Exploring the Barrios of Downtown Tucson

A WALKING TOUR OF THE BARRIOS (in Spanish means neighborhoods) 

Tour Sponsored by Presidio Museum

Barrio Viejo, the old neighborhood, mainly consists of Tucson's 19th-century homes and commercial buildings. In the 1960s and 70s, much of the old neighborhood was bulldozed to make way for urban redevelopment, which included the Tucson Convention Center. Sadly, a lot of heritage was lost but today there seems to be a huge revitalization in the area surrounding the convention center.
In the 1880s and 90s, this was home to a culturally diverse community of working-class people from America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Many worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad. The arrival of the SP in 1880 changed Tucson from an impoverished, dusty little Mexican village in the middle of nowhere to a growing Southwestern city of seemingly limitless opportunity.

We started the tour at El Tiradito. There's a lot going on this photo. 

It's a shrine located in the Old Barrio area of Downtown Tucson. The shrine consists of the crumbling remains of a brick building, with a large metal rack for candles and desert plants now occupying the interior. Large, glass-encased candles, frequently depicting saints of the Catholic Church are lit and left burning at the shrine, both on the stand and along the ledges of the building. Small slips of paper containing prayers or messages of thanks are also often pressed into cracks in the walls or left elsewhere at the shrine, as are other memorial objects. In addition to the faithful who leave these religious objects, El Tiradito is frequented and favored by many Tucsonans, including writers, poets, and other members of the town's artistic community.

Barrio Viejo is located just south of the Convention Center. These photos are just a small representation of the old architectural styles that are now preserved by private individuals and families. Many of the buildings are tied to Tucson’s most indigenous architecture, the Sonoran tradition, specifically the Sonoran Row house, built of adobe with flat roofs pictured here.

The arrival of the railroad meant building materials from the East arrived, spurring the architectural use of pitched metal roofs seen in the later adobe Bungalow and Mission Revival styles. In the mid-’50s ranch style housing was built by younger families moving to the area.

One thing I couldn't help but notice was the flat roof lines that are so different from the Midwest homes.

These photos show the restoration process on some of the historic buildings made with adobe.

I was intrigued by how some homes displayed tile paintings in the front part. 

We learned that many of the original structures still standing were once grocery stores and Chinese restaurants in the late 1880s and now have been repurposed for other businesses. 

The tour ended at El Minuto, a classic quaint Mexican restaurant serving great margaritas and delicious green chili cheese crisps. If ever in the area we highly recommend a stop.