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El Tiradito

Arizona Registered Historic Place stubsBuildings and structures completed in 1871Buildings and structures in Tucson, ArizonaHistoric American Landscapes Survey in ArizonaNational Register of Historic Places in Tucson, Arizona
Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in ArizonaTourist attractions in Tucson, Arizona
El Tiradito shrine (Tucson, Arizona) 2
El Tiradito shrine (Tucson, Arizona) 2

El Tiradito is a shrine and popular local spot located at 420 South Main Avenue in the Old Barrio area of Downtown Tucson, Arizona. The shrine consists of the crumbling remains of a brick building, with a large metal rack for candles and desert plants now occupying the interior. Large, glass-encased candles, frequently depicting saints of the Roman Catholic Church are lit and left burning at the shrine, both on the stand and along the ledges of the building. Small slips of paper containing prayers or messages of thanks are also often pressed into cracks in the walls or left elsewhere at the shrine, as are other memorial objects. In addition to the faithful who leave these religious objects, El Tiradito is frequented and favored by many Tucsonans, including writers, poets, and other members of the town's artistic community. According to the Phoenix New Times publication, El Tiradito is the only Catholic shrine in the United States dedicated to a sinner buried in unconsecrated ground. It is said that the man buried there died fighting for the love of a woman. Visitors to this area light candles for the man, hoping his soul will be freed from purgatory. Some of the nooks and crannies of El Tiradito even house the notes and letters of the heartbroken, prayers asking for healing of the heart. El Tiradito was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It was documented in the Historic American Landscapes Survey in 2012.It was described in 2021 as "a three-sided shrine of crumbling adobe walls, small and nondescript, mere streets away from the bustle and noise of downtown Tucson."

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article El Tiradito (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

El Tiradito
West Simpson Street, Tucson

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 32.216166666667 ° E -110.97472222222 °
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Address

La Pilita Mural

West Simpson Street
85701 Tucson
Arizona, United States
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El Tiradito shrine (Tucson, Arizona) 2
El Tiradito shrine (Tucson, Arizona) 2
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Nearby Places

Barrio Libre
Barrio Libre

Barrio Libre is a neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona notable for its existence as a relatively unchanged 19th-century Hispanic neighborhood of close-packed row houses. Houses in the barrio are typically adobe with very plain detailing, reflecting the area's history as a district of townhouses for Mexican ranching families. The location of the district shifted through history. In 1881, Barrio Libre was directly south of Tucson's business district. It was known as being where "the lower class of Mexicans and the Papago [Tohono O'odham] and Yaqui Indians held high or low carnival without being interrupted by officers of the law." By 1940, Barrio Libre had shifted south, and the former area was known as La Calle Convento or La Calle Meyer. In 1960, James Officer moved the neighborhood's boundary north to Broadway. Thomas Sheridan's 1986 map of local barrios put Barrio Libre further south, on the other side of 22nd street, though Sheridan noted the vague determinations of Barrio Libre's location. The district, as delineated by the National Park Service, includes more than 200 contributing structures, with relatively few non-conforming buildings. The district is bounded by 14th and 18th streets to the north and south, and by Stone and Osborne to the east and west. Meyer Avenue runs through the center of the barrio. It is also known as Barrio Viejo or the Barrio Histórico. In the late 1960, the Tucson Convention Center was built, obliterating much of the neighborhood. Barrio Libre has a dense population of murals. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 18, 1978.

Plaza Theater (Tucson)

The Plaza Theater was the crowning jewel of 1920s development on West Congress Street in Tucson and the only indoor Spanish language theater in Southern Arizona. The theater was designed by renowned local Tucson architect Roy Place in 1930 for A. Kaufman a local commercial developer and pioneer merchant and leased to Los Angeles theater operator Joe Gross. Kaufman declared the night before opening that he; "regarded the Plaza as Tucson's own theater, since all local employes [sic] had been hired for the construction of the building with equipment and contracting coming from Tucson sources whenever possible." Built on the corner of West Congress and Plaza Streets (later Court Avenue) the exterior was constructed in a Spanish Revival style with cast ornamental details framing the upper windows and red clay barrel roof tiles. The ground floor included two commercial storefronts. By the 1940s the original marquee had been enlarged and the lower level window and door configuration changed. The decorative cast terracotta Spanish revival details and original neon sign remained intact. The interior decorations were described at the time of opening as "being typical of the old southwest motif. The auditorium will have seating capacity of 650 and will be modern in every respect with ample heating, ventilating and cooling systems. Acoustic plastering will be used throughout and is designed along the most modern methods for the projection of sound pictures." When constructed the building had a state-of-the-art RCA projector and sound equipment, "the walls lined with a highly absorbent material to insure perfect acoustics." The theater was purchased by Arizona 'theater czar' Nick Diamos, also the owner of the Tucson Lyric Theater and involved in the development of Tucson's Fox Theatre. Artist Ted DeGrazia was the theater manager for three years in the late 1930s. At the time of demolition the Plaza was owned by Abelardo M. Campillo and Jesus M. Granillo. The last owners were forced from their property by the City of Tucson and its urban renewal program. The owners reminded the city "that if the Plaza goes, nothing of the Old City will be left in the area." The plaza was demolished on May 15, 1969.