Historic Fourth Ward
By Danny Korman
Source material: Historic Houses in the DNA by Downtown Neighborhoods Association
Last updated: June 5, 2024
OVERVIEW
This walk focuses primarily on the boundaries of the Fourth Ward Historic District. Named for one of the four political subdivisions of Albuquerque — incorporated in 1891 — Fourth Ward links downtown with Old Town. It is roughly bounded on the east by Keleher and 8th, the north by Lomas, the south by Central, and the west by the alley between 14th and 15th. It is valuable as a stable, well-preserved neighborhood on the edge of downtown and as a success story for neighborhood advocacy and historic preservation. The district is recognized as a local, state, and national historic district. You will see historic plaques along the way.
1. Castle Coffee — 727 Tijeras Ave
We begin at this essential neighborhood “third place,” which serves as an anchor of community life and facilitates interactions over good coffee in a traditional corner storefront at the southeast edge of Fourth Ward. Across the street at 7th St and Tijeras Ave is Cafe Lush, a laidback corner cafe with shaded sidewalk dining.
Walk west along Tijeras Ave
2. Thomas F Keleher House — 803 Tijeras Ave NW
The Keleher House may be the first — and at the very least it is one of the earliest — building in the Fourth Ward. Built between 1880 and 1882, it combines Territorial features with Queen Anne elements in a simple cottage form. Thomas Keleher Sr. opened a store on Old Town Plaza in 1879; soon after the arrival of the railroad, he moved his store to what was referred to as New Town back then and built this house
- Most of Fourth Ward was platted in 1881, less than a year after the arrival of the railroad. The district includes both early structures and those built in the neighborhood’s heyday, 1905-1928
Turn right on Keleher Ave
3. Thomas F. Keleher Jr. House — 312 Keleher St NW
An excellent example of a Bungalow, this house was built in 1910-11 and is the third in a complex of family homes at Tijeras and Keleher. The Keleher family, with various members successful in real estate and in law, was a major influence in the city’s development
- Fourth Ward is primarily important for its architecture. The predominant building style is post-World War I Bungalow, which you’ll notice along Marquette
Turn left on Marquette Ave
4. Marquette Green — Marquette Ave NW & Luna Blvd NW
This small triangle park is part of the city’s Adopt-A-Park/Median Program. Aside from contributing some extra green space, Marquette Green helps slow down traffic at Luna
5. Berthold Spitz House — 323 10th St NW
This is considered the city’s best example of Prairie School architecture where there is an emphasis on horizontal rather than vertical. Notice how the house spreads out over the lot, features shallow hipped roof lines, rows of windows, and overhanging eaves. Berthold and Fannie Spitz built this house around 1910 after immigrating to Albuquerque around 1880. Berthold ran a dry goods business and was appointed as the city’s postmaster in 1921
Turn left on 11th St
6. El Portal Apartments — 323 11th St NW
The courtyard building has fantastic a neon sign, 10 apartments, and rarely a vacancy
Turn right on Tijeras Ave
7. 1101 Tijeras Ave NW
Note the plaques signifying the home’s contribution to the neighborhood’s listing on multiple historic registers. Built in 1906, this home includes Queen Anne and Classical Revival details
8. Biltmore — 1107 Tijeras Ave NW
The Biltmore is a rare non-courtyard apartment building in the neighborhood that sits alongside single-family homes. Note the cool tile “Biltmore” sign above the doorway
Turn right on 12th St
- Considered the spine of Fourth Ward, 12th Street, like Luna, is a wonderful street for walking. It was a stand-in for Omaha, Nebraska in Better Call Saul
9. Bond-Lovelace House — 201 12th St NW
Built in 1925, this house is one of the city’s finest examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The original owners, the Bonds, sold the house to Dr. William Randolph Lovelace, founder of Lovelace Medical Clinic.
10. Antoine Predock Architect — 300 12th St NW
Prominent Architect Antoine Predock ran his studio out of here until about five or six years ago. In New Mexico, Predock designed Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts in Alto; La Luz townhouse community on Albuquerque’s west side; and Rio Grande Nature Center State Park visitors’ center. He died in March at 87
- There are few interruptions to the district’s residential character. A number of office uses are well established, while corner stores and churches are just outside the district
Turn right on Marquette Ave, and then left on 11th St aka Judges’ Row
- Several lawyers and jurists lived here during the early 20th Century
11. JT McLaughlin House — 1101 Marquette NW
This is another excellent example of a Prairie School-style house with an arcaded veranda. Coincidentally, McLaughlin was a manufacturer of bricks and this house is constructed of wood
- Many homes in the neighborhood feature screened-in verandas
12. Simms-Anderman House — 415 11th St NW
Built for Solomom Benjamin, this Classical Revival brick home was the childhood home of John Simms Jr, 16th governor of New Mexico, and his brother, Albert, who was a regent at UNM
13. Kate Nichols Chaves House — 501 11th St NW
The Tudor Revival house was designed in 1908 by Kate Nichols Chaves, wife of New Mexico’s first Superintendent of Schools. A later longtime owner was one of the founders of the Downtown Neighborhoods Association. If you’re a Breaking Bad fan you might recognize the house as Jesse Pinkman’s parents’ home
- While at the corner of 11th and Roma, notice the grand scale of the intersection with its consistent setbacks and sidewalk strips, tree canopy, and general sense of openness
Turn left at Roma Ave
14. 324 12th St NW
The current homeowner left this street tree upright during a landscape update in 2022. Referred to as “snags,” dead trees that are left to decompose naturally benefit wildlife in myriad ways
Cross Roma Ave to northeast corner
15. Connor House — 400 12th St NW
Built in 1910 for the Connors, who lived here until 1956, this is the third Prairie School-style on our walk. The current homeowners were early proponents for maintaining the neighborhood’s historic character through rezoning efforts in the 1970s
- Look at the sidewalk and notice the embedded metal medallions identifying Roma as part of the City’s official Downtown / Old Town Walking Route
Cross 12th St to northwest corner
16. Hesselden House — 1211 Roma Ave NW
This red-sandstone house is one of the city’s early post-railroad buildings from 1882 and one of the few examples of the Italianate style. It was built as a duplex. The current homeowners restored much of the original interior and regularly host traveling artists and musicians
- Coincidentally, the city is currently reviewing legislation to make duplexes easier to build
Turn right on 13th St
17. Mary Fox Park — 401 13th St NW
Three parks are located in the southern and western areas of the district. Mark Fox Park sits on the site of the Otero Mansion. The park, named after its donor, was completed in 1979. Robinson Park, in the triangle formed by Copper Avenue’s intersection with Central, is the city’s oldest park, not including Old Town Plaza. Soldiers & Sailors Park is another triangle park at 13th St and Tijeras Ave
Turn right on Fruit Ave
- You’ll notice a fine collection of shrubs and trees along Fruit Ave, including Chinese Pistache, Desert Willow, Oklahoma Redbud, and New Mexico Olive. Invasive species incl Siberian Elm
18. Ray Moore House — 1220 Fruit Ave NW
Built in 1922, this charming Craftsman Bungalow often gets remarks for the eyebrow roofline over the door, one of three in the neighborhood
19. Milton Hellmich House — 1215 Fruit Ave NW
Built at a cost of $9K in 1920 ― about $160K today ― this early Spanish Pueblo Revival style house was expensive for a neighborhood where most new houses cost between $3,500 and $6K. One of its most famous residents was cartoonist Fred Harman, best known for the Red Ryder comic strip, which reached 40 million readers at one point
20. Rosalie Doolittle House — 1211 Fruit Ave NW
This 1925 Mediterranean style house has wonderful arched windows and doors. Rosalie started the Albuquerque Garden Club and hosted a radio show on gardening
21. George Williamson House — 1201 Fruit Ave NW
Williamson worked on the Sunshine Building, which turns 100 year this year, and designed President’s House at UNM, the Manual Arts building at old Albuquerque High, and the Albuquerque Country Club
Turn right on 11th St
- Roma enters the Fourth Ward at Keleher. This house-dominated district mixes large, period-revival houses, bungalows and cottages. Professionals, politicians, and heads of local industry lived here among merchants and office workers
Turn left on Roma Ave, and then left on Luna Ave
22. Whitmer/McKinnon House — 504 Luna Blvd NW
Family residence, rest home, maternity center– this house has changed in use since construction in 1920. The McKinnon family bought the house in 1944 and stayed until 1967. McKinnon was a surgeon and partner in Lovelace Clinic
Turn right on Fruit Ave
23. 900 block of Fruit Ave
This block is great as most homes have a sculpture in the parkway. Sculptures are the work of Joe Sackett, an artist who lives on the block. Sculptures are spilling over to other nearby blocks
- After World War II there were some rebuilding programs on the southern edges. In the early 1970s, the Downtown Neighborhood Association formed and had many successes in persuading the city to downzone the bulk of downtown neighborhoods. Surface parking lots take up the edges, especially to the east toward downtown
Turn right on Keleher Ave
24. William Lyon House — 901 Roma Ave NW
Dr. Lyon supervised initial construction in 1882 while corresponding with his fiancée, Corie Bowman of Mesilla Park in south New Mexico. His prenuptial letters cover topics from house-and-garden progress to the relationship between theology and the theory of evolution. The house as a great mailbox sculpture called Rural Delivery and wonderful landscaping
Turn left at Roma Ave
26. Mauger House — 701 Roma Ave NW
Hardware dealer and wool buyer W.E. Mauger bought the house in 1907, less than five years after its construction. He sold domestic and agricultural hardware and supplies to residents of Albuquerque and its trade area. It is currently El Cuervo ABQ Guest Rooms
27. Lew Wallace Elementary School — 513 6th St NW
Lew Wallace was a Civil War general, a Territorial Governor of New Mexico, and the author of the book Ben Hur. The school board closed the school in the late 1970s and the neighborhood association worked to reopen it 10 years later
Return to Keleher Ave on south side of Roma Ave, turn left and return to start
With this our walk is done. Thank you for visiting our little corner of the city
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