Tower Court

Tower Court
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
NM State Register of Cultural Properties
The building in 2012
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Location	2210 Central Ave. SW, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Coordinates	35°5′42″N 106°40′26″W
Built	1939
Architectural style	Streamline Moderne
NRHP reference No.	93001216[1]
NMSRCP No.	1573
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	November 22, 1993
Designated NMSRCP	September 17, 1993[2]

The Tower Court[nb 1][3][4] is a historic motel on Central Avenue (former U.S. Route 66) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is notable as one of only a few 1930s motels remaining in the city.[5][6] The motel was built in 1939 by Ben F. Shear[7] and was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[2]

The motel is a U-shaped, flat-roofed building with 16 units surrounding a central parking area. It is one story high except for the central section, which has two units on the second floor reached by an interior staircase. The exterior walls are stuccoed and include modest Streamline Moderne elements like rounded corners and horizontal decorative moldings. The front of the property originally included a 30-foot (9.1 m) stepped tower which was the motel's namesake, but it has been removed.[5]

Notes

1. The property is listed in the NRHP as the Tower Courts; however, contemporary sources including photos, postcards, and advertisements gave the name as Tower Court.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "State and National Register Spreadsheet" (Excel). New Mexico Department of Historic Preservation. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
3. "Tower Court, modern-in-every-detail, 2210 Central Ave., S. W., Albuquerque, New Mexico". Tichnor Brothers Postcard Collection. Digital Commonwealth. Retrieved June 10, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Tower Court". Albuquerque Journal. Advertisement. November 30, 1939. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
5. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Tower Courts". National Park Service. November 22, 1993. with two accompanying photos
6. Hinckley, Jim (2012). The Route 66 Encyclopedia. Voyageur Press. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-61058-688-7. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
7. "New Tower Courts". Albuquerque Progress. 6 (5): 3. July 1939. Retrieved June 10, 2020.