This home, still extant and located at 718 Prospect Av., was designed by the El Paso architectural firm of Gibson & Robertson in a unique Colonial style. The structure was renovated in 2018 by Isaac Harder, son of the current owners, and is in outstanding condition. Total build cost was $9,000.00 and the single story residence included 10 rooms and a basement. (Note that one article, printed in 1914 before the erection of the home, stated the cost would be $5.000 - however a later newspaper article published after the home's completion pins the price to $9k).
Carusso spent very little time in his new home, possibly as little as two months. On June 1, 1915 he sold it for a cool $22,000 to William Kraft, who remained there until the early 1930s.
This home is another surprising design from Gibson and Robertson, one of the most divers and creative firms in early El Paso history. In addition to this stunning Colonial, we see two other, more traditional Colonials in the Haymon Krupp residence and the magnificent Frank Ainsa home; the beautiful Swiss Chalet style Julius Krakauer mansion; a fascinating eclectic mix of Mission, Spanish and Pueblo styles in the Gibson Residence; and one of the most beautiful Mission Revival buildings in town, the Roger Bacon Seminary. I imagine as we continue research I will be blessed by even more buildings created by these masterful architects.
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Text and Research provided by Mark Stone, citing:
-- "Concordia Ranger", a contributer to the Findagrave website (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107710473/victor-carusso)
-- Vicki Burak Harder and Isaac Harder, who contributed primary sources including images and clippings from their respective personal collections
-- The Library of Congress' Chronicling America Project at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
-- The University of North Texas (Denton) Digital Repository at https://texashistory.unt.edu/
-- The Trost Society's Interactive Map at https://trostsociety.org/bui.../caruso-residence-and-garage/
All modern photography is from Google Earth Street View
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| Image courtesy of the Texas Historical Commission via the UNT Archives at https://texashistory.unt.edu/ |
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| Picture of Victor Carusso via the "Concordia Ranger" at Findagrave at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107710473/victor-carusso |
