Ridgecrest Area History: The Parkland Hills Addition

On Sunday, October 20, 2019, Albuquerque Historical Society’s Board Member William Dodge, Ph.D., presented the intriguing story of the Parkland Hills Addition that culminates in the subdivision’s recent listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The program was held at the Albuquerque Museum at 2000 Mountain Rd. NW in Old Town.

Parkland Hills
Just a Whisper from the City, and a Mile Above the Sea

On August 26,1926, the Albuquerque Journal’s real estate section announced that “two finest type bungalows” are under construction in the Parkland Hills Addition on the city’s Southeast Mesa. Since then, Parkland Hills – commonly referred to as Ridgecrest for the tree-lined boulevard that transects the subdivision – has been one of Albuquerque’s more fashionable neighborhoods. Over the next 40 years, the subdivision grew in two main phases: the first, prior to World War II, centered on planning principles from the City Beautiful Movement with Mediterranean Revival style homes, while the second, during the city’s post-World War II population boom, had a more conventional design highlighted by Modernist style houses.

Cultural Historian William A. Dodge, Ph.D. has spent over 45 years in historical, anthropological, and archaeological research in support of historic preservation projects. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in anthropology from the University of Arizona and University of Chicago, respectively; and a doctorate in American Studies from the University of New Mexico.
Bill’s varied career included working as an archaeologist for the Arizona State Museum and the Pueblo of Zuni, and as a cultural resources specialist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Service. Bill also worked in the private sector: as senior cultural historian with Van Citters Historic Preservation, and as a consulting historian to the City of Albuquerque. Bill also served on the city’s Landmarks and Urban Conservation Commission.
Bill has written on a variety of topics including: pre-Columbian cultures in the American Southwest, ethno-historical studies for New Mexico Pueblos, World War II and Cold War sites, and the architectural and social history of twentieth century Albuquerque.