Nogales: Architecture, History, and Ambos Nogales

The history of Nogales can be viewed from several perspectives: neoclassical architecture, residential neighborhoods from different eras, a rural cultural landscape, and cross-border connections. When choosing a hotel, it can help to first consider whether you are more interested in city history, landscape, or cultural ties.

The Border History of Ambos Nogales

Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, once formed a cross-border community in two countries. Known as Ambos Nogales, the two communities continue to share families, cultures, heritage, economies, and identities. This cross-border perspective adds a shared cultural and social context to the view of individual buildings and historic districts.

Architecture and Historic Districts

The 1904 Courthouse is designed in the neoclassical style and stands on a hill in Nogales, away from Main Street. Its style and location offer different points of reference: the style identifies the building’s architectural category, while the location describes its relation to Main Street. For travelers interested in architectural history, the design and specific location complement each other.

Built in 1914, the Old Nogales City Hall and Fire Station now houses the Pimería Alta Historical Society Museum. This brings the present-day museum use of a historic building into focus alongside the Courthouse’s style and location.

With entire districts, the focus shifts from individual buildings to urban development. The Crawford Hill Historic Residential District includes 216 buildings from different eras in Nogales’s history. The Marsh Heights Historic District was developed by George F. Marsh in 1909 and laid out around a plaza on a hilltop. The two districts offer different perspectives: Crawford Hill represents buildings from multiple eras, while Marsh Heights represents the development of a district around a plaza.

Rural Cultural Landscape

The Pennington Rural Historic Landscape includes a stone cabin, adobe ruins, and farmland dating to 1858. It offers a different focus from the historic residential districts: in addition to the building remains, the agricultural land is part of the historic landscape. In this way, it complements the city’s history with a rural perspective.

The Anza Trail and Expedition

Exploration of the national Juan Bautista de Anza Trail begins in Nogales. Las Lagunas de Anza is designated as historic campsite No. 13 of the 1775–1776 Anza Expedition. The Trail reference identifies Nogales as the starting point for the exploration, while the campsite designation ties the expedition to a specific number and period.

Historical Periods

The dates span several centuries: the Anza Expedition took place from 1775 to 1776, and the farmland in the Pennington Rural Historic Landscape dates to 1858. These are followed by the 1904 Courthouse, the development of Marsh Heights in 1909, and the construction of the Old Nogales City Hall and Fire Station in 1914. This makes it possible to distinguish chronologically between expedition history, the landscape, and urban development.

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