Walking Albuquerque. Stephen Ausherman
1914.At 1211 Roma, the Trumbull-Hesselden House has the distinction of being one of Albuquerque’s few stone houses and possibly its first duplex. The mansard roof is another unique feature in this region known for flat rooftops, though at the time of its completion in 1882, not another structure stood near it. Its first owner, Walter Trumbull, died in 1891, and the house served for the next 11 years as the Goss Military Institute. The 1896 city directory mentions that the institute “furnishes for boys and young men, a training in military tactics as well as a mental training.” Wallace Hesselden bought the duplex in 1902, using half for immediate family and the other half for other relatives.
Veer northwest just past 13th St. for a quick stroll through Mary Fox Park.
Turn north on 14th St. and enjoy this quiet stretch of cottages and bungalows before leaving the Fourth Ward.
Turn west on Lomas. The sudden increase in traffic and nearby businesses—a smoke shop and a pawn shop—contributes to a dramatic shift in atmosphere. Gertrude Zachary Jewelry Etc., the indigo-tiled structure ahead, is hard to ignore (as is her castle in Walk 3). Pick up the scent of Monroe’s Mexican Food and follow it down to its classic neon sign shaped like a heart and arrow. Customers have loved this restaurant since it opened in 1962 as a small drive-in.
At the Manzano Day School, you might find it easier to use the crosswalk here to reach the north side of Lomas, then rejoin the marked route a quarter mile later at the west corner of Central and San Felipe. Or you can stay on course and negotiate the traffic at the Y-junction of Lomas and Central. The landscaped archipelago of traffic islands there, known as the Phil Chacon Transit-Pedestrianway, is maintained by the city’s Park Management Division. On September 10, 1980, Albuquerque police officer Phil Chacon was volunteering at a shelter for battered women when two children who lived at the shelter alerted him to a robbery at the nearby Kinney shoe store. Unarmed and in civilian clothing, the off-duty officer chased a hooded bandit to a doughnut shop, where the suspect turned and gunned down Chacon. The murder remains unsolved. A city park and a police substation have also been named in his honor.
Turn north on San Felipe St. The salmon-pink American Foursquare on the east side of the street is the Bottger Mansion. Completed in 1912, this Old Town home is relatively new. Charles Bottger demolished a 19th-century governor’s mansion to make way for what would eventually become the bed-and-breakfast inn you see today.The portal-shaded walkways so characteristic of Old Town begin at the American International Rattlesnake Museum. You can earn a certificate of bravery just for going inside. Continue north to the intersection with S. Plaza St., where Old Town Plaza is in full view. Finish the walk at the gazebo and take a moment to rest in this arboreal oasis.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Roma Bakery and Deli romabakeryanddeli.com, 501 Roma Ave. NW, 505-843-9418
Mauger Estate B&B Inn maugerbb.com, 701 Roma Ave. NW, 800-719-9189
Gertrude Zachary Jewelry Etc. gertrudezachary.com, 1501 Lomas Blvd. NW, 505-247-4442
Monroe’s Mexican Food monroeschile.com, 1520 Lomas Blvd. NW, 505-242-1111
Bottger Mansion of Old Town bottger.com, 110 San Felipe St. NW, 505-243-3639
American International Rattlesnake Museum rattlesnakes.com, 202 San Felipe St. NW, 505-242-6569
ROUTE SUMMARY
1 Start at Civic Plaza. Walk to the southwest corner of Marquette Ave. and 5th St.
2 Turn north and go to the northeast corner of 5th St. and Roma Ave.
3 Turn west and go to the northwest corner of Roma Ave. and Luna Blvd.
4 Turn south and go to Marquette Ave.
5 Turn west and go to 11th St.
6 Turn north and return to Roma Ave.
7 Turn west and go to Mary Fox Park.
8 Walk northwest through the park to 14th St.
9 Turn north and go to Lomas Blvd.
10 Turn west on Lomas Blvd. and go to the west corner of Central Ave. and San Felipe St.
11 Turn north and go to Old Town Plaza.
CONNECTING THE WALKS
Walk 1 crosses 4th St. 1.5 blocks south of Civic Plaza. Walk 6 begins on the west side of Old Town Plaza. You can return to Civic Plaza via Walk 7, which begins nearby on the west corner of 19th St. and Mountain Rd.
6 OLD TOWN: DON CUERVO’S ILLEGITIMATE VILLA
BOUNDARIES: S. Plaza St., San Pasqua Ave., Mountain Rd., Panmunjon Rd.
DISTANCE: 1.75 miles
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARKING: Free parking on 20th St., north of Mountain Rd.
PUBLIC TRANSIT: Buses 66 and 766 on Central Ave. at Rio Grande Blvd.; bus 36 on Rio Grande Blvd. at Mountain Rd.
In 1706 Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, acting governor of the Province of New Mexico, boldly announced the founding of the Villa of Albuquerque. It proved to be a poor decision. In his haste, he’d failed to ask permission from the viceroy and, through him, the King of Spain. He also neglected the paperwork necessary to obtain a land grant for the new villa. The oversight soon cost him his job, and the legitimacy of Albuquerque would be debated for centuries to follow, even in the New Mexico Supreme Court as late as 1959. Legitimate or not, what stands on the founding site today is Old Town, a former town center packed with hundreds of boutiques, galleries, museums, hotels, and historic sites. This walk winds through hidden alleys and patios, then strays west to explore an “authentic” residential area outside of the tourist zone.
Start at Plaza Don Luis, where you’ll find the Old Town Visitor Center. Pick up a few brochures and maps to enhance the walk ahead. If you start out with an odd sensation of walking on somebody’s grave, it’s probably because this small brick plaza was built upon Albuquerque’s first cemetery and the burials were supposedly left intact.Construction on the first church of Old Town began in 1706 nearby on the west side of the main plaza, but the structure wasn’t functional until 1718. It was originally named in honor of San Francisco Xavier but was renamed by decree of the Duke of Alburquerque to honor San Felipe, the patron saint of Spain’s new sovereign, King Felipe V. The order went neglected for many years. In 1776 Fray Francisco Domínguez inspected the church and found a painting of the local favorite saint over the main altar. Outraged, he demanded an image of San Felipe de Neri to be installed in its place. The name stuck from then on. Domínguez also expressed disappointment in the overall gloomy aspect of the church. There were no pews. The congregation sat on a dirt floor, women on the right side of the imaginary aisle, men on the left. It also lacked bell towers. A small arch held a pair of mismatched bells, both of them broken. He blamed the disorder on “lethargy and laziness.”In 1792 the alcalde mayor requested help from local residents to repair the distressed church, but the response was unenthusiastic. The structure continued to deteriorate until the following winter, when it completely collapsed. Rather than clear the rubble and rebuild on the original site, construction of the present San Felipe de Neri Church began on the north side of the plaza. The Folk Gothic spires were added in response to French Bishop (later Archbishop)