A new housing development going up on a former desert homestead on Tucson’s east side has a unique centerpiece.
A longtime family home, built in 1966, will be preserved and soon surrounded by more than 220 houses in the Houghton Reserve community.
Located at Broadway and Houghton Road, 100 acres of land was once owned by Albert and Betty Gegenheimer, who bought it in 1946.
The original one-bedroom adobe home became too small for the growing family and, after Albert Gegenheimer counted 12 cars on Houghton Road in a single afternoon, the couple had a larger home built farther from the road, said their granddaughter, Grace Gegenheimer.
Her father Paul and his brother Peter grew up in the home and all the grandchildren came home from the hospital to that house.
“Living in a place surrounded by that much untouched desert was a dream,” Grace Gegenheimer said. “We could run wild in any direction we chose — and we did.”
In 2017, Meritage Homes approached the family about buying the parcel for a new housing community.
After more than 18 months of negotiations, the family decided to sell most of it, but keep five acres surrounding the original home intact.
Meritage is building the community around the property, which is walled off from the other homes and has a private driveway.
“It is still surreal for all of us — and probably always will be — to step outside and see the new neighborhood in every direction,” Grace Gegenheimer said. “It is sad to think that mine and my sister’s children will not experience our 100 acres of desert paradise in the same way that we did, but we are hoping that we can provide them with a sense of place between the many photos and stories, along with the preservation of the 1966 home.”
Jeff Grobstein, region president for Meritage Homes, said the company was pleased to be able to save the home.
“It was a direct result of just spending quality time with the family to explain what our needs would be and understand what their desire was for preservation of the property,” he said. “The family wanted to maintain it as their family legacy.”
Meritage is building the new homes on 77 acres, with the five Gegenheimer acres in the middle. The remaining acreage is commercial property.
“We had many conversations and there was much give-and-take,” Grobstein said.
Aside from preserving the home, Meritage preserved more than 300 native trees on the property.
The Gegenheimer home is separate from the new development and exempt from the homeowners’ association.
An aerial from 2020, before construction of Meritage homes began.
‘A special gift’
When completed, the Gegenheimer home made the news for its unique architecture.
The two sons, 14 and 16 years old at the time, were both fans of Beatles records, which were played loudly and repeatedly, their mother recalled in a 1966 article in the Arizona Daily Star.
The home featured a surprise from Betty to her husband, Albert, who was a member of the English Literature Department at the University of Arizona and editor of the Arizona Quarterly.
“Let’s surprise him and present him with a Hopi fireplace tied up with a red ribbon as a special gift from me,” she wrote to the architect.
It was a last-minute addition to his study.
Albert and Betty Gegenheimer, in the house they built in 1966.
The kitchen was built with a fireplace and would double as a family and sewing room.
The home was made with burnt adobe and redwood beams.
Grace Gegenheimer said the home still has its “60s vibe.”
“To this day, walking through that house is a trip to another place in time,” she said. “We hope that the new neighbors enjoy their new homes and make wonderful memories with their loved ones — but can also stop to appreciate the history of those who were there before.”
Positive outlook
Houghton Reserve, at buildout, will have 226 large homes with three- to five-bedroom floor plans.
The single and two-story home prices are about $500,000 and up.
The community is still under construction, but Meritage has already sold 64 homes since opening for sale late last year. Completion is expected within three years.
Grobstein said the east side of town is very popular.
“There is a lot of employment with Raytheon and Davis-Monthan, but very little opportunity for communities like this on the east side,” he said.
Houghton Reserve is one of 13 communities that Meritage currently has active. Four others are in the planning stages, Grobstein said.
Houghton Reserve, at buildout, will have 226 large homes with three- to five-bedroom floor plans.
The top homebuilder in 2022, Meritage is on track to claim that title again in 2023.
The homebuilder pulled 592 new home permits in the past 12 months and sold 609 homes.
“We’re still optimistic about the market,” Grobstein said.
The historic Rail X Ranch in Patagonia was built in 1937 and is on the market with an asking price near $30 million. Video courtesy of Waterfall Media.
