Juan Xavier House

Juan Xavier House
Juan Xavier House in 2023
General information
Address	5335 E Fort Lowell Rd, El Callejón, Tucson, Arizona
Year(s) built	1925

Juan Xavier House, is a two-room adobe building located along El Callejón, on the edge of a mesquite bosque within the Fort Lowell Historic Preservation Zone in Tucson, Arizona. Built in the early to mid-20th century, the house exemplifies late traditional Sonoran farmhouse or ranch architecture, a vernacular style prevalent in Northern Mexico and Southern Arizona. The house is closely associated with its namesake, Juan Xavier, a noted member of the Tohono O'odham tribal council and a figure involved in Tucson's cultural and artistic communities.

Architectural significance

The Juan Xavier House is a small, adobe building measuring 23 feet east to west and 17 feet north to south, with a brick floor and flat roof featuring a parapet. The structure follows the traditional Sonoran architectural style, characterized by its thick adobe walls plastered in an integral pink lime stucco. Other notable features include double-hung wood sash windows, a corner fireplace, and salvaged adobe materials that may have been sourced from nearby Fort Lowell ruins.

The house stands on a 0.27-acre property that was originally part of the 19th-century Fort Lowell Post Trader's Store site, later known as Las Saetas, owned by Nan, Pete, and Charles Bolsius. In addition, anthropologists Edward H. Spicer and Rosamond Spicer once owned the property, further embedding the house in Tucson's rich historical and cultural narrative.

The adobe Sonoran farmhouse style, especially as exemplified by the Juan Xavier House, reflects the traditional homes of Hispanic ranch and farm workers. These homes, often located outside the 19th-century city center and suburban areas, illustrate how a regional, Hispanic architectural style gradually became part of the broader American architectural landscape.

Historical context

In 1964, while the property was still owned by Juan Xavier, the Pima County Assessor dated the house to 1925 and 1954, suggesting that either an earlier adobe structure was used as the base for the current building or that salvaged materials from nearby ruins were used in its construction.

Tucson's remaining adobe farmhouses, dating from the 1850s to the 1950s, are primarily concentrated around historic Hispanic communities such as Fort Lowell and Tanque Verde, making the Juan Xavier House an important example of the region's architectural and cultural heritage.

Juan Xavier

Juan Xavier was born in 1898 on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation near Tucson. He attended the Phoenix Indian School from 1907 to 1914 and later the Cook Bible Institute from 1920 to 1925. Xavier was a significant figure within his community, serving as the secretary of the Tohono O'odham tribal council. He was one of the original signers of the tribe's constitution in 1937, adopted under the Indian Reorganization Act. He remained active in tribal affairs, particularly in the Choulic, Arizona district, until his death in 1975.

Xavier worked in various capacities throughout his life, including as a cowhand, welder, interpreter for the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, and guide for Tucson artist Ted Ettore DeGrazia on annual expeditions into the Superstition Mountains. His deep connection to Tucson's artist community was further demonstrated when he modeled for a plaster sculpture by Oscar Davisson in 1949 and sat for a portrait by Beatrice Edgerly, featured in the 1951 Tucson Festival of the Arts.

Xavier married Guyneth Harrington in 1942, an archaeologist and photographer. The couple married at the Yuma, Arizona home of Julian D. Hayden, a renowned Tucson archaeologist. Together, they resided in Phoenix during World War II, where Xavier undertook special work, and Harrington conducted archaeological research and socio-economic surveys for the Soil Conservation Service at the Tohono O'odham Reservation.

Xavier's influence extended beyond his political and artistic contributions. He was also a skilled medicine singer and storyteller, often sharing the myths of his people with his neighbors. His work in constructing outdoor patios and adobe fireplaces in the Fort Lowell neighborhood further cemented his role as a cultural and architectural contributor to Tucson.

Juan Xavier died in 1975, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with the history and cultural heritage of Tucson and the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Notable mentions and artistic influence

In addition to his role in the tribal council and his contributions to the arts community, Juan Xavier participated in several significant artistic and cultural activities: 1945 Talk on the Seri Indians: Xavier delivered a talk on the Seri Indians of Tiburón Island to the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society.

Collaboration with Ted DeGrazia: Xavier worked closely with the Tucson artist, serving as a guide and assistant on DeGrazia's annual treasure-hunting expeditions to the Superstition Mountains. Sculpture and Portrait Sittings: He modeled for Oscar Davisson's sculpture in 1949 and sat for Beatrice Edgerly's portrait, featured in the Tucson Festival of the Arts.

Legacy of the Juan Xavier House

The Juan Xavier House stands as a testament to the blending of traditional Sonoran architecture and the personal history of its namesake. It is a rare surviving example of Tucson's adobe farmhouse tradition and a tangible link to the region's multicultural past, embodying the narratives of Hispanic, Native American, and artistic communities.

Through its association with Juan Xavier, the house also serves as a reminder of the contributions made by Native American leaders to both their communities and the broader social and cultural fabric of Arizona. Today, it remains a significant cultural landmark in Tucson's Fort Lowell Historic District.