

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ARIZ,10-TUCSO,30/29-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

These two separate dwellings marked as were con- nected in .when they were purchased for commercial purposes. Originally housing two apartment units each, these early transitional Sonoran adobe buildings exhibit Anglo influences through their hipped and gabled roofs, but their relationship to the street and contiguity re- veal their Sonoran origins. Because of its ~arger size and smaller setback, is the more dominant of the two structures. A large well, probably used by neighbors on the block, and now covered over, is located in- the rear yard. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of.erection: pre-1900, possibly pre-1880. 2. Architect: None known. 3 . Original and subsequent owners: See chain of title below. Part of Lots 3 and 6, Block parcel 21 and 38.

Deed, August 13, recorded in Volume 16, page Leopoldo and Elvire Carillo to Matilda Carillo. Tax Deed, May 25, recorded in Volume 26, page Treasurer and Tax Collector to Albert Steinfeld. Deed, January 23, recorded in Volume 26, page Albert Steinfeld, trustee to Henry Menager. Deed, June 20, recorded in Volume 35, page Fannie Menager (wi:fe of Henry) to Henry Menager. SOUTH MEYER AVENUE {'Yne Wherehouse") EJ..3S No. AZ-73-29 (Page 2) Deed, November 15, recorded in Vo!urne 42, page Estate of Henry Menager to ?efugio Ramirez. Deed, April 17, recorded in Volume 47, page 28. Henry Menager Estate to Re~ugio Ramirez. Sheriff's Deed, December 24, recorded in Volume 61, page A. W. Forbes, Sheriff to Jubert Steinfeld a..~d Company, Inc.

Deed, January 29, recorded in Volwne 68, page Albert Steinfeld and Comp~ny, Inc. to Eduardo Arias. Deed, October 26, recorded in Volume 80, page Carlotta and Eduardo Arias to Magdelena Acuna et al. Deed, March 20, recorded in Volume page 1. Estate Magdelena de Borquez to Manuel Borquez (husband). Deed, March 20, recorded in Volume page 2. Enrique Acuna et al to Catalina Acuna. Deed, March 20, recorded in Volume page 3. Catalina Acuna to Bernabe Robles. Deed, March 20, recorded in Volume page Manuel Borquez to Bernabe Robles. Deed, December 27, recorded in Volume 40, page Estate of Bernabe Robles to Joaquina S. Robles. Deed, July 28, recorded in Volume 99, page 27. Joaquina S. Robles to Bernabe S. Robles et al. Deed, March 21, recorded in Volume 18, page Bernabe Robles, et al to Mercedes R.

Martinez. Deed, November 7, resorded in Volume p~ge 22. Estate of Mercedes R. Martinez to Baudelio R. Martinez et al. Deed, April 4, recorded in Volume page Estate of Baudelio R. Mar:;inez to Martinez et al. Deed~ February 23, recorded in Volume page Martinez to Arenal. Deed, June 1, recorded in Volume page B. M. Arenal to Larrs D. Sweet. SOUTH HEYER AVENUE (The Wherehouse n) HABS No. AZ-73-29 (Page 3) 4. Build.er: Unknown. 5, Alterations and additions: The smaller building,#551, was con- verted from a single-family residence to a duplex between and No further alterations to either building took place until the structures,were remodeled and connecting passages made for commercial conversion in ' B.

Historical Persons and Events Connected with the Structure: These structures housed a succession of short-term, Spanish-surnamed laborers, tradespeople, Southern Picific Railroad employees, teamsters, clerks, and widows from the time of their construction until the build- ings were converted !or commercial use in Many of the names-- Gallego, Romero, Boj6r~uez, Busta.mante--are associated with later ownership of other pieces of property on s. Convent and S. Meyer avenues. Prepared by: Ann E. Huston Project Historian, Maureen L. Gerhold Assistant Project Historian, Historic American Buildings Survey September PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1.

Architectural character: These two buildings have been connected internally as a part of their rehabilitation for commercial pur- poses. The structure at was composed of two shotgun plans. The structure at was originally one room deep and two rooms wide. Additions to the east completed the structure as soon today. 2. Condition of fabric: Good. The buildings have been rehabilitated. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Over-all dimensions: S. Meyer Ave. measures 18' north-to- south on its main (west) facade, and 29' east-to-west on its side. Its front facade sets back five feet from the front facade of which measures 27' north-to-south on its main (west) facade and 23' east-to-west along its side. 2. Foundations: Inaccessible. 3.

wail construction, f'inish ar1d color: The walls are constructed of mud adobe and are stuccoed and painted yellow. SOUTH MEYER AVEI~U.::: ("T"ne Wherehouse") HA.BS No. AZ-73-29 (Page h) 4. Structural system, framing: Both buildings have adobe bearing walls supporting ceiling and roof structure. Certain rooms in have vigas. The hipped roofs, covering the front portions of both build- ings have 2" x 4" rafters. 5. Chimneys: There is a partial brick chimney on the rear shed of It is no longer functional. Other stove pipe stacks are located on the rear roof slopes. 6. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: has two exterior doors on the west front.

The northern doorway contains a flush door, while the southern one contains one door having two round-headed lancet windows above a horizontal and two small vertical panels. has two doorways containing vertical board doors with single rectangular windo-ws. There is a transom voer each door. The doors are recessed in the doorways. Doors. Doors on the east rear of both buildings vary from solid doors{vi. th gal va.n- ized sheet-metal surface over wood paneled doors) to five-panel doors, with two vertical panels above horizontal and vertical panels. b. Windows: The west facade windows of and the south window on ~the west front of are of single large sheets of glass set in wood frames.

The glass is recessed in the openings, and there are grilles fabricated from rebars (concrete reinforcing rods). The sills are of concrete. The north window on the west facade of is double-hung, with wood sash. Windows on the east rear are either wood casement windows or contain an awning (inward opening) sash over a fixed panel. 7. Roof: a. Shape, covering: The roof of the main portion of is composed of a combination of gable and hipped forms. The gable roof is set back with its ridge running north-~o-south. The Hip roof has its ridge higher than the gable ridge, and extends west from the other roof form. The surface of the hip roof is gray composition rolled roofing, as is the low shed roof to the rear. The roof of is hipped with a ridge extending north and south.

The rear slope is extended to shed roofs with slightly different slopes. The hipped roof is of gray asphalt shingles; the shed roofs are of rolled composition roofing. SOUTH MEYER AVENUE (_"The Wherehouse") HABS No. AZ-73-29 (Page 5) o. Cornice, eaves: The 2" x 4" rafters extend to a fascia for a slight overhang and are exposed on the underside. The sheathing is also exposed. 8. Other features: There is a long narrow skylight on the east slope of the hip roof on C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: The floor plan of consists of a pair of shot- gun plans, the rooms extending west to east; the units are three rooms deep; the middle rooms have no exterior exposure. has two rooms across its west front, with three rooms in the second flank.

The front rooms provide access t.o the end rooms of the second line of rooms. The middle room is accessible only from the south room. The northernmost room of this unit gives access to an attached room to the east. The northernmost room is an interior room. 2. Flooring: All rooms except for the southwest room of have concrete slab floors. The southwest room of has a brick floor with a basketweave pattern. 3. Wall and ceiling finish: All walls are of adobe with plaster surfaces. In the west front rooms of the ceilings have been removed, leaving the pine vigas still in place, resting upon a 4 1 x 8" girder running north/south across the rooms. The underside of the roof is exposed; it has wood sheathing and wood shingles.

The rear rooms of have exposed 2" x 4" rafters with l" x 4" board ceilings. The ceilings and ceiling structure of the front rooms of #551,also have been removed, exposing the roof above. The roof was con- structed of 2" x 4" rafters with wood sheathing and shingles. Other rooms of have exposed underside of shed roof as ceiling. 4. Doorways and doors: Most interior doors have been removed; the doorways have a simple wood jamb set on one side of the thick wall opening. There are flat board surrounds ( 2;i," or 3;i, " ) . A new doorway has been cut between the two buildings in the cen- ter rooms --the north room of and the south room of 5. Mechanical equipment: Electrical service has been provided; there is no indoor plumbing and no heating. SOUTH MEYER AVENUE ("The Wherebouse n) HABS No.

(Page 6) D. Site: l. General setting and orientation: T'ne buildings are situated on the east side of South Meyer Avenue. is set at the front property line, about seven feet back from the curb; is situated five feet farther back. The front sidewalk is of brick. The rear (east) yard is used for merchandise storage. There is a terrace contained by a stone wall about 3' high. The boundary fences on the north, east, and west (the latter extending south from the building), are of corrugated metal. There is some brick paving in the rear yard. There is a scattering of trees in the rear yard, including a mulberry and a mesquite. Prepared by: Prof. Robert C. Giebner Project Supervisor Professor of .Architecture University of Arizona July III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A.

Old views: aerial photograph of Tucson taken from Sentinel Peak. Arizona Historical Society. B.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ARIZ,10-TUCSO,30/29-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps, Tract Books, Pioneer National Title Insurance Company (Ylicrofilm, Recorder's records). Tucson City Directories, Building slip, Pima County Assessor's Office. Oral Interview: Larry Sweet, South Meyer Avenue. IV. PROJEST IIITORMATION Tnis project was undertaken by the Historic P.r::.erican Buildings Survey of the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service 1 s National Architectural and Engineering Record (NAER) in cooperation with the Tucson Barrio Association, Inc. SOUTH MEYER AVEI:fUE ( "The vfuerehouse '1 ) HABS No. AZ-73-29 (Page 7) Funds for the project were provided by the P..::-izona State Historic Preservation Office a...~d the Arizona State Office of Eccno-;c Planning and Development.

Under the direction of Robert Kapsch, Chief of liAE?., John Poppeliers, Chief of RAES, and Kenneth L. Anderson, Principal Architect, the project was completed during the summer of at the HAJ3S field office Tucson, Arizona, by Robert C- Giebner, Project Supervisor (Professor of li.rchi~ecture, University of Arizona); William Joseph Graham, Project Foreman (University of Maryland); Ann E. Huston, Project Historian (California State University, Sacramento); Maureen L.

Gerhold, Assistant Historian (Pennsylvania State University); Student Architects Scott Marshall Dolph (University of Arizona); Carol Jean Lemon (Washington State Uni- versity); and Harrison Adam Sutphin (Virgini~ Tech); and Comprehensive Employ- ment and Training Act (CETA) Summer Youth Employment Program Interns: Maria P.rriola (Tucson High School); Ernest Cota; Lupita Lopez (Tucson High School); and Anna Trinidad. Photographic records were made for H.ABS by David J. Kaminsky, Photo- grapher, Roswell, New Mexico. Edi ting and i"'.;..D.aJ. preparation of the document at ion was carried out in in the HAJ3S Washington Office by Willia.Di Joseph Graham, Architect, and Lucy Pope Wheeler, Writer/Edi~or, of the F.ABS professional staff. # ADDENDUM TO HABS No.

AZ-73-29 SOUTH MEYER AVENUE, "THE WHEREHOUSE" Barrio Libre (Barrio Historico) South Meyer Avenue I Tucson Pima County Arizona XEROGRAPHIC COPIES OF COLOR TRANSPARENCIES HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington,