Tucson's Old Fort Lowell Area Has Been a "Neighborhood" for Nearly 2,000 Years

Around 300 A.D., the first pioneers in the Fort Lowell District arrived. Since then, various cultures have come and gone, leaving their distinct imprints. The same factors drew these people to the area: a plentiful supply of water and fertile soil. The Tanque Verde and Pantano washes meet here to create the Rillito, a new waterway. In the middle of the dry Sonoran Desert, the land along the banks formed an oasis. Rosamond B. Spicer, the neighborhood ethno-historian, tells the story of the Former Fort Lowell neighborhood. According to her, "The situation is similar in other parts of the world. It is a microcosm of multiple cultures' histories over time."

Camp Lowell was established in 1867, just within Tucson's city limits, and its borders were about where Armory Park is now. Tucson was a small dusty town with some rugged characters such as miners, other fortune hunters, prostitutes, and camp followers among the enterprising residents. There was chaos and inebriation. Because of the town's temptations, the commanding general, Captain W. Henry Brown, had given up hope of maintaining order among the troops. General George Crook was troubled by the situation, so he dispatched a group to search for a more suitable location.

One was chosen about seven miles northeast of town because it had plenty of water, plenty of grass for the horses, and an abundant supply of wood. The chosen location was, of course, at the confluence of the Pantano and Tanque Verde washes, where they joined to form the Rillito — the same location chosen by the Hohokam about sixteen hundred years before.

The Army has set aside eighty square miles of Military Reservation to secure the Fort's water supply, as well as other natural resources considered important for its survival. In 1872, this was completed, and in 1873, Camp Lowell was relocated to its current site.

Tucson's Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood Today

St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic Church was founded on Swan Road and Pima Street in 1948 by the Catholic church. The abandoned San Pedro chapel was purchased in 1957 by Ruth Phipps and in 1965 by Nathan I. Krevitsky, "Nik," who both used it as a home. The old Fort Lowell school was relocated to a new building at 5151 E. Pima Street in 1929, with the students transporting desks and equipment through the desert. La Tiendita, a little shop that had never thrived, was closed.

More and more Anglos, as well as some new Mexicans, came in. Craycroft Road was driven through, demolishing one of the officers quarters and slicing the Fort grounds in two. Craycroft and Swan, which had come to a halt at Fort Lowell Road, were later moved across the Rillito to provide access to the Catalina Foothills' developments.

As Tucson expanded, so did the Fort Lowell neighborhood. There were more single-family homes constructed, as well as more multi-family projects. The Fort's ruins were turned into a County Park, complete with a swimming pool, sports fields, a Fort Museum, and the preservation of some of the old ruins. The Hohokam, the Fort, and El Fuerte Village were all just memories – or ruins, displays, and the foundations for new buildings.

DC Roofing of Arizona takes great pride in being a member of the Tucson culture. Please don't hesitate to contact us at (520) 979-9095 for a free, no-obligation inspection and quotation if we can be of assistance with the roof on your home or company.