Sunset Heights, El Paso

Sunset Heights is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in the area. It developed in the 1890s as rail connections and business growth encouraged home building west of downtown. Originally called the Satterthwaite Addition, it was renamed Sunset Heights in 1901 after a newspaper naming contest, and many houses were built on higher ground overlooking the Rio Grande valley and nearby mountains.

Most of the homes in Sunset Heights were built between about 1890 and 1930. Walking through the neighborhood, visitors can see several architectural styles popular at the time. Some houses follow Victorian designs with decorative wood details, while others are Craftsman homes with wide porches and simple shapes. Mission and Spanish Revival features also appear, along with a few Tudor Revival and American Foursquare houses.

The neighborhood also played a role in regional history in the early twentieth century. It was home to business owners and professionals, and to figures connected with the Mexican Revolution between 1910 and 1920. Pancho Villa owned property here for a time, and architect Henry C. Trost also lived in the area. In 1984, Sunset Heights was designated a historic district.