Tag Archives: architecture

August 2, 2013 · 5:35 am

Fun Photo Friday — Doors of the Southwest

Gateway to Sanctuario de Chimayo

Regulars to this blog know that I love architectural details in general, and doors and windows in particular. Today let’s have some fun with Doors of the Desert Southwestern U.S. As always, just click on any of the images below to bring up a slideshow of the collection.

Blue and Pink

My Favorite Santa Fe Gate

Old Mesilla Bookstore

Entrance to Mexican Dining

Taos Door in Blue

La Posta de Mesilla

Another La Posta Doorway in Old Mesilla

Santa Fe Doorway

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Filed under Photography, travel

Tagged as architecture, Fun Photo Friday, photography, R. Doug Wicker, Southwest, Southwestern U.S., travel

July 31, 2013 · 5:35 am

Historic Kern Place, El Paso — Part 2

Hacienda Style

On Monday we began our tour of El Paso’s historic Kern Place residences. Today we move up the economic ladder to the most exclusive area of Kern — Rim Road. Homes here range from “modest” (in a ridiculously expensive sense):

From the Smaller . . .

To extravagant (in any sense):

. . . to the Larger

The views from the upper portion of Rim Road make this area one of the most desirable not only in Kern Place, but in all of El Paso:

Rim Road View of Downtown El Paso

There’s a saying that, “A Man’s Home is His Castle,” and on Rim Road you don’t even have to travel to Europe to find a Norman Castle with extraordinary views:

The Norman Castle

One such view is of an architectural gem from famous El Paso architect Henry C. Trost. That gem is, of course, El Paso High School completed by the firm of Trost & Trost in 1916.

El Paso HIgh School viewed from Rim Road

I could probably fill a good-sized coffee table picture book with the wonders of Henry C. Trost. Some of his more renowned projects include the O.T. Bassett Tower and the world’s first Hilton Hotel. But we’ll save Mr. Trost for a future blog or two, I think. Today we’re concentrating on the residences of Rim Road and the extraordinary views. Click on any image below to bring up the slideshow:

Newer Construction

A Colorful Charmer with a Great View

Hacienda Style

Rim Road Rustic

Another View of the Norman Castle

The Domed Wonder

Crazy Cat Mountain in the foreground; Franklin Mountains beyond

View of El Paso High School and Downtown

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Filed under Photography, travel

Tagged as architecture, El Paso, El Paso High, Henry C. Trost, Kern Place, photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel, Trost & Trost

July 29, 2013 · 5:35 am

Historic Kern Place, El Paso — Part 1

Stone Castle

El Paso is home to some really historic buildings and neighborhoods. One of these is Kern Place situated high above downtown El Paso, and one street — Rim Road — hosts some of the best views in the city. As one might expect from the views, Rim Road has some of the most stunning mansions in the entire city. Those will be the focus of my Wednesday blog. For today, however, we’ll concentrate on some interesting homes situated away from the views of Rim.

From Charming Cottages . . .

The Kern Place district contains an eclectic variety of homes ranging from charming little cottages — many made of stone — to huge mansions in the Federal-style one would normally associate with the East Coast.

. . . to Full-Blown Mansions

The cottages of stone construction are some of the most popular properties in this area, as each has a unique charm.

Example of Stone Construction

Being a long established neighborhood (development began in late 1914), some properties are hidden from view by very mature trees.

Hidden Stone Gem

Other architectural styles in the area range from Southwestern to Victorian, with a little of everything else in between. Click on any of the images below to see what I mean: