[Source: Paul L. Allen, Tucson Citizen] -- Tucsonans have known for decades that the Winterhaven neighborhood, an oasis of greenery, is special, particularly at Christmastime when it hosts the annual Festival of Lights. Now the federal government agrees. Winterhaven has just become the 21st Tucson neighborhood included on the National Register of Historic Places. Established in 1948 by developer C.B. Richards, the 265-residence neighborhood is bounded by Prince Road on the north, Country Club Road on the east, Fort Lowell Road on the south, and Tucson Boulevard on the west. The neighborhood's nomination was prepared by students in the preservation studies program of the University of Arizona's College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and was funded with a city-provided grant. Brooks Jeffery, associate dean of the UA college, said that Winterhaven's inclusion in the register means "the neighborhood is significant in the larger community, a part of the architectural heritage of Tucson."
"On a larger, practical, financial note, it allows 'contributing' properties to enjoy estate tax reductions," added Jeffery, who serves as coordinator of preservation studies at the college. "Contributing" properties, he said, are those that have maintained architectural integrity. Those that have changed, for example, from the original grass landscaping to desert landscaping would not qualify. [Note: To read the full article, click here. Tucson Citizen file photo of 1964 yuletide lights at Christmas Avenue and McKenzie Street in Winterhaven.]
