JANUARY 2004
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Historic DowntownRestoration in Progressby Miriam Barnard
“Welcome to the restoration in progress,” she told visitors during October’s El Presidio Historic Neighborhood tour, as they shuffled through the Commission building (many in historic period costumes) to see sections of exposed adobe brick and admire the beamed ceilings. She cautioned visitors to be careful, and while she spoke, occasional clumps of dirt broke free from the plastic tarps and sprinkled dust from overhead.
The Tucson Women’s Commission, a then 8-year-old City Commission dedicated to improving the status of women in Tucson, convinced the City to reconsider the wrecking ball, and lease the building out as their office. The commissioners at the time, lacking resources to contract professional reconstruction, went to work themselves on the repairs essential to halt further damage to the adobe. It was during these efforts that the saguaro spine rib ceilings, immaculately preserved, and hiding beneath layers of mid-century plaster, were discovered. As the amateur repairs continued, the historic significance and value of the building became increasingly apparent. In the summer of 2000, as the City of Tucson grew more aware of the hidden treasures in its downtown, the City Manager’s Office wanted the building back. Community members—mostly women-- responded with an outpouring of letters, phone calls, and visits to the Mayor and Council, and facilitated a groundswell of support for the Commission to remain in the building. The Tucson City Council voted unanimously to donate the building as a permanent home for the Commission, and a center for the women of the community. The Women’s Commission recognized the poor repair of the building, and committed to a restoration plan that would maximize the building’s century-old strengths, as well as maintain the historic integrity of the architecture and design. In a time of waning City and County funding, the Commission faced major challenges in finding resources for such an involved endeavor. The cracked cement across the building’s foundation had created pockets of trapped moisture, causing the adobe to crumble and disintegrate in some places. Additionally, multiple roofing projects, as well as nearly two feet of dirt piled atop the buildings roof was causing the saguaro spines ceilings to sag and bow, as dirt and water trickled in. The repairs needed to save the building were major and pressing. The Commission quickly formed a building advisory board of commissioners, community members, and adobe experts, who devised a restoration plan, and successfully obtained a grant to fund a portion of the project through the Historic Preservation Heritage Fund. Still, the restoration relies largely on community supporters who value the work of the commission, as well as the historical significance and integrity of the building. Eric Means, a regional adobe expert, came through with a generous bid to do the repairs. He emphasized the importance of keeping all repairs consistent with the original texture and type of adobe, to prevent further cracking and foundation sinks, as well as ensuring an easy-breathing adobe, ready to withstand another century. The weight from the ceiling was lifted in layers, to be replaced with a mixture of dirt and a sap-like component, similar to that of the original roof from the 1800s. Today, the restoration process is well underway, and Means Construction is working side by side with volunteer women in an apprenticeship program. Meanwhile, the Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission continues its work promoting justice and equality for women. Amidst the falling dirt and dust clouds, and the gentle slapping sounds of adobe mortar on mason, the Women’s Commission runs a number of community programs, including a Skills for Women Class, where low-income women learn computer, resume writing, and interview skills, as well as develop already existing strengths and interests, in a supportive and nurturing environment tailored to each individual’s learning style. The Commission also recently hosted two conferences, the Speak Out Conference for middle school girls, co-hosted by Marana Middle School, and the Positive Aging for Women Conference, sponsored by Council Member Carol West’s Ward II District Office. In addition to these “special events,” the Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission is constantly advocating within the community for equitable, safe and fair treatment of all women.
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andy Davenport, Executive Director of the Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission, looks forward to a time when leaving work at the end of a day doesn’t involve shaking the dust and dirt from her clothing. As the Commission charges forward with a progressive agenda of social justice and equality, its home on the corner of Court Avenue and Council Street is revisiting its roots in a massive restoration project that aims to preserve the historic edifice by unearthing its century-old foundations.
The Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission is housed in the historic El Presidio neighborhood, in the former Royal Johnson House. The building, constructed in the late 1800s as the Arctic Ice Company, as well as home to the Royal Johnson family, was one of the first commercial structures to be erected outside the perimeter of the original Presidio Wall. Throughout the twentieth century, this Sonoran Row-style house lent its walls to art galleries, a Girl Scout office, numerous businesses, and an archive for city records. A series of short-sighted renovations, including the use of cement to reinforce adobe foundations in the late 1930s, left the building crumbling and forlorn, prompting the City of Tucson to slate the Royal Johnson House for demolition in 1983. 