When my nephew saw
me sitting in our tiny back porch he said, “Aunt Shirley, you look like you’re
in jail.” Well, no wonder. I was sitting behind the barred back door.
Our tiny house
also has barred windows in the kitchen and living room as well as a barred
entry door.
Many houses in
Tucson sport barred windows and doors. These architectural features are part of
the Hispanic tradition. Rejas –
wrought iron bars – were a hallmark of wealthy homes, according to the Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United
States. * I’m guessing that the barred windows were originally used in
traditional adobe houses built in Tucson, but this practice has spread to a
variety of architectural styles, even brick ranch-style houses.
Contemporary
barred window installations feature escape mechanisms that homeowners can use
in case of fire, but older ones, such as ours, are firmly fixed in place. The
fixed barred windows have sometimes led to deaths because inhabitants were
unable to escape their burning houses.
We have given a
lot of thought to escape plans and feel relatively secure living in our barred
casita, but sometime in the near future we may make changes. In the meantime,
here we are, living behind bars.
*Arte
Publico Pr, 1994
Copyright
2015 by Shirley Domer
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