On the corner of Acequia Madre and Garcia, this historic adobe home, which once had an Acequia Madre address, appeared on the 1914 hydrographic survey map as one of largely irrigated farm lands and orchards. By 1980, it remained one of the few properties on the Eastside that still reflected the farming lifestyle. Reflecting back, we asked this house to reveal some of its more intriguing history.
What were the early years like?
House: Mine was a humble abode. It had no plumbing. The outhouse was in the yard. There was a well. The ceilings were covered with cloth so that the dirt used for insulation on the roof would not fall into the living spaces. Hidden above the cloth were vigas. The property was owned by the Sandoval family. Mr. Sandoval was the mayor domo of the Acequia Madre. Local kids liked to play in the acequia and the mayor’s wife, who always dressed in black, chased them away with a bullwhip. Tito’s grocery was across the street.
What and when was your biggest transformation?
House: When the builder Betty Stewart bought the house in 1981, she decided to add a living room with a pitch tin roof. Purists on the Historic Design Review Board wanted to turn down the request. They said the area was predominately flat roofs. Betty got petitions from neighbors in her favor. They acknowledged that pitched tin roofs had always been in the neighborhood, starting with the Jose Delores Garcia house at 533 Garcia, whose metal roof had come in the first shipment on the Santa Fe railroad Lamy spur line in 1880. This controversy was so big that the story made The New Yorker magazine. She did get the roof approved. Betty added plumbing, a new kitchen with heat, another bedroom, an outdoor living room—and her own sense of style integrating both Territorial and Spanish Colonial.
What were the property’s greatest recognitions?
House: In 1982, Betty and her architect Dave Gibbons of Thaddeus Design won the “best remodel” award from the Old Santa Fe Foundation. Betty’s mom also helped with those drawings. The property was in the 1987 book The Desert Design by Nora Burba and Paula Panich, and is about to be featured again in Adobe Glamour, a book by Dottie Larson, to be released this January.
Can you tell us about some of the people who have lived here?
House: The first owners after Betty were Louise Heydt and Sam Baer. They also bought Tito’s grocery and converted the store into a dress shop. Later, the actor Ted Danson and his wife KC and their two daughters lived there. KC called living in the home magical. She also talked about others who still lived here...ghosts. Other owners of the property also reported mild incidents of the supernatural, like doors opening and closing on their own, or silverware getting misplaced.
What’s the property like today?
House: The gardens are wonderful. Charles Pierson, the landscape designer, who once designed the Palace Gardens in Iraq, brought the neglected gardens back to life. The property is next to the acequia, where he planted raspberry bushes. Everything opens onto the garden. It is truly an indoor-outdoor living space. The gardens have been seen on many House and Garden tours.
Has more remodeling been done?
House: In 2003, the current owners, Tony and Nancy Jacobs, began a major remodel. Many of the previous owners had lived there part-time. The Jacobs wanted 500 Garcia to be their primary residence and reflect the historical vernacular of the eastside, as well as offering the full amenities of gracious living. They hired architect Sandy Kyer, and Fritz Stavert as their contractor, both of whom knew Betty Stewart’s work and were comfortable adhering to her aesthetic standards. They added a den and enclosed the outdoor living room, transforming it into a gran sala. Betty had only built two 4’ x 4’ closets, so another priority was to expand closet space along with bedrooms. The Jacobs also added beautiful woodwork by Dave Gallegos. The indoor living space has grown from 2,800 sq. ft. to 4,300 sq. ft.
Do they like living here?
House: Nancy has said that there is a serene feeling about living in double adobe. They both feel they didn’t just buy a home but bought into a neighborhood. Tony goes to Downtown Subscription every morning and brings back coffee for Nancy—and, of course, the ghosts.
