Aztec Motel
Aztec Auto Court | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 Aztec Motel in 2010 | |
| Location | 3821 Central Avenue NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Built | 1932 |
| Demolished | 2011 |
| NRHP reference # | 93001217[1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 22, 1993 |
The Aztec Motel, also known as the Aztec Auto Court or Aztec Lodge, was a historic motel located on former U.S. Route 66 in the Upper Nob Hill neighborhood of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. It was demolished in 2011 despite being the oldest continuously-operating Route 66 motel in New Mexico[2] and "one of the five most important motels left" in Albuquerque.[3]
History
The Aztec Motel was built in 1932 as the first of what would eventually be dozens of auto courts lining Central Avenue, which became U.S. Route 66 4 years later. During a remodeling of the building in the 1950's, the garages were walled in, bringin the number of units from 13 to 17, and a new neon sign replaced the original one.[4]
It was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties[5] and the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[1] The building was well known locally for its exterior decorations, which consisted of hundreds of found objects assembled in the 1990s by a resident of the motel. The work was described in the Albuquerque Journal as a "beloved local folk art installation".[2]
Aztec Motel sign seen from Central Ave.
In 2003, the Aztec Motel received a fund from the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program to restore its neon sign.[4]
The Aztec Motel was razed in early June 2011. The motel's owners cited its deteriorating condition and high maintenance costs as reasons for the demolition, estimating the building would cost $1 million to renovate.[3] The motel's neon sign was left standing and was intended to be part of future development on the site.[2] However, the sign ended up being removed in March 2015. The city declared its intention to restore and reinstall it at a to-be-determined location.[6]
See also
- List of motels
References
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aztec Motel. |
^ ab National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ abc Linthicum, Leslie (June 16, 2011). "History Takes a Lick on Route 66". Albuquerque Journal. NM. p. A1.
^ ab Tomlin, Alex (June 10, 2011). "Historic Route 66 motel demolished". KRQE News. NM. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
^ ab "Aztec Auto Court". US National Park Service.
^ "Properties by County" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
^ Zucco, Erica (March 27, 2015). "Removed Route 66 sign to get second life". KOB Eyewitness News 4. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015.
Coordinates: 35°4′46.5″N 106°36′4.5″W / 35.079583°N 106.601250°W / 35.079583; -106.601250
