This district was once considered the Mexican-American side of Tucson and has been called Barrio Viejo or Barrio Libre since its inception. The area has preserved its distinctly Mexican roots with flat-roofed, mud-brick houses and roofs made from saguaro ribs and packed dirt, which provides great insulation in the extreme Tucson climate. Some of Tucson's oldest structures can be found here and many of them have been nicely restored, painted in vibrant colors and inviting visitors for a memorable stroll.
This house was one of the centers of Tucson's upper-class social scene in the 19th century. It was formerly the home of cattle baron Hiram Sanford Stevens, and it was here where he shot his wife and killed himself after his cattle business went awry. (His wife survived, though, since the bullet ricocheted off a comb in her hair). After those unfortunate incidents, happier times came to the house with the arrival of the upscale Janos restaurant from 1970 until recently, when Janos was evicted to make room for the Tucson Museum of Art next door to expand, an act which has caused much controversy among Tucsonans.
