Charles Bolsius House

Last updated

Charles Bolsius House
Site No. HD 5–26
Charles Bolsius House, Tucson, Arizona, Old Fort Lowell, 2024.png
Charles Bolsius House, North Elevation, 2024
USA Arizona location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location5495 E. Fort Lowell Rd., Tucson, Arizona
Coordinates 32°15′44″N110°52′33″W / 32.26222°N 110.87583°W / 32.26222; -110.87583 (Charles Bolsius House)
Area1.1 acres (0.45 ha)
Builtc.1880 (c.1880)
Architect Charles Bolsius 1948 / 1961 /1967
Architectural styleSonoran, Territorial Revival and Pueblo Revival
MPS Fort Lowell MRA
NRHP reference No. 78003360 [1]
Added to NRHPDecember 13, 1978

Charles Bolsius House, also called "Casa Bienvenidos", is a significant example of the architectural work of artist and designer Charles Bolsius and an important example of Territorial Revival design in the American Southwest. It is located in the City of Tucson, Arizona within the Old Fort Lowell Historic District.

Contents

The rambling burnt adobe house was constructed around an unstabilized mud adobe storehouse-workshop that dates from the Fort Lowell period c.1880. [2] The house was hand built by Bolsius in multiple phases over three decades. [2]

The project, built as Bolsius's own home, provided an opportunity for experimentation and design exploration. The house includes his iconic and hallmark hand-carved doors, exposed beams, carved corbels, adobe fireplaces, hand-hammered tin and copper, and a heightened sense of American western romanticism. [3] The property typifies the architectural sensibilities of the American west during the 20th century and straddles the pre-and post-WWII period. The use of exposed burnt adobe, a popular regional building material in the mid-20th century, gives the exterior of the home a modern sensibility while the interior is a classic Pueblo Revival approach typical of the early half of the 20th century. [4]

History

The Charles Bolsius House was originally a small adobe storehouse-workshop located on the property of the Fort Lowell Quartermaster and Commissary Storehouse known as El Cuartel Viejo.

As noted in the Cultural Resources Assessment for the Fort Lowell Park written by historian J. Homer Thiel in 2009: "The quartermaster and commissary storehouse stood at the northwestern side of the parade ground. Today, portions of the storehouse are incorporated into apartments created by members of the Bolsius family in the 1940s. The building contained six rooms and 6,000 sq ft [560 m2]. It was used to store provisions, ammunition, and other goods. The front of the building measured about 240 by 18 feet [73.2 by 5.5 m] with extensions running to the north measuring 100 by 18 feet [30.5 by 5.5 m]. In 1879, it was noted that roofing of the building leaked “considerably during rainy weather" and that 80 "new vegas" were needed to repair this problem (1879 Inspection Report, MS 266, AMS). The commissary issue room, which measured 35 by 18 feet [10.7 by 5.5 m], had received a wooden floor in the previous year, and other rooms remained unfloored. One wing of the storehouse had a cellar that was 18 feet [5.5 m] wide by 63 feet [19 m] long. This was used by the Subsistence Department to store food. Today, the cellar is visible as a partially filled depression with portions of its rock walls still visible. In 1882, the tin roof for this building was reported to be in bad repair. It was also recommended that a cloth manta ceiling be installed in the commissary rooms. In 1883, new window sashes were required in some of the storerooms and issue rooms. The storerooms had been floored in the previous year. The 1887 inspection report noted that the ceilings needed to be plastered but that the building was in fair condition. The 1889 inspection noted that the building had four quartermaster storerooms, two rooms used by the ordinance officer, and two rooms and a cellar used for storage and issue by the Subsistence Department. A storage yard with 15-foot tall [4.6 m] adobe walls was present behind the building. ... On December 18, 1942, the [Ambus Barnet Earheart] sold the Quartermaster and Commissary Storehouse Property to members of the Bolsius family for $10.00 (Pima County DRE 275:61–62)." [5]

After the reconstruction and restoration of the Commissary ruins into El Cuartel Viejo, Bolsius began construction on the Charles Bolsius House following his return to Tucson after World War II. [6]

The house is a rambling plan with large rooms, white plaster walls, steel casement windows, concrete floors, and beamed ceilings. The large salon living room was added in 1961 and additional rooms including the dining room, main bedroom, and sitting room were added between 1961 and 1967. [7] Surrounded by old-grown mesquite trees, the north façade of the Bolsius House, although not viewable from the street, is the principal elevation of the property. The façade is characterized by slow-slung horizontal missing with varying parapet roof heights. The exposed burnt adobe is treated with a sack mortar wash which was typical stylistic treatment in Tucson during the 1930s–1960s [8]

Bolsius used the house as an artist's studio and completed many of his noted and famous paintings while living in the home. [9] In 1979, the house was purchased from Charles and Leonora Bolsius by Los Angeles and New York couple Judy and Paul Clinco and was the childhood home of Demion Clinco. In the 1980s, they added a west wing to the house that drew on the Bolsius design tenets. [10]

The Charles Bolsius House was designated a contributing property to the Pima County Fort Lowell Historic District in 1976 and was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fort Lowell Multiple Resource Area in December 1978. [1] [11] The property is today included in the City of Tucson Fort Lowell Historic Preservation Zone, designated in 1981. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tucson, Arizona</span> City in Arizona

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, and is home to the University of Arizona. It is the second-largest city in Arizona behind Phoenix, with a population of 542,629 in the 2020 United States census, while the population of the entire Tucson metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is 1,043,433. The Tucson MSA forms part of the larger Tucson-Nogales combined statistical area. Both Tucson and Phoenix anchor the Arizona Sun Corridor. The city is 108 miles (174 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 mi (100 km) north of the United States–Mexico border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanque Verde, Arizona</span> CDP in Pima County, Arizona

Tanque Verde is a suburban unincorporated community in Pima County, Arizona, United States, northeast of Tucson. The population was 16,195 at the 2000 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Tanque Verde as a census-designated place (CDP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pueblo Revival architecture</span> Architectural movement

The Pueblo Revival style or Santa Fe style is a regional architectural style of the Southwestern United States, which draws its inspiration from Santa Fe de Nuevo México's traditional Pueblo architecture, the Spanish missions, and Territorial Style. The style developed at the beginning of the 20th century and reached its greatest popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, though it is still commonly used for new buildings. Pueblo style architecture is most prevalent in the state of New Mexico; it is often blended with Territorial Revival architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Bolsius</span> Dutch American painter (1907–1983)

Charles William Bolsius was a Dutch-born American painter. He was born in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, the youngest in an upper-middle-class bourgeoisie family. His father ran the regional Gas Works and Bolsius formally studied art in The Hague before emigrating to the United States and moving to New Mexico in the early 1930s. He quickly assimilated into the art communities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe showing with the significant artist of the period. Bolsius had artistically matured within Dutch - German Expressionism. His woodblock handprints, using subject matter from the American West, capitalized on flat, bold, stark patterns and rough-hewn effects that were hallmarks of the expressionist woodblock tradition. His heavy light-filled moody paintings with cloudy brooding skies combined expressionistic influences with expansive western landscapes and the optimism of American impressionism. His work was critically recognized and exhibited at major museums and galleries throughout New Mexico and Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Pima County, Arizona</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Pima County, Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District</span> Art museum in Tucson, Arizona

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District is the artistic manifestation and architecture constructed by Ettore DeGrazia. The property is a series of buildings scattered throughout a natural desert setting. Built in Tucson near the intersection of Swan Road and Skyline the property is now a museum open to the public. Construction began in 1951 with the open air Mission in the Sun followed by a series of other expressionistic adobe buildings. The gallery/museum was constructed in 1965 with details including cactus flooring, exposed wood beams, rafters and unique artistic finishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park</span> Part of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area

Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park, formerly Yuma Crossing State Historic Park, and now one of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. It is an Arizona state park in the city of Yuma, Arizona, US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Lowell (Tucson, Arizona)</span> United States historic place

Fort Lowell was a United States Army post active from 1873 to 1891 on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. Fort Lowell was the successor to Camp Lowell, an earlier Army installation. The Army chose a location just south of the confluence of the Tanque Verde and Pantano creeks, at the point where they form the Rillito River, due to the year-round supply of water during that period. The Hohokam natives had chosen the site centuries earlier, presumably for the same reason. To this day, shards of Hohokam pottery can still be found in the area. The Army claimed a military reservation that encompassed approximately eighty square miles and extended east toward the Rincon Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Territorial Revival architecture</span> Architectural style

Territorial Revival architecture describes the style of architecture developed in the U.S. state of New Mexico in the 1930s. It derived from New Mexico vernacular Territorial Style, an original style from Santa Fe de Nuevo México following the founding of Albuquerque in 1706. Territorial Revival incorporated elements of traditional regional building techniques with higher style elements. The style was intended to recall the Territorial Style and was extensively employed for New Mexico state government buildings in Santa Fe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demion Clinco</span> American politician

Demion Clinco is an American politician, historic preservationist, philanthropist, and business leader from the state of Arizona. Clinco's social innovation included reestablishing the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation in 2008 and launching Tucson Modernism Week in 2012 and work in the higher-education sector. A member of the Democratic Party, Clinco served in the Arizona House of Representatives, as a member for the second district until 2015. In December 2015 Clinco was appointed to the Governing Board of Pima Community College. Clinco was elected in 2016 to serve a full term and in January 2018 was elected chairman of the college's Governing Board. Under Clinco's leadership the college initiated large-scale bond projects focusing on workforce development and career technical education. During this period the college underwent a significant educational and physical transformation with the construction of major buildings including Centers of Excellence in applied technology, advanced manufacturing, automotive, aviation, and allied health. In 2019 Clinco relaunched and led the reorganization of the Arizona Association of Community College Trustees serving as the president. Clinco has served on numerous local, statewide, national and international boards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Inn</span> United States historic place

The Arizona Inn is a hotel in Tucson, Arizona. It was built in 1930–31 by Isabella Greenway, who became Arizona's first female representative to the U.S. Congress in 1932. The Spanish Colonial Revival main building was designed by Tucson architect Merritt Starkweather. The entire 14-acre (5.7 ha) complex comprises 25 structures, of which 21 contribute to the historic district. The buildings are pink stuccoed masonry structures with blue details, arranged in landscaped gardens with more pink stucco walls. The gardens were designed by landscape architect James Oliphant. Small structures surround the gardens, which are mainly landscaped with native Arizona plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation</span> Historical society in Pima County, Arizona

The Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of the historic, architectural, as well as cultural heritage of Tucson, Arizona. Through advocacy initiatives, educational programs, architectural resources, and cultural events, the foundation’s goal is to encourage the community to learn about and preserve the historic buildings that make the Tucson and Pima County unique.

Madame Germaine Rouget Cheruy (1896–1980) was a French costume designer, artist and intellectual who moved to the United States in 1924. She launched and taught art programs in private schools in Connecticut including the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. In 1939 she moved to Tucson, Arizona, and in the early 1940s purchased a home with her husband Rene Cheury in the artist colony of old Fort Lowell. She lived happily with her husband in Arizona. She was recognized and best known for wash drawing, etching, woodblocks, painting, costume design, weaving, fiber arts and arts education.

Annie Verona "Veronica" Barry Hughart (1907–1977) was artist, architectural designer and journalist who lived in Tucson, Arizona and was an active part of the Old Fort Lowell art colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Saetas</span> United States historic place

Las Saetas is one of the great examples of Pueblo Revival architecture in the American Southwest. Rebuilt in 1935 from the ruins of the 1873 Post Traders Store the design-build project was led by Dutch-born artist Charles Bolsius, with Nan and Pete Bolsius. The project included hand-carved doors, exposed beams, carved corbels, adobe fireplaces, hand-hammered tin, and a heightened sense of romanticism. The property and its transformation over a 150-year-span reflect the changing culture and economic milieu of Southern Arizona and the American West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Cuartel Viejo</span> United States historic place

El Cuartel Viejo is a significant and important example of Pueblo Revival architecture in the American Southwest. Rebuilt starting in 1942 from the ruins of the 1870s Fort Lowell Quartermaster and Commissary Storehouse the design-build project was led by Dutch-born artist Charles Bolsius, with brother and sister-in-law Nan and Pete Bolsius. The project, a series of five residences, included distinctive hand-carved Bolsius doors, exposed beams, carved corbels, adobe fireplaces, hand-hammered tin, and a heightened sense of romanticism. The property like Las Saetas to the west and its transformation over a 150-year-span reflect the changing culture and economic milieu of Southern Arizona and the American West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacobson House (Tucson, Arizona)</span> Building in Arizona, United States

The Jacobson House is a residential building located in Tucson, Arizona, designed by the American architect Judith Chafee. The house was commissioned in 1975 by clients Joan and Arthur Jacobson and completed in 1977. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022 and designated a Pima County Historic Landmark in 2022.

LeaChar House is an architectural landmark, exemplifying late 20th century Arizona Territorial Revival architecture style and serving as the final masterpiece of the architectural designer and artist, Charles Bolsius. Situated on the eastern outskirts of Tucson, Arizona, within the historically significant Tanque Verde, Arizona village area, off "Tanque Verde Loop" the LeaChar House occupies a tranquil setting amidst verdant mesquite trees part of a bosque along the banks of Tanque Verde Creek. This natural environment evokes the charm and rural landscapes surrounding Fort Lowell, where Bolsius resided prior to the urban expansion of Tucson in the mid-20th century.

El Callejón is a narrow dirt road in the heart of the Old Fort Lowell neighborhood and historic district in Tucson, Arizona, United States. This narrow lane was part of the post Fort "El Fuerte" village that was established in the 1890s and continued through the 1940s. The little road holds significant cultural, environmental, and ecological history, intertwined with the region's heritage and the families who called this place home in the 20th century. Private footpaths lead to an Acequia, an irrigation canal, called the Corbett Irrigation Ditch, which dates back to 1850s.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System  (#78003360)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Acoba, Elena, A Down-to-Earth Adobe Home Tour, Arizona Daily Star, March 18, 2018.
  3. Brown, Mary, Tucson Home Draws its Charm from Old Fort, Tucson Citizen, November 22, 1974
  4. Henry, Bonnie, Historic El Fuerte Come to Life, Arizona Daily Star, February 12, 1986
  5. Thiel, J. Homer, Cultural Resources Assessment for the Fort Lowell Park, the Donaldson/Hardy Property, and the Quartermaster and Commissary Storehouse Property within Historic Fort Lowell, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, Technical Report No. 2009-02 Desert Archaeology, Inc. 2009
  6. Fimbres, Gabrielle, Old Adobe Homes Capture History of Fort Lowell, Arizona Daily Star, June 14, 1985
  7. Smith, Michael, Frot Lowell Pioneers Turn Clock Back, Arizona Daily Star, April 26, 1979
  8. Arizona Daily Star, Bolsius Dies, Artist was 75, March 23, 1983
  9. Donovan, Judy, Ft. Lowell Historic District Homes provide a glimpse into earlier eras, Arizona Daily Star, September 19, 1977
  10. Schaffiner, Karen, Where History Lives, Arizona Daily Star, March 6, 2005
  11. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Site No. HD 5–26". National Park Service . Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  12. City of Tucson, Unified Development Code 5.8.9 Fort Lowell History