1620 Sagebrush - Built by Cullers & Pepper
To confirm the historical significance of each residence in Four Hills Village, the volunteers behind the Four Hills Village Proper Project have combed thousands of newspapers. While doing research we use vintage realty advertisements, which is a good way to learn more pertinent facts about the architecture and its history.
Through a realty ad posted in 1968, we learn that the home being built at 1620 Sagebrush Trail S.E. has an interesting feature, the sunken living room. The place is also confirmed to have Air conditioning, heating, and two fireplaces - all standard for the area. Village Realty published the advertising in the Albuquerque Journal, showing us that the home was not custom-made with a particular owner in mind, unlike several of the older homes in the neighborhood from a decade earlier.
Albuquerque Journal. January 5, 1968 page 49
Just over a month later, we find another ad for the address published to promote the first showing of the estate, which confirms the builder for the luxury mid-century modern home. Cullers and Pepper have built many homes in Four Hills, including this one. We currently know of Cullers and Pepper construction on multiple streets in Four Hills Village, including Toro, Cuatro Cerros Trail, Wagon Train, and of course, Sagebrush Trail. We also learn some more facts about the original building materials, and through this ad, we now know this was originally a brick masonry ranch house with four bedrooms.
Cullers and Pepper listing Feb 11, 1968 page 61
The ad reads
OPEN TODAY
1:00 To 5:00 P.M.
First Showing
Beautiful Ranch Style
Brick - Huge Living Room
4 Bedrooms
1620 Sagebrush S.E.
Four Hills
Cullers and Pepper
299-4446
One month later, the address is still for sale and being promoted again for an open house. This next ad provides information on its location relative to what was then Four Hills Country Club. The ad also provides further details about the materials and architecture. We discover a “Flared V” entry and a black & green Venetian marble fireplace. Very posh! We learn about the home's 2.5 baths, den, and deep pile carpeting. We also discover that the home has earned a Medallion Home rating, meaning it is 100% electric. We already understood that there were two fireplaces, but now we know one was in the living room and one was in the den. In another ad posted in May, we see the home is still unoccupied, but no further details are learned about materials or architecture.
Albuquerque Journal. Feb 25, 1968 page 59
Albuquerque Journal May 26, 1968 page 67
In the Summer of 1968, we saw a blanket advertisement spanning several houses along Sagebrush Trail and confirming the builder as Cullers & Pepper for all 5! We can also see that these homes were Gold Medallion rated, helping us to add new information for several addresses with one single ad. We presume that 1620 Sagebrush Trail was purchased sometime between the May and August ads. We don’t see any instances of for sale posts or realty photographs from after this point, which may mean that the original owners or family still possess the house. Public records show that the house has gas heating which doesn’t coincide with the Gold Medallion rating, which may mean this was later installed or incorrect data. The only way to find out some things is to reach out to owners and get first-hand information. Alas, we can uncover a lot of data through the archives and public records, but nothing is as helpful in our efforts as our houseproud neighbors.
Albuquerque Journal August 25, 1968 page 74
Do you have more information on the construction or original ownership of this address? Your information can help to build our Four Hills Village Database. Our goal is to share all that we learn and get people excited about the artifacts entering our 100% cloud-based preservation archive. This robust documented history of Four Hills Village from 1955-1975 is made possible by residents and volunteers like you!
