Jefferson Park Neighborhood

Jefferson Park Neighborhood Garden Tour
April 18, 2010    Noon to 5:00 p m

The tour begins at noon at the Ward III office at 1510 N. Grant Ave. 
Visitors purchase a ticket/brochure and follow the map to over ten sites. 
Adults are $10, supervised children under 12 free. 
Drive or walk within the square mile neighborhood.

Description:

This mid-town neighborhood celebrates its diverse styles and common history.  From its early beginnings as the homestead of a 26 year-old German girl, to the U of A Polo Fields immediately south, to the growing U of A and UMC, this neighborhood has been the home of many fascinating independent characters.  Professors, students, retirees, artists, blue collar and white collar workers are all part of the eclectic mix that build and live here.  Urban living begs for outside spaces of calmness and beauty.  Jefferson Park invites the community into its many and varied interpretation of garden space.

Participants in the tour will be amazed at the variety, versatility and beauty of the gardens tucked away behind the houses in this unique neighborhood. They truly represent the eclectic mix of people who live here.     If you are interested in water harvesting, at least three of the sites will have water harvesting features and expert do-it-your-selfers on hand to share information.  You can also see how one resident maintains an urban chicken coop, as well as an organic vegetable garden and a "poor man's green house".  Another site will inspire you to build a water garden.  This one is complete with water lilies, foot bridges, ramadas and even a turtle sanctuary.  Two gardens, each owned by professional artists, illustrate how they combine their art with nature. One of the gardens on the tour was awarded the 2009 Grand Prize by Tucson Botanical Gardens  for their xeriscape entry. To add to the variety offered, two of the gardens, specifically designed for entertaining, are exciting  outdoor rooms, complete with fireplaces, seating and dining areas.  Sponsors of the Garden Tour know participants will come away inspired, informed and invigorated to "go and do like-wise". 

Another bonus in this tour is the information about the neighborhood’s project to establish itself as an historic district.   Certain homes “contribute” to the nomination as an historic district and others do not.  The brochure and home owners can help visitors understand the intricacies of such a project as well as share exciting ideas about creating gardens.

Further information:

Welcome to Jefferson Park Neighborhood, Tucson, AZ. Jefferson Park dates back to the late 1890’s growing out of a land claim under the Homestead Act of 1862. A young single German woman, by the name of Anna Stattelman, built the original homestead around 1898 on the corner of what is now Santa Rita Avenue and Linden Street. She subsequently married a mine inspector named Lester and became Annie Lester—hence one of the street names in the neighborhood. The Neighborhood is named after the Jefferson Park School which is in turn named after the original name of Speedway—Jefferson Street. Jefferson Park was registered as a neighborhood with the city of Tucson in July of 1994.