Barrio Libre

Earlier this week, I traveled to Tucson, Arizona, about two hours from where we reside. My friend Alex and I went there to visit and photograph some interesting photo locations. Today, I’m sharing photos from one of those sites, Barrio Libre, a neighbourhood in south central Tucson.

Barrio Libre is notable for its existence as a relatively unchanged 19th-century Hispanic neighborhood of close-packed row houses. Houses in the barrio are typically adobe with very plain detailing, reflecting the area’s history as a district of townhouses for Mexican ranching families. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 18, 1978.

You will observe from the map that there are a number of barrios within Tucson’s central core.

A distinguishing feature of homes in this barrio are the vibrant colours. This home is pink, albeit more muted in colour than many of its neighbours. Otherwise, it is very typical of the traditional homes in the area.

This one has curb appeal! (Or, curb zeal.) You can’t miss it. Many of the homes are characterized by interesting, homemade architectural features. Witness the shade above the door and the window blinds crafted from strips of reclaimed wood. Metallic appurtenances, such as the doorbell and the mailbox also appear to be homemade.

Every home has a front garden.

Despite my efforts to better understand the purpose of the vertical culvert pipe, I came up dry. My best and only guess is that it is intended to drain large quantities of water quickly from flat-roofed buildings such as this one. Rainfall in monsoon season (typically mid-June until the end of September) can be very heavy. Tucson saw 12.78 inches of rain during the 2021 monsoon season, according to the National Weather Service.

This charming home has architectural features consistent with the area, but the colour scheme is much more sedate. It is also larger than most, suggesting an evolution in the character of the barrio.

The Elysian Grove Market is now simply a landmark building. Presumably, it was once a market which became a Bed and Breakfast but now appears to be out of business. Time will only tell how long it will remain in the face of future development.

San Cosme is a catholic church located in the Barrio Libre.

Things are changing in the barrio. Evidence of gentrification can be found, most notably in the extent of new and more modern home construction. My first insight was this brilliant green garage, located on an entire street lined with similarly colourful garages. This street is similar to the back lanes found behind homes in Calgary.

On the opposite side of the garages are modern homes, similar in design to the traditional houses and maintaining the vibrant colours that have long characterized the area. The difference lies in the affluence of the new residents, apparent in the elegance and condition of a new generation of homes.

“Gentrification” is indeed in progress.

I hope you have enjoyed the pictures from the very interesting Barrio Libre in Tucson and a little bit about the area’s story.