Tax Credit Program Highlight: 905 W. Yandell

History

The Sunset Heights Historic District, unusually situated on an escarpment which slopes toward the Rio Grande, showcases one of the first planned residential subdivisions in the country built in multiple residential architectural styles popular throughout the El Paso region and the American Southwest. Due to its proximity to Mexico, the district also historically played host to international clientele, giving Sunset Heights international as well as local significance. The two-story Mission/Spanish Revival residence at 905 West Yandell reflects the cultural and architectural conglomeration found in Sunset Heights. Architectural features of note include the arched wooden frame balcony doors on the front façade and the entry door flanked by Spanish Colonial style columns.

Rehabilitation Project

The single-family home was purchased by an architect who used the historic tax credits to convert the building to a two-unit rental property. The new units were created by subtle and reversible alterations: infilling two original door openings. The larger three-bedroom unit enters from the front of the house and includes a new kitchen built into a previously enclosed porch and the house’s upper floor bedrooms. The smaller one-bedroom unit enters at the rear, through the original kitchen, and utilizes a space on the lowest level that was likely constructed as a maid’s quarters and later used as a garage. The project retained all original wood work and built-ins, including a hidden safe, as well as tile finishes that may not be original but are in-keeping with the character of the home.