Aztec Motel

For the extant hotel on Route 66, see Aztec Hotel.
Aztec Auto Court

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]

The motel was built in 1932 as the first of what would eventually be dozens of auto courts lining Central Avenue.[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]

The Aztec Motel was razed in early June 2011. The motel's owner 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 preserved and will become part of any future development on the site.[2]

Aztec Motel sign seen from Central Ave.

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aztec Motel.
  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 3 Linthicum, Leslie (June 16, 2011). "History Takes a Lick on Route 66". Albuquerque Journal. NM. p. A1.
  3. 1 2 Tomlin, Alex (June 10, 2011). "Historic Route 66 motel demolished". KRQE News. NM. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  4. ↑ "Aztec Auto Court". US National Park Service.
  5. ↑ "Properties by County" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 29 April 2011.

Coordinates: 35°4′46.5″N 106°36′4.5″W / 35.079583°N 106.601250°W / 35.079583; -106.601250

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