Manhattan Heights (El Paso, Texas neighborhood)

United States historic place

Manhattan Heights Historic District

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

U.S. Historic district

Location| Roughly bounded by Grant, Louisiana and Richmond Aves., El Paso, Texas
Area| 191 acres (77 ha)
Built| 1914 (1914)
Architectural style| Prairie School, Bungalow/Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.| 80004107[1]
Added to NRHP| September 27, 1980

Manhattan Heights (also known as Memorial Park)[2] is a historic district and neighborhood in El Paso, Texas. The neighborhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[2]

## History

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The Federal Copper Company operated a smelter in the area that would later become Manhattan Heights between June 9, 1899 and December 1, 1908.[3] The smelter was designed by architects, Buchanan and Allen, and ore processing began on September 10, 1901.[4] The copper company's smelter was demolished by 1912 to make way for a residential area.[3] On October 12, 1912, the area was sold to a dentist, Dr. James B. Brady for $85,000.[5] The first home was built in 1914, and most homes were completed by the 1930s.[3] The homes were designed with wealthy buyers in mind.[6]

In 1976, residents formed the Memorial Park Improvement Association (MPIA), to help restore the neighborhood.[6] Kenneth Bailey, Una Hill, Mary Wilson, Louis Cantwell, Mary Neil Brown and Sandra Davis were all involved with getting Manhattan Heights designated a historic neighborhood on June 9, 1979.[3][4] It was the first neighborhood in El Paso to receive that distinction.[3] Because of the historic status of the neighborhood, efforts to preserve old homes have been undertaken by the El Paso Historic Preservation Alliance.[7]

## Cityscape

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Mabel Welch Historic Marker at Memorial Park, El Paso, TX

The boundaries of Manhattan Heights are made up by Memorial Park, Piedras Road, Copia Street and Louisville.[8]

Architecture in Manhattan Heights includes buildings that represent Georgian Revival, Foursquare, Tudor, American bungalows and Spanish-Italian architectural influences.[3] In 1927, the first woman architect in El Paso and second in Texas, Mabel C. Welch, built her first home in the Manhattan Heights neighborhood.[9] Welch started the trend of Spanish revival in the area.[9]

## Education

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Manhattan Heights School, later renamed Crockett Elementary School, was established in 1919.[10] The name change took place in order to honor heroes from Texas and happened on May 8, 1922.[11]

The area is served by the Memorial Park Branch of the El Paso Public Library system.[12]

## Parks and recreation

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Veterans Memorial Park was set aside by the city of El Paso on May 13, 1920.[13] The park is a war memorial and "desert oasis" designed primarily by landscape architect, George Kessler.[13]

Roses in the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden.

Another park in the area is the Municipal Rose Garden, which was opened in May 1959.[13] The rose garden showcases over 430 varieties of roses and 1,500 individual rose buses.[14] The roses growing in the garden are representative of types that grow best in El Paso's desert climate.[15] The garden is about 4-acres in size.[15] The garden has been maintained by El Paso Master Gardeners since 2007, who work as volunteers.[14] The garden is multi-level and also includes waterfalls and a koi pond.[15] The garden is open seasonally, from the beginning of March until the end of November.[14] It is located on North Copia street and has free admission.[16] Prior to the Rose garden, there were several different gardens on the site which were known as the Hill Top Gardens Area and opened in 1933.[13] The rock wall seats of the garden were part of a Civil Works Administration project and the gardens were completed by 1935.[13] The Hill Top Gardens won a Better Homes and Gardens contest in 1938.[13]

## Culture

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### Religion

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St. Alban's Episcopal church, a mission of the first Protestant church in El Paso, Church of St. Clement, was dedicated on December 11, 1921.[17]

## Notable residents

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* Veronica Escobar[18]
* Fred Hervey[3]

## References

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### Citations

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1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places". Retrieved May 22, 2017.
3. ^ a b c d e f g Peters 2011, p. 7.
4. ^ a b Peters 2011, p. 9.
5. ^ Metz 1999, p. 192.
6. ^ a b Peters 2011, p. 8.
7. ^ Crowder, David (January 6, 2013). "Preservation Group Restores Bungalow". El Paso Inc. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
8. ^ Metz 1999, p. 191.
9. ^ a b Peters 2011, p. 31-32.
10. ^ Peters 2011, p. 55.
11. ^ Metz 1993, p. 203.
12. ^ "Memorial Park Branch". El Paso Public Library. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
13. ^ a b c d e f Peters 2011, p. 43.
14. ^ a b c "El Paso Municipal Rose Garden". El Paso County Master Gardeners. August 13, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
15. ^ a b c McDonald 2008, p. 82.
16. ^ Stephens 2003, p. 236.
17. ^ Peters 2011, p. 75.
18. ^ Crowder, David (December 12, 2011). "County Judge Veronica Escobar". El Paso Inc. Retrieved May 24, 2017.

### Sources

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* McDonald, Elvin (2008). Texas Public Gardens. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company. ISBN 9781589805675.
* Metz, Leon (1999). El Paso: Guided Through Time. El Paso, Texas: Mangan Books. ISBN 0930208374.
* Metz, Leon C. (1993). El Paso Chronicles: A Record of Historical Events in El Paso, Texas. El Paso, Texas: Mangan Books. ISBN 9780930208325.
* Peters, Craig M. (2011). El Paso's Manhattan Heights. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738584805.
* Stephens, Jessie Gunn (2003). Touring Texas Gardens. Plano, Texas: Republic of Texas Press. ISBN 9781556229343.

## External links

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* Manhattan Heights Neighborhood Association
* El Paso History Journal Preservation Alliance restores home in Manhattan Heights (2013 video)

*[No.]: number