Storied Property: María Cordova's Casa / Lydia R. Otero

In the heart of downtown Tucson, Arizona, stands La Casa Cordova, an adobe structure located in the Tucson Museum of Art's Historic Block. Often described as the oldest building in the city, its story is far more complicated than timelines suggest.

Reclaiming a local story and the woman that history cast aside.

In Storied Property: María Cordova's Casa, historian and memoirist Lydia R. Otero uncovers the layered history of a home that once belonged to María Navarrete Cordova (1895–1975), who considered herself the rightful heir and authority over the house and the surrounding area's history. Located within the original boundaries of the Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón, the property held both personal and historical significance.