Sunset Heights

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, El Paso has always had a knack for doing things first, and Sunset Heights is a fine example of that. What started out as Satterthwaite's Addition to the city of El Paso became one of the first planned residential subdivisions in the entire country.

Let that sit with you a moment. Not just in Texas. In the country.

A New York native by the name of J. Fisher Satterthwaite developed the area, and somebody, somewhere, had the good sense to name it through a newspaper contest. That's right.

The name you know came out of a contest. Construction kicked off in 1884 and kept right on going until 1920, which tells you this wasn't a flash-in-the-pan project. This was a vision being built out, block by block, year by year.

At the heart of it all sat a central, diamond-shaped park, and that park was the terminus for an electric trolley that ran all the way into the central business district. You could live up on the heights and ride the trolley downtown. That was living.

And Sunset Heights knew it was living. The neighborhood was recognized as the elite section of town, offering spectacular views of the Rio Grande and Mexico, with extensive landscaping to frame every last one of them. But here's what makes the story richer than a simple tale of wealth and prestige.

Sunset Heights was home to a genuinely diverse population. Wealthy former citizens of Mexico, prominent Anglo-Americans, and many Jewish families all put down roots here, side by side on those brick-paved streets. A number of the homes were designed by noted El Paso architect Henry C.

Trost, born in 1860, gone in 1933, and his own residence stood at 1013 West Yandell. The works of other prominent local architects are represented here as well, because Trost wasn't the only talent El Paso had to offer. Most of the homes rise two to three stories, built of brick, solid and serious as the people who built them.

But tucked away at the corner of Prospect Street and Lawton Avenue, there's one house that stands apart from all the rest. An adobe house. The only remaining example of its type in the entire neighborhood.

Everything else went brick and went tall, and that one adobe house just stood its ground. In a neighborhood full of firsts, that house might be the most stubborn and quietly remarkable thing of all.

What the marker says

Originally platted as Satterthwaite's addition to the city of El Paso, Sunset Heights was one of the first planned residential subdivisions in the country. New York native J. Fisher Satterthwaite developed the area, which was named in a newspaper contest. Construction began in 1884 and continued until 1920. A central, diamond-shaped park was the terminus for an electric trolley which ran into the central business district. Recognized as the elite section of town, Sunset Heights offered spectacular views of the Rio Grande and Mexico, and boasted extensive landscaping. It was home to a diverse ethnic population, including wealthy former citizens of Mexico, prominent anglo-Americans, and many Jewish families. A number of homes in the district were designed by noted El Paso architect Henry C. Trost (1860-1933), including his own residence at 1013 W. Yandell. The works of other prominent local architects are also represented here. Most homes here are of brick construction, two to three stories in height. An adobe house at the corner of Prospect Street and Lawton Avenue is the only remaining example of its type in the neighborhood. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986