Mesa Pump Plant
Also known as: City Water Works; Mesa Water Boosting Station
Why it's listed
Mesa Water Boosting Station, at 4901 Fred Wilson Avenue in El Paso, is a small waterworks complex that has moved water for the city since the early twentieth century. Its core is a single-story pump house and two settling basins, all designed in 1937-38 by city engineer Ashley G. Classen, plus a round 1.3-million-gallon reservoir dating to about 1904. The pump house combines Pueblo Revival features, such as thick stucco walls, a shallow roof behind parapets and drainage pipes that echo traditional canales, with Art Deco buttresses inlaid with green and black glazed tile. This blend, called Pueblo Deco, is described as a rare pairing for such a practical structure. The building has seen few alterations: two windows were painted over, the doors replaced and an interior wall added. Later pump shelters, a row of mulberry trees and a slab where the caretaker's house stood are not counted as historic. The station remains in use today.
Significance in brief: The pump house is a rare example of the regional "Pueblo Deco" style, which blends Pueblo Revival and Art Deco in a utilitarian building. It was designed by city engineer Ashley G. Classen and has changed little since construction. The station has supplied El Paso's water for decades, and the form says the facility served the growing city and nearby Fort Bliss into the twenty-first century.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 09000450, listed June 19, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4901 Fred Wilson Ave., El Paso |
|---|---|
| County | El Paso County |
| Listed | June 19, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000450 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Ashley G. Classen, engineer, City of El Paso Department of Water and Sewerage (designer); International Water Company (reservoir, ca. 1904) |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Art Deco; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Pueblo; Other: Pueblo Deco |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a waterworks and reservoir. The caretaker's house was demolished by 2004, and a chain-link fence surrounds the property. |
| Acreage | 6.3 |
| Coordinates | 31.82888, -106.42897 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 09000450.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000021
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.