Arizona has many types of Hispanic architecture:
 Buildings constructed by the Spanish in the 18 th century in traditional styles used throughout the Americas. These include the intact missions of San Xavier del Bac
(below) and Tumacacori and the ruins of the mission at Guevavi and the ruins of the presidios at Tubac and Santa Cruz de
Terranate. No private houses of this era survive. The missions were constructed of burned adobe brick and then covered with a protective coating of lime plaster. San Xavier mission was constructed in a style known alternately as Spanish
Renaissance or late
Mexican Renaissance with possible Byzantine and Moorish elements.
Note the two massive bell towers flanking the ornately carved, vertically-oriented façade. Notice also the curvilinear parapet wall atop the façade. The presidios, however, were constructed more simply
– unfired adobe brick left un-whitewashed.

 Buildings constructed by Mexicans in the 19 th century in traditional styles used throughout the Americas. These include the adobe row houses of Tucson built in a style known locally as “Sonoran”. This style was used widely throughout the Americas but is called “Sonoran” because of their great number in the adjoining Mexican state of Sonora.
Some of these houses may have been built by Mexican citizens when Tucson was still
Mexican territory (i.e. before 1854) but most were built by Mexican-Americans between
1854 and 1890 following traditional design.
 adobe construction, rectangular “shoebox” shape, thick walls, flat roof, parapet walls, canales, large wood beam lintels, close to street
 large wood vegas hold up the roof, smaller wood latillas run perpendicular to vegas. Packed earth was laid on top of the wooden roof structure.

 Buildings constructed in the early 20 th century (1890-1940) during a time period when an architectural style known as “period revival” was in vogue. These buildings differed from the previous styles discussed in that they were designed and built by professional architect/builders for potential buyers rather than hand-built by the occupants. “Period
Revival” architecture was a style meant to mimic or recreate buildings of earlier centuries. During this time period different parts of the U.S. saw buildings constructed in
Gothic Revival, Georgian Revival, Norman Revival, Tudor Revival. However, in
Arizona, as well as in California, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida, houses were constructed in Spanish Revival style in honor of the Spanish history of these states.
Tucson and Phoenix have hundreds of these structures in their older neighborhoods while
Glendale, Scottsdale, Mesa, Yuma, Flagstaff, and Nogales have lesser numbers. Two major Spanish Revival styles found in Arizona are Spanish Colonial Revival and Mission
Revival. Buildings constructed in the Spanish Revival styles were usually constructed of brick and then covered in stucco giving these structures the appearance of adobe construction.
 Mission revival buildings were built to evoke thoughts of old Spanish missions such as
San Xavier del Bac and others. Mission Revival style is characterized by massive smooth stucco siding, arcaded entry porches, a curvilinear parapet wall topping the façade, and round or quatrefoil windows centered high on the façade. This style was popular from roughly 1890 to 1915. The Owl’s Club (above) , built in Tucson in 1905, has a rather ornately carved, vertically-oriented façade similar to that of San Xavier. Most Mission
Revival style buildings do not have such elaboration on the façade. The canales draining the roof are not typical elements of Mission Revival style but of the Sonoran style.

 Safford Junior High School in
Tucson is a beautiful example of
Mission Revival style architecture.
It was designed in 1918 by Anne
Rockfellow, the first female MIT architecture graduate. As at San
Xavier, two bell towers flank an ornately carved, vertically-oriented façade topped by a curvilinear parapet wall. A circular window is centered high on the façade.
 A simpler example of Mission Revival style may be found in the J. Knox Corbett House
(below) on Main Street in Tucson. Built in 1907 it features smooth stucco walls, a deeply-shaded arcaded entry porch, a curvilinear parapet wall, and a circular window high on the facade.

 The Spanish Colonial Revival style became popular near the end of the craze in Mission
Revival, from roughly 1920 to 1940. Spanish Colonial Revival buildings were constructed with elements designed to evoke the feeling of the grand Spanish government buildings constructed in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Lima, and other Spanish colonial centers during the 16 th and 17 th centuries. Spanish Colonial Revival style is characterized by red tile roofs, arches, courtyards, fountains, wrought-iron lamps and railings, and colorful ceramic tile. They are often large structures with two floors. Tucson’s Temple of
Music and Art (below) was constructed in 1927.
 The Pima County Courthouse (below) exemplifies the Spanish Colonial Revival use of decorative wrought iron for lamps and balustrades. It was designed by Roy Place and built in 1929.