Barrio Libre Neighborhood Shrine, South Tucson, AZ
Posted by: 
tugies
N 32° 12.741 W 110° 58.318
12S E 502641 N 3563973
A neighborhood shrine and altar in old Barrio Libre, South Tucson, AZ.
Waymark Code: WMKZTQ
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 06/23/2014
Views: 6
A 7-foot-tall rock and concrete shrine with no names attached stood on a vacant lot at 18th Street and Convent Avenue for more than 25 years.
Longtime barrio residents knew that this homemade shrine to Santa Teresa commemorates Diego and Orlando Mendoza, two toddlers, aged 17 months and 2 1/2 years, killed at the intersection in 1981 by a drunken driver.
The the city added a plaque with the names of the children and built El Parque de Diego y Orlando Mendoza on the 9,235 square feet around the shrine in 2008.
Tierra archaeologists uncovered rock foundations outlining 11 rooms in two rows along 18th Street. Some date from before the first Sanborn Fire Insurance map for the neighborhood from 1909, and others correspond with the last Sanborn map in 1919, said April Whitaker, Tierra’s historical archaeologist.
The dig also uncovered a small concrete slab imprinted with WPA 1937 – a Works Progress Administration stamp. Artifacts found include glass and clay marbles, Mexican ceramics, Papago pottery, white earthenware and a Japanese dish dating from the 1930s and a couple Chinese ceramics. Several Japanese markets were in the neighborhood.
Material(s): Rock, cement, and iron.
Associated Religion or Church: Catholic.
Website: [Web Link]
Parking Coordinates: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
Include an original photo of the Outdoor Altar with your visit log.