Admin

<p>La Casa Cordova dates back to the mid-1800s, there is no exact date attached to its construction. The property consisted of several large rooms, which were used for varying purposes over the years. It is known, however, that it was inherited and owned by the Cordova family, which consisted of Maria Navarrete Cordova and her four children, from 1944 to 1973. Back in 1896, the property was bought by Severin Sambaud and his wife Refugio, who was one of Maria’s great aunts. The Sambauds never lived in the building, but instead leased it out as apartments, as well as a shoe repair shop. Refugio left the building to Maria’s son Arturo in 1936, and the family moved into the property in 1944.</p><p>Much like the previous owners of the building, the Cordovas rented out part of the building, though they ended up taking up residence on the property, as well. One of the front rooms was rented out as an apartment, while the Cordovas ran their own business, the Cordova Brothers Smoke Shop, out of the front of the building. Years later, property ownership disputes arose, culminating in the City of Tucson gaining the property in 1972. The following year, it was leased out to the Tucson Museum of Art, and in 1975, the Junior League of Tucson worked to restore the building to what it might have been like in 1850. Today, La Casa Cordova is run by the Tucson Museum of Art as an extended exhibit.</p>

La Casa Cordova is the oldest adobe home in downtown Tucson.

The Tucson Museum of Art's page for La Casa Cordova

More Info

One of the oldest existing buildings in Tucson, La Casa Cordova is part of El Presidio Historic District. The original rooms of this historic adobe home may predate the 1854 Gadsden Purchase. The name of the home comes from the surname of owners who occupied the home in the 1930s and 1940s-the time when historians became interested in the significance of the structure. 

La Casa Cordova

This walking tour begins and ends at historic railroad depots with stops at several museums and numerous historic Tucson buildings and landmarks along the way.

Historic Downtown Tucson Walking Tour

Built in 1912, the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad Depot is a fine example of Beaux Arts and Neo-Classical architecture. The EP&S railroad company was owned by the Phelps Dodge Corporation, which was a successful copper mining business. Its owner, Walter Douglass, decided to extend the railroad to Tucson to better reach the company's mining operations. Perhaps its most striking feature is the rotunda with a stained-glass dome. It does not appear to be open to the public or have any establishment as of early 2017, but two Mexican restaurants were located here beginning in 1978 and operated through at least the mid-2000s. Passenger service ended in 1924 when the Southwest Railroad merged with EP&S but freight service continued until 1936. The depot was used for storage and mostly abandoned until it was bought by Allan Norville, the man who opened the two restaurants.  

El Paso & Southwestern Railroad Depot

Manning was born in North Carolina in 1864 but grew up in Mississippi. After finishing his education there he moved to Tucson in 1884. He first worked as a reporter, then became manager of the Ice &amp; Electric Company. After that he worked as a clerk in the U.S. Surveyor General's office in Tucson, an experience that enabled him to be appointed Surveyor General for the state in 1893. In addition to these jobs and his mayorship,&nbsp;Manning also invested in mining, commercial, and real estate enterprises—all of which made him wealthy. He died of pneumonia at his summer home in California in 1935. His son, Howell Jr., sold the house in 1949 so that his family could be in a more rural location (he found Tucson to be too urban by that point). In the coming decades the house saw many owners, including the Concannon family, who bought it in 1997 and made it into a meeting and events center. It closed in 2012. El Rio bought it a year later and began renovating it. &nbsp;&nbsp;

This historic property, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built by former Tucson mayor, Levi Howell Manning, who served one term a mayor from 1905-1907. Today is the headquarters for El Rio Community Health Center, the state's largest such organization. Manning constructed the building in 1908, using his large fortune to pay for it. It is historic for its association with Manning and its architecture. In terms of the latter, the house's design is a combination of Spanish, Colonial, Italian Renaissance, and Prairie styles. The house, which sits on 10 acres, also featured gardens. Manning hosted many festivities including an annual garden party. 

Manning House

<div><span>Founded March 20, 1924 in the Presidio District of downtown Tucson, Arizona as the Tucson Fine Arts Association (TFAA), the museum was created by members of the Tucson Women's Club and 50 other Tucsonans.&nbsp;TFAA was initially a gallery and monthly lecture space. After the inauguration of the new Scott Avenue Temple of Music and Art in October 1927, the group relocated to the upstairs Temple Gallery.&nbsp;Exhibitions expanded and in 1941 TFAA presented&nbsp;<i>Southwestern Oils</i>, featuring works and a lecture series given by noted artist Maynard Dixon.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span>In 1947 artists and craftspeople presented&nbsp;<i>A New Look at Art</i>, the city's first non-juried exhibition of local artists, which drew 7,412 visitors.&nbsp;</span>The Craft Show was introduced in 1950, which became the&nbsp;<i>Arizona Biennial</i>, now the longest-running statewide biennial art exhibition in the state.&nbsp;In 1967 the organization that would become the Tucson Museum of Art started a permanent collection based on several major donations.<br></div><div><p><span>Designed by Andy Anderson, a principal architect of the Tucson architecture firm founded by William Wilde,&nbsp;the main Museum was opened May 1, 1975 with the inaugural exhibition,&nbsp;<i>Tucson Collects</i>, which included loaned works from 43 personal collections of Tucsonans.&nbsp;The museum drew 50,000 visitors in its first year.&nbsp;Reminiscent of the Guggenheim Museum&nbsp;in New York City, the Tucson Museum's main galleries are arranged as an open downward spiral around a "well" at the center that connects the levels and ramps.</span></p></div><div><br></div><div><b>Collections</b></div><div><span>The Museum's permanent collection includes more than 8,000 objects in the areas of modern and contemporary art, Latin American, Western and Native American, and Asian art. The&nbsp;<b>Latin America collection</b>&nbsp;includes pre-Columbian art produced by Native Americans prior to the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century.&nbsp;</span></div><div><span>The Museum began to collect&nbsp;<b>modern art&nbsp;</b></span><span>in the early 1970s&nbsp;with a donation of ninety-two objects from the Lawrence J. Heller collection of European and American modernists.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<b>Art of the American West Collection</b>&nbsp;was established in the 1980s with a donation by Ileen B. and Samuel J. Campbell. The collection spans 200 years.</span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><p><span><b>*Historic Block</b>&nbsp;</span></p><p>It includes five houses built between the mid-1850s to 1907 surrounding the modern museum building that houses most of the galleries.</p><p><span>The&nbsp;<b>J. Knox Corbett House</b>,&nbsp;completed in 1907, is a mission-revival style two-story home restored and furnished with period pieces from the American Arts and Crafts era. It is open by appointment only or for public tours on Wednesday mornings&nbsp;at 11:00 am&nbsp;from October through April.</span></p><p><span><b>La Casa Cordova,&nbsp;</b>one of the oldest buildings in Tucson, is home to the seasonal exhibition&nbsp;</span><em>El Nacimiento</em>. It is an excellent example of a Sonoran row house that was a popular building style in the late 19th century. The rooms of La Casa Cordova, including&nbsp;<em>El Nacimiento</em>, are open November – March only. The courtyard is open year round.</p><p><span>The<b>&nbsp;Edward Nye Fish House,&nbsp;</b>known as the John K. Goodman Pavilion of Western Art, also dates from the late 1800s and is home to the Art of the American West collection.</span></p><p><span>The<b>&nbsp;Romero House,&nbsp;</b>believed to have been built in 1860, has undergone numerous alterations and is now home to the Tucson Museum of Art’s ceramics studio offering studio art classes to both children and adults.</span></p><p><span>The<b>&nbsp;Stevens/Huffield House,&nbsp;</b>also known as the Palace Pavilion, dates back to the late 1800s and houses the Art of Latin America collection of pre-Columbian, Mexican folk art, and colonial works.(10)</span></p><div><h6>*Records for buildings on the historic block are housed in the Research Library,&nbsp;and open to the public during regular library hours.</h6></div></div>

Take a journey through art, history, and culture at the Tucson Museum of Art (TMA). The Museum features changing exhibitions of Art of the American West, Latin America, and Modern and Contemporary art forms, with a permanent collection of more than 9,000 objects. TMA offers ongoing educational programs for children, families, and adults through summer arts programs, lectures, and art-making activities. The annual Dia de Los Muertos celebration is a Tucson tradition. The Museum campus includes four historic adobe properties and a restored Craftsman home (check tour hours on the Museum website).


Tucson Museum of Art & Historic Block

The Spanish used the park, which they called Plaza de las Armas, as a place to drill its garrison of 300 soldiers beginning in the late 18th century. When the Mormon Battalion arrived, no fighting took place. The Battalion was&nbsp;marching to San Diego from Council Bluffs, Iowa to reinforce&nbsp;the American army fighting in the West during the Mexican-American War. In Tucson they&nbsp;exchanged clothing and other goods for grain and salt. During this brief stay and occupation (December 16-17, 1846), the battalion raised the&nbsp;American flag for the first time in Tucson. The battalion then proceeded to San Diego. The tradition of holding festivals and other events here began in the late 18th century.

Located next to the Old Pima County Courthouse, El Presidio Park has been in continual use since 1539, when the Spanish first arrived. Today it features historical markers, monuments and statues, a water fountain, modern art, memorials, and a rose garden dedicated to John F. Kennedy. There are memorials to the Vietnam War and World War II's Battle of the Bulge; and a monument to the Mormon Battalion who, in December 1846, briefly raised the first American flag over Tucson. The park, which is located over an underground garage, is also used for festivals, weddings, and political gatherings. 

El Presidio Park

Having marched from Council Bluffs in Iowa earlier in 1846 during the early stages of the Mexican War, the 500 man-force of the Mormon Battalion had shrunk to under 400 in Santa Fe due to illness. Commanded by General Philip St. George Cooke, the Battalion headed towards modern-day Arizona to capture Tucson before heading to their ultimate objectives in San Diego and Los Angeles in California. On December 16, 1846, the Battalion reached the outskirts of the town with 360 men and prepared to attack.&nbsp;<br><br>In Tucson, specifically in Fort (Presidio) Tucson, 200 men of the local Mexican forces commanded by Antonio Comaduron, decided to abandon the town rather than&nbsp;fight, since they were outnumbered. The Presidio and town had been in existence since 1776.&nbsp;They fled with some locals they persuaded to leave by saying the American forces would destroy the town and kill the people. As the Battalion entered the town and captured the fort with no resistance, they had to persuade the people that they meant no harm. Later that day, the American flag was raised in the grounds of the Presidio by Christopher Layton and Jefferson Hunt.<br><br>During the occupation, the Battalion traded clothes, buttons and pins for food. The only gunfire to take place occurred a few days after the capture when local Mexican civilians were coming into town at night and mistaken for Mexican soldiers. No one was hit. Other Mexican forces around Tucson were also driven off by the Battalion.<br><br>The Battalion left Tucson for California after a couple&nbsp;of days. The town was recaptured by Mexican forces, only to be abandoned again&nbsp;by them before the war's end.&nbsp;<br><br>In 1993, the LDS church erected a monument on the grounds of the former Presidio, which are now the grounds of the County Courthouse and it was dedicated. The monument depicts Layton and Hunt raising the flag while also trading with local Teodoro Ramirez.&nbsp;<br><br>As the Battalion marched from Santa Fe, New Mexico to San Diego, their route would later be used by many pioneers during the latter half of the 19th century and helped in the populating of New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California. Throughout their march, the Battalion members would carve out trails in rocky areas for wagons to go through.&nbsp;

On December 16, 1846, Mexican forces in the garrison of Fort Tucson abandoned the fort and town in the face of the oncoming Mormon Battalion during the Mexican War. The 200 man-force decided not to take on the 360 (out of the original 500) man-force of the Battalion as soon as they discovered the latter was coming. The Battalion captured the fort and town with no bloodshed and raised the American flag at the Presidio (fort) the same day. Days later the Battalion left for California, Tucson was recaptured by Mexican forces, then re-abandoned by the war's end. In 1993 a monument of the flag raising was erected and dedicated by the LDS/Mormon church.

Exchange at the Presidio Monument-Capture of Tucson

This marker, located just next to the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Immigration Court building, indicates the location of the Arizona's first public school, which was a small adobe building.. The Pima County Board of Supervisors established the Tucson School District 1 in November 1867. After collecting supplies, building the desks, and reconfiguring the building, the school opened in January 1868. Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, the school closed only after 6 months. 

Historical Marker: Arizona's First Public School

<div>When the old courthouse was finished in 1929, it housed not only courts, but the sheriff, his deputies’ dormitory, the jail and a multistory steel stack system, similar to a library, for storing records.&nbsp;The Spanish Colonial Revival building was designed by Roy Place, a local architect who also designed the Cochise County courthouse and 25 buildings at University of Arizona. It is widely recognized as Arizona’s finest example of the style.<br><br></div><div><p>The 32-foot-wide tile-clad dome towers 100 feet at the tip of the cupola, which includes a copper lantern. Several other copper light fixtures hang from the open-air hallways running around the ground floor courtyard.&nbsp;The building – which cost roughly $300,000 and was paid for with county bonds – replaced an older courthouse, which was demolished after the “new” one was finished in December 1929. Since then, it has housed a variety of county offices.</p><p>The building previously housed the Pima County Superior Court (1930-1977) and later, the Pima County Consolidated Justice Court (1977-2015), which handled lower-level state criminal matters and small claims cases.&nbsp;</p><p>When ground was excavated for this building, the southwest corner and part of the wall of the original Tucson Presidio was discovered. A section of the wall is on display on the second floor of the building. A stone marker in the courtyard also gives the location of the ancient Presidio.</p><p><b>History of previous Pima County Courthouses</b></p><p>Arizona became a Territory of the United States in 1863 and over the next several months counties were organized. Tucson, the seat of Pima County, became the capital of the Arizona Territory in 1867 and remained so for ten years. From 1866 to 1868, Pima County business was conducted in some buildings rented from Solomon Warner. Increased population and activity made it clear that Pima County needed a permanent courthouse.&nbsp;</p><p><img alt="">In 1880, the Southern Pacific Railroad came to Tucson. It&nbsp;had a significant impact on population growth and business in the community. As a result, a larger courthouse was needed and additional land was purchased from stable owner and Sheriff Robert Leatherwood. On this site a second, larger courthouse was built in 1881.&nbsp;</p><p>County Commissioners W.W. Williams, James Toole, and William S. Oury contracted with John Harlow to build the new courthouse located at the corner of Church and Pennington Streets. The courthouse was a Victorian style, two-story brick structure with a grey stone foundation. The cruciform building had two side wings topped by gable attics and a tower with a cupola surmounting the center. Called "the pride and joy of the Territory," this courthouse was used through the rest of the Territorial era. Arizona became a state February 14, 1912. The courthouse was demolished in 1927 when it no longer met the needs of the community.(3)<br></p><p><img alt=""></p></div><div><br></div>

Roy W. Place, one of Tucson’s most distinguished architects, designed Pima County's third courthouse in 1928. Built around three sides of a patio, with a covered arcade enclosing the fourth side, it is a two-story stuccoed brick structure built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It features an elaborately carved facade and a large dome adorned with brilliant ceramic tiles. This courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The building was vacated by Fall of 2016. 

The Pima County Supervisors will have the final say on how the courthouse will be utilized. Plans tentatively include a visitors' center and museum. The County is in discussions with the University of Arizona and the Tucson Museum of Art to house exhibits. There will be a new café, and a memorial to the victims of the 2011 Tucson Shooting that seriously wounded then-U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Regardless of who moves into the building, it is expected to look pretty much the way it does now. There are no plans for renovations other than updating the interior space to accommodate new tenants.

Pima County Courthouse

<p>The Fox Tucson Theatre opened on April 11, 1930 as a dual vaudeville/movie house.&nbsp;Opening&nbsp;night, April 11, 1930, proved to be the biggest party the small community of Tucson had ever seen. With Congress Street closed and waxed for dancing, four live bands, a live radio broadcast and free trolley rides downtown, the party was one not to be missed.&nbsp;</p><p>Originally, the Fox served as Tucson’s Movie Palace, presenting films on the big screen in addition to community events, vaudeville performances and the Tucson Chapter of the Mickey Mouse Club. As time passed, other theaters began to open in the area, vying for a share of the entertainment market that the Fox held at the time. Eventually, the Fox could no longer compete with the newer businesses springing up around Tucson, and as a result, the Fox closed in 1974, and would remain empty for 25 years. The owners of the building did little to maintain the building, and as a result, it fell into disrepair.&nbsp;</p><p>A group called the Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation formed and began negotiating with the owners in 1997, and in 1999, they were able to buy the Fox for $250,000. Restoration efforts began almost immediately, and following&nbsp;a six year, $14 million rehabilitation,&nbsp;the Fox reopened on New Year’s Eve of 2005. From then until the current day, the Fox has continued to serve downtown Tucson with top-notch entertainment of all kinds. (1)</p><p><span>The Fox Tucson Theatre is one of several historic theater and concert venues built along Congress Street, the others being Club Congress and the&nbsp;<b>Rialto&nbsp;</b><b>Theatre</b>&nbsp;<b>(Tucson)&nbsp;</b>several blocks to the east.</span></p>

The Fox Tucson Theatre opened on April 11, 1930 as a dual vaudeville/movie house. Competition for new theaters and the decline of downtown shopping led to its closure in 1974. The theater remained empty for many years and fell into disrepair. Finally, after a major renovation, it reopened in late 2005. Since then, it has been a driving force for entertainment in modern downtown Tucson.

Fox Tucson Theatre

This 1929 building was designed by the architecture firm of Walker and Eisen in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revival styles. Its design was influenced by the 1893 Columbia Exposition in Chicago which featured buildings designed based on European styles. The bank was built by the Consolidated National Bank, which later sold it to Valley National Bank in 1935. When it opened, the building featured 3,000 safety deposit boxes. Its size and cost of construction was $1 million, an enormous sum at the time that reflected Tucson's increasing importance. Valley National Bank sold the building to Bank One in 1993, which later merged with J.P. Morgan Chase in 2004, hence the building's current name.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Fun Fact: &nbsp;<span>The building has been the site of many movie productions including the 1956 film "<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">A Kiss Before Dying</a>."</span></div>

Constructed in 1929, the Chase Bank Building is Tucson's oldest skyscraper.  The building is the third bank on the site. In 1901, Consolidated National Bank (CNB) bought the property and built the second bank on the site. The first one belonged to another company and it was demolished to make way for the second one which was expanded in 1917. Given its architecture and importance to Tucson's economic development, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. The lobby features murals painted by Anthony B. Heinsbergen, whose work is present on several Los Angeles landmarks. 

Chase Bank Building

The courthouse, which was the first federal building in Tucson, is a good example of a medium-scale public building of the late 1920s. Its construction was part of a large federal program that built many federal buildings during President Hoover's administration. So it was, in effect, a predecessor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program, which included federally funded building projects around the country.&nbsp;<br><br>Tuscon had been vying for a federal courthouse since 1910. The Treasury Department stalled, however, and in the coming years Americans decried Washington's spending habits. The city bought the property and a gas station was built there. Finally in 1928 the money was approved to build the courthouse.<br>

Named after Tucson's only federal judge between 1952-1981, the James A. Walsh United States Courthouse is a historic building constructed in 1930. It was designed in the Classical Revival style and includes elements of the Mission style as represented in the tiled hipped roof. Today, the building serves as a U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

James A. Walsh United States Courthouse aka U.S. Post Office and Courthouse

The building was constructed in 1903 by a businessman who opened a furniture store here. In 1927, J.C. Penny moved in and remained here until it constructed a new building in 1957. Ten years later, the Chicago Store bought it and remained here until 2015. Interestingly, the Chicago Store began in 1930 as a general store. This began to change after one of the buyers, Phil Levkowitz, started to play in the Tucson High School Band. The store began selling musical instruments and gradually this took over the purpose of the store. The building's current owners offered the owners of the Chicago Store a good deal and they agreed to it. The timing was fortunate because the building was too big for their needs and needed to be renovated.

This building, though as of early 2017 is unoccupied, is significant for its architecture and association with two important businesses in Tucson: J.C. Penny and the Chicago Store, which sells musical instruments and related merchandise. The Chicago Store moved to another, smaller location just one block south in early 2016. In terms of architecture, the building is an excellent example of Italianate design. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. Currently, a new developer is devising plans to convert the building so that it can house multiple commercial tenants.

J.C. Penny/Chicago Store

<div>First conceived of in the early-to-mid-1910s, The Rialto Theatre was built by William Curlett &amp; Son&nbsp;jointly with the neighboring Hotel Congress located&nbsp;across the street. Upon its opening, The Rialto Theatre was one of Tucson's first movie theaters,&nbsp;playing primarily silent films&nbsp;per the time period. In addition, the theater was host to Vaudeville&nbsp;shows, another popular form of entertainment at the time. The first full-length film to play on the Rialto’s screen was "The Toll Gate."</div><div><br></div><div>An economic recession in the early 1960s forced the closure of the theatre. It changed ownership and usage over the next several years: operating at various times as both a Spanish-language movie theater, and as a pornographic movie theater. Finally, in the early 2000s, its fortunes changed.</div><div><br></div><div><span>In 2004, the City of Tucson purchased the theatre as part of Rio Nuevo, a downtown revitalization project. The Rialto Theatre is now operated by a nonprofit organization, the Rialto Theatre Foundation, which has leased the theater from the Rio Nuevo District for 50 years.&nbsp;The Rialto Theatre is one of several historic theater and concert venues built along Congress Street, the others being Club Congress (directly across the street) and the newly renovated&nbsp;<b>Fox Tucson Theatre</b>&nbsp;several blocks to the west.&nbsp;</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><b>Historic Timeline</b></div><div>1920: Building completed</div><div>1929: Began showing "talkies."</div><div>1929: Theatre sold to the movie chain Paramount-Publix</div><div>1948: Name changed from The Rialto to The Paramount</div><div>1963: Closed as a theatre and became a furniture storage facility</div><div>1971: &nbsp;Renamed the El Cine Plaza, a theatre showing only Spanish-language films.</div><div>1973: &nbsp;Became The Plaza, a pornographic theatre, which someone tried to burn down.</div><div>1978: &nbsp;Returned to the El Cine Plaza.</div><div>1984: &nbsp;A boiler explosion left the building vacant until 1995.&nbsp;</div><div>1995: &nbsp;Re-opened as a concert venue retaining its original name, the Rialto.</div><div>2003: &nbsp;Both The Rialto and The Paramount theatres were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.</div><div>2004: &nbsp;Purchased by the City of Tucson.</div></div>

The Rialto Theatre, completed in 1920, is located in one of the more urban districts of downtown Tucson, across the street fromClub Congress. It bears much similarity to the neighboring Hotel Congress, being built in the same year and by the same contractors. Primarily holding music concerts from all genres, the Rialto hosts other shows and events as well; from dance, performance, and occasional film screenings. Approximately 150 events occur at the Rialto annually, with reported attendance of more than 100,000 patrons.

Rialto Theatre (Tucson)

<p>This historic hotel has been part of many of the changes related to the development and growth of downtown Tucson. Its location was selected due&nbsp;to its proximity to the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot.&nbsp;Like many other downtown hotels, its fortunes declined and rebounded with the rise of interstate hotels and the recent interest in downtown revitalization.</p><p>With Congress Street's growth&nbsp;in Tucson in
the early 1900s, plans were made&nbsp;to construct both a hotel and a
theatre. The end result was the&nbsp;construction of the Hotel Congress and the
Rialto Theatre, respectively, in 1919. The Hotel Congress held steady business
over the years, but it surged after the events of January 22nd,
1934, when John Dillinger and his gang checked into the hotel to lay low. That
same day, however, a fire erupted in the basement of the hotel, which quickly
spread through the floors of the hotel. Dillinger and his group escaped the
fire, which ended up destroying the third floor which they were staying on, and
they were captured soon after.</p>

<p>The fire was mostly contained aside from the
destruction of the third floor, and it was quickly put under a restoration
effort to restore it to its former glory. The Hotel Congress remained a popular
location after that day, cementing its place in history, and it saw numerous
improvements over the years, such as the addition of a music venue, Club
Congress, in 1985. In addition to holding one of the most renowned bars and
music venues in the United States, the Hotel Congress holds yearly events <b>every
third weekend in</b> <b>January called Dillinger Days</b>, which celebrate the capture of
John Dillinger with reenactments, music, lectures, and more (see <i>link&nbsp;</i>below in "Additional Information").</p><p><span><b>Maynards Market + Kitchen</b>, sister business to Hotel Congress, is located across the street on Toole Avenue in the historic train depot. Both the kitchen and the market are fueled by a passion for celebrating the best of place, product and service.</span></p><p>Maynards Market boasts locally sourced products, gourmet grab and go, and downtown Tucson’s only wine shop. With a large community table, outdoor seating on the spacious plaza, and free WiFi, Maynards Market is the perfect place to explore or relax with a latte, pastry, and your favorite read.</p><p><br></p>

First opened in 1919, the hotel may best be known as the site of bank robber John Dillinger’s legendary capture in 1934. Since 1994, the hotel has celebrated the anniversary of this event each year. The rear of the building faces the historic (Amtrak) Southern Pacific train station, built by Southern Pacific in 1907. In addition to being a hotel, the Hotel Congress also houses a restaurant, bar and music venue.  In 2003, the hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places.


Hotel Congress

<p>The Tucson depot is today the pride of downtown. Originally designed in 1907 by Southern Pacific Railway (SP) staff architect Daniel Patterson and staff engineer J.D. Wallace, the original brick structure was in the Spanish Revival style then so popular throughout the southwest. The building, costing $665,000, featured a center portion with a hipped red tile roof flanked by two end towers that framed the entire composition. The windows of each tower displayed elaborate ornamentation in the Churrigueresque style, marked by expressive, sculptural detailing generally associated with Spanish architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries. A circular drive allowed visitors to pull up to the front entrance to pick up and drop off friends and family who could linger underneath the shade of the front arcade.</p><p>In 1941, the Southern Pacific&nbsp;decided to enlarge and modernize the facility. The renovation increased the square footage by one-third, extending the arcade and allowing passengers to access tracks through tunnels. At this time, the façade received an Art Moderne update, and was accordingly stripped of its Churrigueresque decoration in favor of a more streamlined aesthetic. The main waiting room is decorated with colorful blue and yellow tiles and handsome wooden benches. It was this version of the depot that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor experienced when they visited Tucson in 1959.</p><p>Although quite beautiful and impressive, the 1907 depot was actually the second on the site. When the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived from Yuma in 1880, the company built a wooden station with deep eaves and windows featuring colorful awnings; President McKinley stopped here in 1900. This building was replaced because passenger and freight traffic outgrew the space.</p><p>The 1907 station complex was sold to the city of Tucson in 1998 by the Union Pacific Railroad for $2.1 million dollars. With the decline of passenger rail travel after World War II, the depot had fallen into poor condition. The Mayor and City Council appointed a task force to develop a master plan for the area; it was decided to renovate the buildings to the 1941 period. Upon completion of the $2.8 million renovation, the depot now offers office, restaurant, and retail space in addition to its rail functions.</p><p>In the depot’s former records vault, one may find the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, opened in 2005 with generous funding from city, county, federal, and private funding sources, including a Federal Transportation Enhancement grant. The museum tells the story of Tucson’s fascinating rail heritage. Near the museum one may also admire Southern Pacific Steam Locomotive #1673, which played a starring role in the 1954 film “Oklahoma.” A ten year restoration and fund raising effort finally saw the dedication of the locomotive at the restored depot in 2002. (5)</p><p><br></p>

Tucson's Amtrak station was built in the Spanish Revival style by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1907.  This building replaced a wooden structure that had served the public since the railroad's arrival in 1880. After a major renovation by the City of Tucson after it purchased the station complex in 1998, the depot, in addition to its rail functions, now offers office, restaurant, and retail space and houses the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum.


Historic Downtown Tucson Walking Tour

La Casa Cordova

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information