A quick History

The Presidio was founded in 1775 by Lieutenant Colonel Hugo O’Conor of Mexico’s Spanish army and Padre Francisco Garcés of San Xavier Mission.

The Romero House was built around 1860 as the residence of Leonardo Romero and his family. Leonardo Romero was a local carpenter who worked on many landmark structures including the San Xavier Mission. Over many years the Romero House has undergone structural changes and has served as a space for a variety of businesses. 

In 1975 the Tucson Art Center became the Tucson Museum of Art and moved into a new facility built on these historic grounds. As part of their education program, the Romero House was equipped with kilns and has become the longest-operating educational ceramics studio in the city. However, almost forty years later, the future of the program was in doubt. 

Today, the Romero House is home to The Romero House Ceramics. We are a non-profit group dedicated to ensuring that the studio remains open and the legacy of ceramics education continues.