About this Site

Welcome

This website is intended to document the history of old downtown Tucson and to promote preservation of its historic character. Most of the content is available elsewhere but collecting it in one place will be easier to use. The material on this site by a click on a selection at the top right corner of each page on a topic label on the Topics page. The Topics and Help selections have drop-down menus. 

Much of old downtown Tucson is within Historic Preservation Zones (HPZs), City of Tucson zoning overlays enabled by a 1972 ordinance. There are five designated HPZs within the City: Armory Park, Barrio Historico, El Presidio, Fort Lowell, and West University. (Clicking on any of these links goes to the relevant page)

The site began with only Armory Park content because I lived in that neighborhood for a number of years. Today the pages for other neighborhoods are waiting for interested persons to provide content. 

Mission and Disclaimer 

The this site is:  

• to improve our understanding of local history. 

• to explore the roles of the various ethnic and cultural groups who have built Tucson. 

• NOT a product of any board or the City of Tucson. The webmaster and individual contributors are solely responsible for its content. It is provided as a community service and produces no profit. 

Webmaster: Ken Taylor - I was an Armory Park resident from the start of 2016 to the end of 2023 and participated in many APHZAB meetings over the years. I have never been a member of the board. Having observed the board closely, I have a good idea of property changes which will be considered favorably and those unlikely to be approved. Boards for other HPZs will have a somewhat different culture and track record. Neither I nor anyone else can predict confidently what a board decision will be. If you wish to make blog posts, please let me know by emailing me at historictucson@gmail.com. Feedback is appreciated.