The Washington Apartments were in the newspapers, 100+ years ago.
Read the official history.
The iconic Washington Apartments
The Washington Apartments are twin two story red brick buildings facing onto Central Avenue some five blocks west of Albuquerque's railroad era downtown. The apartments appear today almost exactly as they did when they were built in 1916. Symmetrical and stately in appearance, the buildings are examples of a Hipped Box style of architecture with additional Colonial Revival detailing. The apartments were built as two structures separated by a 10 foot wide inner courtyard. This plan allowed for maximum light and air to enter the interior apartments. A moderately priced single unit residental complex for over 65 years, the apartments take their name from the stone bust of Washington that is still sitting atop the arched Central Avenue gateway that connects the two structures.
The first floor is approximately 4 feet above grade, allowing light to enter the basement through half windows. A concrete stoop leads to the ground floor entrance which is entered from a classically columned porch. The porch continues above with a unified balustrade and is capped by a pitched gable roof with decoratively notched gable vents. The street entrances include glass panelled doors, narrow double hung wood windows to the side, and transom windows above with segmental arches . The porch ceilings, like the roof overhang, are finished in tongue and groove wood. The back of the apartments originally looked out on a large marshland which later became the site of the Washington Junior High School. The rear facade is also symmetrical with continuous porches covered by shed roofs and supported by battered porch piers on the ground floor. The columns and balustrades are classically detailed. Air condition units have been installed in the transom windows above the doorways.
On the interior, a central double-loaded hallway acts as a straight corridor between the front and rear of each building. There is a single flight of stairs at each end of the hall. These are completely oak and have square capped posts and a simple railing. Much of the interior remains intact. Each building had its own boiler for steam heat and many of the original radiators are still in use. Originally the apartments, either efficiency size or with a separate bedroom, had wall hung gas lighting fixtures and GE's new electric refrigerators, an Innovation in 1916. Deep set windows, built-in cupboards and Murphy Beds, original sinks, footed tubs and transommed doors remain.
The symmetrical appearance of the structures owes much to their truncated hip roofs and window arrangements. Substantial exposed rafters are spaced every 18 Inches supporting a deep overhang that is not continuous. It stops above the courtyard to make more light available to the -interior units. There are low pitched dormer vents also along the side roofs.
The large windows are of wood and are uniformly alike on the front and rear facades. They are surrounded by segmental brick arches above and concrete lug sills below. Two wooden frame garage buildings, for resident use, were built to the rear. Across 10th street to the east were resident tennis courts.
The Washington Apartments are an almost totally unaltered example of vernacular apartment construction, perhaps the first in Albuquerque, from a time when Central. Avenue and the neighboring Fourth Ward (National Register, Dec. 1980) was at its prime.
Built for James E. Eaklns, one of the city's earliest builders who had grown prosperous in the liquor business, the apartments cost $21,000 to erect in 19!l5-19l6. Wallace Hesselden, the father of Louis Hesselden who later became best known as the architect of the Albuquerque Public Schools, was the contractor. Whether the younger Hesselden, who had not yet completed his formal design training, was responsible for some of the details is not known. Most likely the building's character and resolution comes from the tradesmen in the employ of Wallace Hesselden since the Hipped Box is often thought of as a builder's style of architecture. The apartments' style, while not elaborate, is appropriate for its time and conformed to the residential scale along Central Avenue with its two symmetrical wings rather that one massive block.
Eakins and his family occupied apartments in the buildings and acted as proprietors until his death in 1931. He was survived by his wife Gertrude and his two daughters who owned the building until the late 1970's. Recently, Dick and Doris Lusk have attempted to restore much of the original quality of the building’s interior details. The apartments’ present exterior appearance is virtually identical to its original one.
As an example of an economical and elegant residential apartment complex the Washington Apartments remain authentically preserved. Although recent use has become somewhat different than that hoped for in 1916 when the complex was advertised as a place where "each tenant be as free, comfortable and undisturbed as in their own home" the rent rates have remained comparable. Original rentals ranged from $27.50 to $42.00. Today the efficiencies start at $175.00. Most of the original occupants were Anglo, about half being single or widowed women. For a time in 1917-1918 the complex also offered both men's and women's Turkish Baths in the basement which included a "shower, plunge and massage". The cost was $1.00 per visit. Located on what was known as "Honeymoon Row", the Washington Apartments offered many other advantages including tennis courts, streetcar service, and a convenient walk to either Robinson Park, the city's first public park, or downtown employment and shopping.
