The Aztec Motel, also known as the Aztec Auto Court or Aztec Lodge, was a historic

motel A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionaries ...

located on former

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

in the Upper Nob Hill neighborhood of

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, United States. Until its demolition in 2011 it was the oldest continuously-operating Route 66 motel in New Mexico and "one of the five most important motels left" in Albuquerque.

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

4 years later. During a remodeling of the building in the 1950s, the garages were walled in, bringin the number of units from 13 to 17, and a new neon sign replaced the original one. It was listed on the

New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties The New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties is a register of historic and prehistoric properties located in the state of New Mexico. It is maintained by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division of the New Mexico Department of Cultura ...

and the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1993. 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 The ''Albuquerque Journal'' is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of New Mexico. History The ''Golden Gate'' newspaper was founded in June 1880. In the fall of 1880, the owner of the ''Golden Gate'' died and Journal Publishing Company was c ...

'' as a "beloved local folk art installation". In 2003, the Aztec Motel received a fund from the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program to restore its neon sign. 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. The motel's

neon sign In the signage industry, neon signs are electric signs lighted by long luminous gas-discharge tubes that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in Decem ...

was left standing and was intended to be part of future development on the site. 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.

References

{{coord, 35, 4, 46.5, N, 106, 36, 4.5, W, region:US, display=title Hotel buildings completed in 1932 Buildings and structures demolished in 2011 Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico Hotels established in 1932 Motels in the United States U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico Tourist attractions along U.S. Route 66 New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties Demolished buildings and structures in New Mexico National Register of Historic Places in Albuquerque, New Mexico Hotels in Albuquerque, New Mexico Defunct hotels in the United States Demolished hotels in the United States

History

See also

References