"Tucson's vanguard neighborhood for ranch style houses," as the tag line implies, gains it's character from the small homes built in a wide array of styles--National Folk, Victorian, Spanish Colonial Revival, Southwest, Vernacular, and Tudor Revival to name a few. The most significant period of time for the Blenman Elm neighborhood began with the Olsen Addition in 1903 and lasted until about 1960 when most of the residential lots were occupied.The unique charm of our neighborhood can be attributed to several characteristics that are not readily found in the newer neighborhoods of today:
- A small palette of materials was used in numerous ways to build our homes. This gives the neighborhood a sense of unity, yet allows for the diversity which makes it so interesting.
- Mortar washed red brick and burnt adobe are defining materials used throughout our neighborhood and are characteristic of much of Historic Tucson. Fortunately, much of this brick remains intact in our neighborhood, enhancing our sense of identity.
- Other contributing features include subtle stucco textures, parapet sillouettes, cornice profiles, arched openings, stepped site walls, and bonding patterns.
- The streets of Blenman Elm are comparatively narrower than many of those in Tucson. The grid layout and small block sizes make this neighborhood walkable and easy to navigate.
- Houses are set back a short distance from the road and historically walls were few. Most of the walls that did exist historically are low walls of 48 inches or less. These characteristics are paramount to the friendly atmosphere of the neighborhood.
- The neighborhood is fortunate to have many homes that are landscaped with native plants that add to the overall sense of place and are essential for native wildlife like Quail, Cardinals, White Winged Doves, Gila Woodpeckers, Cactus Wren, Curve Billed Thrashers, and Cottontail Rabbits.
- The mature neighborhood trees add to the distinction of our neighborhood in addition to offering shade and wildlife habitat.
Do you live in an historic home? Let's hear about it. Please leave a comment if you would like.
Sources:
Spring 2008 Blenman Elm Newsletter
http://www.tucsonnewcomer.com/features/historic.html
Arizona State Historic Preservation Office
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7 comments:
This is wonderful. My husband and I love Arizona. So different from the western Pennsylvania woods. I find myself craving Saguaro and sun by March. The winters here are long and cloudy thanks to Lake Erie... Too bad I can't grow cacti here! : ))
Great blog. I look forward to your entries and your photos. I have enjoyed trying to identify the locations.
Hi-great blog! We own a home in BE but also in another historic neighborhood (EEE) in town. We recently put up a 4 ft wall to discourage folks from sleeping on our porch (!), but left 2 two-foot wide, 8 inch high drainage spaces at ground level. The bunnies, quail and hummingbirds are really enjoying their protected oasis--almost as much as we enjoy watching them!
beegirl- Thanks! Yes, I too love Arizona and the Sonoran Desert. There is something so serene about it. But because I grew up in the mid-west, I tend to get strong desires for green summers by the lake. I guess you can't have it both ways unless you are a snowbird, as we call them here.
Anon.- I'll be posting more soon, so please return .
Lisaerly- Thanks for your comment! That's too bad that you had people abusing your front porch....were they doing it while you were home?? If you have to build a wall, I think the way you did it is the best. Leaving holes for drainage and critters is a wonderful idea. And at 4 feet, it doesn't become a fortress either. Plus, if it's under 48 inches you can still qualify for the property tax reduction...as long as you meet other requirements, too.
Glad to have discovered your blog; it's quite interesting and well-done, all the way around! I live in and own the same B-E house where I grew up. Also, the house where I lived from the time I was born until six years of age is three blocks away-- also, of course, in the B-E neighborhood. Although this area has, naturally, undergone changes over the years, I think it has changed far less thank most other parts of Tucson... and that's a VERY good thing! Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more.
Hey Kim, cool blog...I'm not familiar with this neighborhood. I knew about Sam Hughes near campus.
A little search revealed that there are several historic neighborhoods throughout Tucson, which I wasn't aware of...duh, I only lived there and worked there as a planner for 8 years of my life!!!
Sweva- Tucson actually has 17 Historic Districts-all of them unique and interesting to explore.
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