Monte Vista School
National Register of Historic Places

Monte Vista School

Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Listed
August 11, 1981
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000399

About this property

Monte Vista Elementary School is a public elementary school in the Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico, whose campus is listed in the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. It is notable as one of the city's best examples of Mediterranean Revival architecture and as the historical focal point of the surrounding neighborhood. It is a part of Albuquerque Public Schools. In the 1920s and 30s Albuquerque was undergoing rapid development along Central Avenue in the area then known as the East Mesa, the high ground just east of the present alignment of Interstate 25. One of the new developments was the Monte Vista Addition, which was laid out in 1926 leaving room for a future elementary school at the intersection of two diagonal boulevards, Monte Vista and Campus. Albuquerque Public Schools originally planned to build a ten-classroom school, but scaled the plans back to eight classrooms to cut costs. The school was budgeted at $77,500 and was designed by local architect T. Charles Gaastra, who also designed the nearby Hendren Building some years later. Monte Vista opened to the public on February 1, 1931, and has remained in use for its original purpose ever since. A 1947 addition extended the wings at the rear of the building, adding more classrooms to keep up with increasing enrollment. A separate cafeteria building was added in 1965. In 1981, the school was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places. The historic main building at Monte Vista was designed by local architect T. Charles Gaastra in the Mediterranean Revival style. The plan is complex but carefully aligned with respect to the wedge-shaped corner of Monte Vista and Campus Boulevards. The school has four classroom wings projecting from a central block punctuated by an arched front entrance, elaborately ornamented with molded terra cotta, and a square tower with a domed cupola. Shallowly pitched tile roofs and tan stuccoed walls complete the Mediterranean appearance. The rear of the building, including the 1947 additions, has two stories, while the front has one. The windows used are generally 6-over-6 sashes.

Location

3211 Monte Vista Blvd., NE
Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
35.08274, -106.61017

Categories

EDUCATIONHISPANICARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Hendren Building
Civil War
0.1 mi
Monte Vista Fire Station
Industrial
0.1 mi
Leverett, William J., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Monte Vista and College View Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Nob Hill Business Center
Modern
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Chamuscado-Rodríguez Expedition 1581
1581Colonial
2.7 mi
Reconquest of New Mexico (de Cruzate's Campaign)
1689Colonial
3.4 mi
Tiwa Pueblo Skirmish – Alcanfor 1540
1540Colonial
6.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Monte Vista School listed on the National Register?

Monte Vista School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 11, 1981.

What type of historic resource is Monte Vista School?

Monte Vista School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Monte Vista School?

The period of significance for Monte Vista School is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Monte Vista School?

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