Adobe blocks made for Florence’s historic Cuen House
by Mark Cowling | Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune
Repair and restoration of the historic Francisco Cuen House will take about 1,000 adobe blocks, which are being manufactured behind the Pinal County Historical Society Museum.
The simple, little adobe, about 137 years old, has had plenty of quick and make-do repairs over the decades, using concrete infill, stucco infill and “a lot of fast-setting plaster of paris-type stuff,” adobe contractor and preservation specialist Reggie Mackay said. There were also adobe blocks of different sizes, textures and colors.
But owners Tom and Lynn Smith are working on a lasting restoration using an adobe that’s compatible with the building’s original walls. The best soil match for the original blocks was found on the north end of the Windmill Winery. Owners Harold and Katie Christ are donating the soil for the Cuen House restoration.
