Attendees get taste of unique history, architecture
Story and photos by Damon Scott
A group of about 25 people gathered at Nob Hill’s Triangle Park police substation May 3 for a 90-minute, 2.5-mile walk featuring the unique homes, buildings and history that make the area an Albuquerque attraction.
Nob Hill resident Steven Justrich developed the Nob Hill walk. He’s a Jane’s Walk organizer and professional interior designer who is also interested in architecture. Justrich taught walkers a little bit about the different architectural styles in the Nob Hill area, including Pueblo Revival, Territorial, Streamline Moderne, Art Moderne, International and more.
The event marked the fifth anniversary of Jane’s Walks, which was expanded this year to include Nob Hill and nearby Parkland Hills and Highland. The walks are typically confined to several downtown area neighborhoods. Jane's Walks are named for Jane Jacobs, an author and figure in the urban revival movement — a celebration of walkable, urban neighborhoods.
“That was her whole contention: The more people you get on the streets, the better it is,” Justrich said. “You’ve got eyes on the streets and it just increases safety and activity and has a good trickle down effect.”
The Triangle police substation at 2901 Central Ave. was formerly downtown’s Little House Café, which was moved in 1997. Bar stools and other interior features of the original diner are on display at the Albuquerque Museum. The structure is an example of Streamline Moderne architecture.
The 1936-built Monte Vista Fire Station is an Albuquerque landmark and was the first fire station in Nob Hill. The Pueblo Revival-style building was constructed in structural clay tile and stuccoed to look like a traditional adobe building. It is currently The Smoky Note — a nighttime lounge operated by Grant Long and the Heritage Restaurant Group.
The 1939-built Jones Motor Co. building at Central Avenue and Wellesley Drive is a Route 66-era landmark. It was once a Ford Motor Co. car dealership with curved garage bays, a central tower, and white coloration typical of the Streamline Moderne style. It is currently a M'tucci's Italian restaurant.
The D.K.B. Sellers’-built log cabin is located at 212 Tulane Drive SE — a 3,800-square-foot home constructed in 1927 with logs from the Jemez Mountains. Sellers was instrumental in the development of Nob Hill. He arrived in Albuquerque in 1906 from Northern California and named Nob Hill after the Nob Hill neighborhood in San Francisco.
The Tank House, located at 319 Carlisle Blvd. NE, is a 1937 Pueblo Revival-style home that was the site of Albuquerque’s first water tower. The private water system was built at the highest point in Nob Hill and eventually replaced by the city’s water system.
The Tank House’s water tower was later repurposed into a living room. The current homeowner (wearing cowboy hat) invited Jane’s Walk attendees inside for a look.
The home at 324 Hermosa Drive SE is thought to be the first house in Albuquerque to have air conditioning. Known as the Kelvinator House, it was built in 1938 by Walter C. Raabe, the owner of Raabe & Mauger Hardware Co., to showcase Kelvinator appliances the company distributed. It was considered ultra-modern and the “home of tomorrow.” Its International style architecture stands out among the Pueblo-style houses in the area.
The 1950-built home at 309 Hermosa Drive SE is designed in the Streamline Moderne style with brick, flat roofs and corner windows. It is rumored to be owned by “Better Call Saul” TV star Bob Odenkirk.
John Gaw Meem was an architect based in Santa Fe who is best known for popularizing the Pueblo Revival style. Nob Hill’s Immanuel Presbyterian Church at 114 Carlisle Blvd. SE was designed by Meem and built in three phases between 1949 and 1956. The church is one of the few Meem designed in the Territorial style.
City Targets August for Street Light Install
The city still has dozens of streetlights to replace in the university and Highland areas.
Drivers and pedestrians along Central Avenue have been plagued by missing street light fixtures for years now. The city was expecting to finally get them repaired last month, but a back order has moved that timeline out until late summer. “[W]e believe they should be delivered and installed in August,” city spokesperson Dan Mayfield said.
The 25-pound fixtures have been blown down in high winds over the years. The city is in a legal battle with the manufacturer, Environmental Lighting for Architecture Inc. The city claims they designed a faulty light. The manufacturer is claiming the city made modifications to their product. The suit is set to go to trial next year.
Art and Garden Tour this Saturday
Stop #7 on the tour, this house boasts “raised beds, fruit trees, [and] berry bushes” according to an event flyer. (Image courtesy Pueblo Alto Neighborhood Association)
The Pueblo Alto Neighborhood Association is hosting a tour which includes seven gardens and five artists May 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Each stop will be marked with a bee flag.
Registration is not required. You may take the tour in any order you’d like. The event website can be found here.
