Manhattan Heights Historic District

The Manhattan Heights Historic District, composed of two residential neighborhoods and a park is an intact concentration of houses that represent residential building styles popular during the early 20th century. These houses, the majority of which were constructed from 1914 to WW II, represent most notably the bungalow and Spanish Colonial Revival styles, the designs of which are attributed to four major architects of El Paso; Otto H. Thorman, Mabel C. Welch, William G. Weuhrman, and the firm of Trost and Trost. In addition, there are numerous representative period house forms throughout the neighborhood, many of which were constructed by speculating developers and contractors. In 1937 Memorial Park, which by that time had been planned and landscaped, won national recognition for its beauty. The evolution of the district from its original use as a smelter site to a fashionable residential area is representative of the growth and development the city experienced during its economic prosperity of the early 20th century.

Beginning in 1899 the property was purchased in four separate parcels (see map inset) as the future site for the Federal Copper Company's smelting operations. El Paso was chosen as a midway point to process copper ore from the company's mines in Arizona and Mexico. Officially blown in on September 10, 1901, the smelter required crews of over 100 men working round-the-clock to process the ore. Despite its auspicious beginning, the company soon began to experience financial difficulties. Efforts to diminish the company's debts were ineffective and by 1908 it ceased to exist altogether as a result of a foreclosure. The ruins of the smelter stood idle until 1912 when demolition was begun as residential developments extended toward the area. The machinery was sold to an iron works company and Parcel #1 was purchased by El Pasoans J.F. and 0.C. Coles in 1913 for $32,000.

Coles Building and Real Estate Company then subdivided the land, a portion of which be- came the Castle Heights Subdivision and the remainder of which eventually became Memorial Park. Concurrently Leo C. Dessar, who had purchased Parcels 2, 3, and 4 from the Federal Copper Company in 1907, helped organize the Manhattan Heights Company which then purchased the parcels from him. Subdivided into blocks and lots with streets and alleys, the property, designated as the Manhattan Heights Addition to the City of El Paso, was sold to Dr. James Brady, a local dentist who was also the president of both a paving and construction company. Reflecting the original use of the property, developers named the streets Federal, Copper, Silver, Gold and Bronze.

Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Leavell built the first residence in the new neighborhood at 3037 Federal in 1914. Designed by local architect Otto H. Thorman, the two-story brick dwelling is a symmetrical composition reflecting a Georgian Revival in- fluence. Primarily a residential designer, Thorman acknowledged the inherent Hispanic influence in many of his designs. Examples of this are the residences at 3033 Federal, built in 1929 and at 3010 Gold, built in 1926 for Castle Heights developer Frank Coles. The influence on Thorman of popular styles is evident in the house at 1407 Elm Street, built in 1918, which is more classic in proportion, balance and detailing, and the residence at 3024 Federal, built in 1921, which exhibits the lineal horizontality of the Prairie School. Thorman did accept occasional non-residential commissions, one of which is the Women's Club of El Paso, built in 1916 and listed on the Register 7/22/79.

Another architect who received many residential commissions in the new subdivisions was Mabel Welch. Mrs. Welch came to El Paso in 1916 from Mississippi and became the city's first female architect and builder. The numerous residences designed by Mrs. Welch dis- play her enthusiasm for maintaining the Spanish influence, which caused her to be known as the "Dean of Spanish Architecture" in El Paso. In 1927 she designed the residence at 3009 Silver, soon followed in 1929 by the structure at 3038 Federal and in 1930 by the corner house at the intersection of Luna and Wheeling (3147 Wheeling, Photo # 17), all of which display Spanish feeling in form, materials, and details. Also designed by Mrs. Welch in 1928 was a house for A.P. Coles located at 3012 Silver, it too, in the Spanish Colonial Revival style.

William G. Wuehrmann, another prominent architect in El Paso and the southwest is credited with the design of several Manhattan and Castle Heights residences. Two dwellings attributed to him are located at 3000 Silver, built in 1928, and 3147 Copper, built in 1932. Both of these exhibit traditional Spanish elements reinforcing the theme.

Trost and Trost, for years the most prominent architectural firm in El Paso, is also represented in the Manhattan Heights District. The picturesque composition at 3144 Wheeling, built in 1922, exhibits a more eclectic classicism. The firm, composed of two brothers, Gustavos and Henry Trost and their nephew George, practiced in El Paso from 1904-46, during which time it received hundreds of commissions throughout the southwest, both residential and commercial. Henry, the principal designer of the firm, worked for a number of years in Chicago where he was exposed to the innovative architectural development which occurred there in the late 1800s.

He brought with him to El Paso the knowledge and proficiency needed to design in the wide range of stylistic idioms of the day. The "Commercial Structures of El Paso by Henry C. Trost," a thematic nomination that includes seventeen structures in the downtown area was submitted on 3/18/80 and Trost's own house, located in the Sunset Heights area and listed on the Register 7/21/76 is a superb example of Prairie School architecture not only in El Paso but also in the southwest.

Manhattan and Castle Heights featured lots that afforded scenic views of the city and surrounding mountains, which attracted upper middle-class El Pasoans who could afford homes designed by architects that were suited to the site and tailored to their personal needs and tastes. The terrain just north and west of the park, the area of the original smelter is more irregular than the outlying areas and is divided into larger lots with houses of individual design built on them such as the houses at 2901 Federal, architects unknown, built in 1917; 3101 Copper, designed by Thorman and built in 1916; and 3100 Gold, designed by an Arizona architect and contracted by Mrs. Welch and built in 1928. However, the neighborhood was not restricted to this type of development.

Progressing towards the northern and western boundaries of the district from the park, the lots become smaller and the structures more homogeneous. Present in prominent numbers is a house form that typically appeared in developments of this type in the early 20th century, known as the bungalow. Generally small in size, simple in design and detailing, and affordable, the bungalow evolved as the outstanding American house form for years and was the forerunner of the familiar suburban models today. Bungalow plans and specs were readily available to builders and contractors and the simplicity of the style facilitated mass production with cosmetic changes from structure to structure. There are many good examples of bungalow variations in the area north-northwest of the park such as the residences at 3021 and 3108 Aurora, built in 1916 and 1920, 2900-02 Copper, built in 1916, and 3017 and 3115 Federal, built in 1920 and 1917. Each of these is a small, single-story residential unit with a gently-sloped gable roof and front porch; yet through the use of materials, architectural elements, and facade details, each has a certain individuality and character.

Being built at this same time were suburban houses with the Spanish influence, though smaller and simpler in form and decoration than the larger, individually designed homes. The houses at 2909 Aurora, 2908 Federal, 2901 Gold, 3008 Copper, and 2915 Silver exemplify the developer version of the Spanish Colonial Revival style which tended towards picturesque, somewhat inaccurate juxtapositions of architectural and decorative elements, often including references to other styles. This building activity continued until WW II by which time the neighborhoods were largely developed.

During the early years of development, the 43-acre area designated as Memorial Park remained practically unimproved. The remains of slag dumps from the smelter caused uneven terrain with poor soil quality. In 1925 George Kessler developed a city plan for El Paso in which he outlined a detailed program for the development of the park as its funds became available. Initially, some grading and planting were begun to improve the park's physical appearance. Then in the 1930s during the WPA, retaining walls were constructed to accommodate extensive planting, walks and paths of gravel and brick were laid, electric lighting was installed, and a lookout point was developed. Hugo Meyer, El Paso City Parks Superintendent, designed a formal garden for a hilltop that was implemented by Theodore Harris, Chief Horticulturist for the city. The hilltop was flattened and tons of rich valley soil was brought in. Different areas of the garden were assigned to the different garden clubs of the city and under Mr. Harris' direction, were planted. In 1937 Hilltop Gardens received national recognition when it won a contest sponsored by Better Homes and Gardens for city parks. Added recreational facilities increased its popularity among city residents of all ages.

In the second half of this century, the park declined in popularity. For economical reasons, the evening guards were removed and the park and gardens fell victim to vandals who finally destroyed the gardens altogether. In 1976 the Memorial Park Improvement Association was organized in an effort to improve the park's decayed conditions and a grant of $500,000 was obtained from the city for this. Seeing the positive effects of their efforts and the enthusiastic support of the city, the MPIA began efforts to preserve the surrounding neighborhoods, Manhattan and Castle Heights. Although the district is relatively young and features more houses exhibiting a stylistic influence rather than a pure style, it remains intact today as an early 20th-century planned residential development. A uniformity exists in the structures' overall scale and their setback from the street. The prominence of the Spanish Colonial Revival and bungalow styles, often comprising entire blocks, has created a character unique to the city.