Building 9, Cactus Circle, Sells

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS AZ-236. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Building No. 9, Cactus Circle, Sells, Pima County, Arizona. The building is located on the south side of Cactus Circle, at the Papago Agency Headquarters on the Tohono O odham Nation Reservation. The building is located at latitude: longitude: This point was obtained on October 25, using Google Earth There is no restriction on its release to the public.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS AZ-236. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Building 9 at the Papago Agency Headquarters was constructed in a regional adaptation of the Craftsman architectural style by Civilian Conservation Corps Indian Division (CCC-ID) workers in for use as employee housing for the Sells (Papago) Agency. The Tohono O odham workers who constructed the building incorporated traditional materials into its overall design, including locally sourced basalt cobbles and rough-hewn mesquite posts intended to emulate the traditional shelters constructed by the tribe.

The unique construction methods of Building 9 represent a rejection of federal assimilation policies and embody the principles of Native American autonomy and self-sufficiency promoted by the Indian New Deal and the Native American self-determination movement of the Building 9 is significant for its association with Native American self-determination policies promoted by the Indian New Deal, as well as for its association with the activities of the CCC-ID. The building is also significant for its architecture as a unique example of Native American stone masonry and craftsmanship in the New Deal era. Historian(s): The written narrative was prepared by Architectural Historian Courtney Mooney with the assistance of Kasey Fulwood and Greta Rayle, all of North Wind.

The documentation of Building 9 was conducted by North Wind in

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS AZ-236. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

under contract to the BIA. The field team consisted of Architectural Historian Greta Rayle (North Wind), Historian Kasey Fulwood (North Wind), and Photographer Aaron Rothman of ARBR Photography of Phoenix. The photographs and negatives were processed by Mr. Rothman. BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 2) PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: 2. Architect: The architect of record is unknown. 3. Original and subsequent uses: Building No. 9 was constructed by CCC-ID workers in for use as employee housing and it has served as a single-family residence since that date. 4. Builder: CCC-ID 5. Original plans and construction: The original plans for Building 9 were not found. The earliest floor plan drawing for the building was completed in June by the BIA.

The drawing consists of a single sheet (labelled Form that includes dimensions to scale, calculated square footage and cubic footage, labeled interior and exterior spaces, and a north arrow. Wall heights are also represented through the use of hatching. 6. Alterations and additions: Historic photographs obtained from the BIA Western Regional Office indicate that the building s rear sun porch was enclosed sometime between and and porch openings were covered with plywood by Additionally, at least one window on the west fa ade of the northwest bedroom was replaced with a modern one-over-one aluminum window, the front entry was removed and replaced with a security door, and several windows are covered with plywood. There are no other obvious changes to the building s exterior. B.

Historical Context: In February President Woodrow Wilson issued an Executive Order establishing the Papago Agency Headquarters in Sells, Arizona. The Agency was the administrative center of the Papago Indian Reservation, a more than 2,000,000-acre tract reserved for the Papago (Tohono O odham) tribe located between Tucson and Ajo, Arizona. The headquarters were situated at the site of a former Native American village known as Komkcud Ewa osidk, or Indian Oasis.1 In the community s name was changed to the Sells Agency in honor of 1 U.S. Committee on Indian Affairs, Hearing Before the Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, Seventy-Third Congress, Second Session on S. (Washington: Government Printing Office, BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 3) then U.S.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Cato Sells.2 By a hospital, several administration buildings, and a government day school had been built at the Agency.3 In the U.S. government conducted a landmark study known as the Meriam Report, which challenged the long-accepted federal policy of assimilating Native Americans into European American culture. The report condemned the policy of assimilation as harmful to Native American communities and advocated for Native American autonomy and self- government.4 The publication of the Meriam Report sparked a national anti-assimilationist movement that was largely spearheaded by Commissioner of Indian Affairs John Collier. Beginning in Collier introduced a period of policy reversal known as the Indian New Deal.

The centerpiece of Collier s policy was the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act, giving federal tribes the right to organize independent tribal governments.5 In December a referendum was held regarding the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act, which showed overwhelming support for the policy among the Tohono O odham peoples.

Following the Act s passage, a tribal council and eleven administrative districts were established on the Sells Reservation in In January the newly formed Papago Tribal Council received approval for their tribal constitution from the Secretary of the Interior, marking the first time in history that the Papago tribe had been unified under a single government.6 While the establishment of an independent tribal government was considered a huge success for the Tohono O odham people, the overall progress of the Indian New Deal was hindered by the start of the Great Depression, which had a particularly harsh effect on the Native American population.7 In April President Franklin Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps Indian Division (CCC-ID) to improve the lives of Native Americans living on the country s reservations.

The program was largely a response to the Meriam Report of and aimed to improve the lives of Native Americans on reservations by providing unemployment relief and job skills training that would promote tribal self-sufficiency. The ID was fundamentally different from the regular CCC program as Native American enrollees were encouraged to work on their own reservations, and to remain close to their families and 2 U.S. Board of Indian Commissioners, Forty-Seventh Annual Report of the Board of Indian Commissioners to the Secretary of the Interior (Washington: Government Printing Office, 3 Supt. Of Sells Reservation to Direct Pueblos, The Tucson Citizen, January 22, Accessed April 6, http://www.newspapers.com. 4 James S.

Olson and Raymond Wilson, Native Americans in the Twentieth Century (Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, 5 Graham D. Taylor, The New Deal and American Indian Tribalism: The Administration of the Indian Reorganization Act, (Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press, 6 Winston P. Erickson, Sharing the Desert: The Tohono O odham in History (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 7 Edward H. Spicer, Cycles of Conquest: The Impact of Spain, Mexico, and the United States on the Indians of the Southwest, (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 4) communities.8 By October the superintendent of the Sells Agency reported that nearly 900 men enrolled for the CCC-ID.

The reservation was allotted in funding for the development of water resources like storage dams and reservoirs, as well as an additional in to construct a new community center, day schools, and employee quarters.9 Building No. 9 was one of six buildings constructed by CCC-ID workers at the Papago Agency Headquarters between and for use as employee housing. The Papago on the Sells Reservation took pride in their CCC-ID projects.

By there were twenty stone masons, fifteen plasterers and cement finishers, ten form builders, twenty mortar mixers, fifty truck drivers, ten tractor operators, four grader operators, and four jackhammer men that had been instructed and trained on the reservation.10 Three years later, Erik Allstrom, an assistant camp supervisor, reported that the men had built dams, and masonry and concrete structures of many sorts.

11 In John Collier, the commissioner of Indian Affairs, dedicated the tribe s new community building at Sells, which was constructed by ID employees with financing from Indian Rehabilitation Trust Funds and Papago Contributed Funds.12 By the time the CCC-ID program ended in the participants had completed projects that included the construction and development of a fire look-out house, dams, tanks, reservoirs, trails, a forest and range cabin, and a commissary 13. Overall, the proved to be a pivotal period for the Tohono O odham as the tribe gained greater independence through self-governance and tribal members developed skills and technical knowledge through participation in work relief programs that created new opportunities for future growth.

The attitude of the Tohono O odham peoples regarding the progress of the was summarized in a resolution submitted by the Papago Indian Council to the Indian Bureau in The resolution declared that, We have experienced greater material and spiritual progress during the past three years than for any previous 20- year period in our history .14 8 Calvin W. Gower, The CCC Indian Division: Aid for Depressed Americans, Historical Society (Spring 9 Indian Affairs, The Casa Grande Dispatch, November 10, Accessed April 6, http://www.newspapers.com 10 U.S. Office of Indian Affairs, Indians at Work, Volume 3, Issue 15 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 11 U.S. Office of Indian Affairs, Indians at Work, Volume 6, No.

8 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 12 Council Takes Pride in its Distinctive Fair-Rodeo, The Arizona Daily Star, November 23, Accessed April 6, http://www.newspapers.com; Erickson, Sharing the Desert, 13 U.S. Office of Indian Affairs, Indians at Work, Volume 1, Issue 1 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 14 Sells Indians Praise Collier, The Arizona Republic, September 12, Accessed April 6, http://www.newspapers.com BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 5) PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement 1. Architectural character: Building 9 is constructed in a regional adaptation of the Craftsman style, a European American style developed in Southern California primarily by brothers Charles Sumner and Henry Mather Greene of Greene and Greene Architects.

The Craftsman style is evident in Building 9 through the use of a low-pitched, gable-on-hip roof with open eaves and exposed rafter ends; a wide, full-width porch with substantial porch supports; and one-story massing. The porch supports are constructed of rough-hewn mesquite, and walls are constructed of basalt cobble stone. The building retains integrity of location, design, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association; however, the building no longer retains integrity of materials as at least one steel casement window has been replaced on the west fa ade, and the sun porch was enclosed, resulting in the infill or removal of screen window frames on the south fa ade of the sun porch.

On the interior, the original kitchen cupboards, counter, and fixtures appear to have been replaced, as well as several interior doors. 2. Condition of fabric: Building 9 is generally in good condition. The locally sourced basalt cobbles, rough-hewn mesquite porch support posts, roof materials, and remaining casement windows are all in a good state of preservation. Interior features, surfaces, and materials, including a stone fireplace, plaster walls, tongue-and-groove wood sheathing on ceilings, and asphalt kitchen floor tiles, range in condition from fair to good with some deterioration of finishes.

The original wood frame elements of the enclosed sun porch, such as the vertical tongue-and-groove wood wainscoting, exposed rafters, and wood frame screen openings, are extant and in fair condition. The original kitchen cupboards, counter, and fixtures appear to have been replaced; several interior doors appear to have been removed and reframed; and modern carpet has been installed. Trash and debris are scattered throughout the house. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: Dimensions have not changed since originally constructed. Building 9 is 53 -10 long along the alley, including an 8 -6 wide porch, and 28 -10 wide along Cactus Circle. The building is one story in height (approximately 13 tall from grade to ridge beam). 2.

Foundations: The building has a stone foundation with crawlspace and a concrete porch on the front (north) fa ade. 3. Walls: The walls of Building 9 consist of locally sourced basalt cobbles. The sun porch, located at the southwest corner, is wood frame with a low wall of vertical tongue-and- groove siding. Window openings above the wall have been filled in with plywood. 4. Structural system, framing: Building 9 is constructed of unreinforced basalt cobblestone with a stone foundation. The hipped roof consists of wood rafters with tongue-and- BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 6) groove wood sheathing. The porch roof is supported by four evenly spaced mesquite posts. 5. Openings: a.

Doorways and doors: Building 9 has three exterior door openings: one on the front (north) elevation, and two on the rear (south) elevation. The front door has been removed and replaced with a security screen door. The rear doors consist of one narrow wood panel door with a fixed-lite window and small pet door leading to the sun porch on the west half of the fa ade, and a modern hollow-core door with wood frame screen door leading to the kitchen on the east half of the fa ade. The screen door has a screen opening on the top half, and wood paneling covering the opening on the bottom half. b. Windows: Building 9 has eight exterior window openings in the stone walls, and four exterior window openings associated with the sun porch.

On the stone walls, three original windows face west, two face north, and three face east. The two southernmost windows on the east elevation, and all three windows on the west elevation, are covered with plywood. At least one, located in the bedroom at the northwest corner, was replaced with a modern aluminum one-over-one window. The kitchen window, located at the south half of the east fa ade, is visible from the interior and consists of a two-lite metal frame casement window. The remaining uncovered original windows are metal frame casement windows with two vertical lites on the top three-fourths of the window, and a horizontal single-lite transom on the bottom one-fourth. The openings are framed in wood with projecting concrete sills and thick wood lintels set into the stone.

The sun porch window openings are covered with plywood. Historic photographs and current documentation suggest they were screened openings. Two openings faced west, and two faced south. The west-facing openings consisted of adjacent pairs of vertical wood frames with horizontal muntins roughly 16 from the top of the window frame. No evidence of style or type of openings remains on the south fa ade of the screen porch. 6. Roof: a. Shape, covering: The roof is gable-on-hip with a moderate slope. Gable ends contain triangular wooden louvered vents. The roof is sheathed in composition shingles. The porch ceiling is sheathed in plywood with wood battens. Two stone chimneys extend from the east slope of the roof. b.

Cornice, eaves: The eaves of Building 9 are open with exposed, angle-cut rafter tails. C. Description of Interior: BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 7) 1. Floor plans: The original floor plan of Building 9 appears to be intact. The building has a rectangular plan running north-south and measuring 45 -4 long and 28 -10 wide, with an 8 -6 wide full-length front porch. The plan is divided down the center of the house with three interior rooms on the east side and two interior rooms and a sun porch on the west side. The front (north) entrance leads into to the living room. A large opening is present between the living room and dining room. A single leaf opening with no door separates the dining room from the kitchen. The kitchen has two identically sized closets on the west wall.

One is identified as a closet on the floor plan drawing and originally had a door. The other is marked WA and does not have a door. The closet with the door likely served as a pantry, while the second closet may have housed a hot water heater or washer and dryer. A standard single leaf opening with no door leads west from the northwest corner of the dining room to a short hallway with access to the northernmost bedroom, a short hall closet, a bathroom, and the southernmost bedroom. A single-leaf door leads from the southernmost bedroom to the sun porch so that access to the sun porch from the interior of the house is only through this bedroom. The northernmost bedroom has a closet in the southwest corner, and the southernmost bedroom has a closet in the southeast corner.

The south wall of this closet is the north wall of the WA closet in the kitchen. 2. Stairways: N/A 3. Flooring: Early 9 by 9 asphalt floor tiles are visible in the kitchen. The remainder of the house contains modern carpet. 4. Wall and ceiling finish: Walls throughout the main house are covered in plaster and painted. The ceiling displays exposed tongue and groove sheathing. 5. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: Interior doors have been removed. Wood lintels are visible above entrance doors. b. Windows: There are no interior windows. Wood lintels are visible above windows on the building envelope. 6. Decorative features and trim: A stone fireplace with wood mantel is located at the southeast corner of the living room, and the ceiling features exposed tongue and groove sheathing. 7.

Hardware: Original steel frame casement hardware is extant on remaining casement windows. 8. Mechanical equipment: BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 8) a. Heating, air conditioning, ventilation: Modern heating, ventilation, and air- conditioning equipment is present on the south (rear) slope of the roof. No duct work is visible in the interior; however, a modern metal louvered wall vent is present at the base of the south wall of the northwest bedroom. b. Lighting: Lighting throughout the house is modern. A ceiling fan with light is located in the living room, and fluorescent fixtures hang from the ceiling in the sun porch.

A fluorescent fixture is flush-mounted to the kitchen ceiling and a recessed can light with square fixture consisting of a brass frame and frosted glass insert is located above the kitchen sink. c. Plumbing: Information regarding the original plumbing and fixtures was not found. The current condition of the plumbing is not known. 9. Original furnishings: No original furnishings are extant. D. Site: 1. Historic landscape design: There is no formal landscape design. Building 9 is located on a lot south of Cactus Circle. The lot is rectangular and measures approximately 65 wide by 160 long and consists of dirt with naturally occurring desert native plants and trees. The natural landscaping is consistent throughout the Papago Agency Headquarters site. BUILDING 9 HABS No.

AZ-236 (Page 9) PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Architectural drawings: A floor plan drawing for Building 9, dating to is on file at the BIA Western Regional Office located at N. Central Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona. B. Selected

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS AZ-236. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Council Takes Pride in its Distinctive Fair-Rodeo. The Arizona Daily Star, November 23: 3. Accessed April 6, http://www.newspapers.com Erickson, Winston P. Sharing the Desert: The Tohono O odham in History. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, Gower, Calvin W. The CCC Indian Division: Aid for Depressed Americans, . Minnesota Historical Society (Spring Indian Affairs. The Casa Grande Dispatch, November 10, Accessed April 6, http://www.newspapers.com Nabokov, Peter, and Robert Easton. Native American Architecture. New York: Oxford University Press, Olson, James S., and Raymond Wilson. Native Americans in the Twentieth Century. Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Sells Indians Praise Collier.

The Arizona Republic, September 12, Accessed April 6, http://www.newspapers.com Spicer, Edward H. Cycles of Conquest: The Impact of Spain, Mexico, and the United States on the Indians of the Southwest, Tucson: University of Arizona Press, Supt. Of Sells Reservation to Direct Pueblos. The Tucson Citizen, January 22, Accessed April 6, http://www.newspapers.com. Taylor, Graham D. The New Deal and American Indian Tribalism: The Administration of the Indian Reorganization Act, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, U.S. Board of Indian Commissioners. Forty-Seventh Annual Report of the Board of Indian Commissioners to the Secretary of the Interior. Washington: Government Printing Office, BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 10) U.S. Committee on Indian Affairs.

Hearing Before the Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, Seventy-Third Congress, Second Session on S. Washington: Government Printing Office, U.S. Office of Indian Affairs. Indians at Work. Volume 1, Issue 1. Washington: Government Printing Office, U.S. Office of Indian Affairs. Indians at Work. Volume 3, Issue 15. Washington: Government Printing Office, U.S. Office of Indian Affairs. Indians at Work. Volume 6, No. 8. Washington: Government Printing Office, BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 11) Appendix A: Historic Photographs of Building 9, Papago Agency Headquarters View of north (front) fa ade of Building 9, ca. (Source: BIA Western Regional Office, Phoenix, Arizona). View of south (rear) fa ade of Building 9, ca. (Source: BIA Western Regional Office, Phoenix, Arizona).

BUILDING 9 HABS No. AZ-236 (Page 12) Appendix B: Paper Copies of Architectural Drawings Floor Plan Drawing, (BIA Western Regional Office).