Bridgers & Paxton Records

The collection holds two boxes of business files and one framed newspaper article regarding the Bridgers & Paxton engineering firm. The firm, still in existence in 2019, created and utilized the Solar Building at 213 Truman Street SE in Albuquerque, NM. The Solar Building finished construction in August of 1956, becoming the first active solar heated commercial building in the world. Bridgers & Paxton devised the mechanical system that made their new headquarters. The office was featured in both Life and Popular Mechanics in 1956 and 1957. Though the Solar Building was successfully able to heat and cool itself in the winter and summer, by the mid-1960s the low fuel costs in the United States alongside an addition to the engineering firm made the additional construction costs for the solar heating untenable and after that the solar heating system was never utilized again.

Box 1 holds information on the Historic Solar Building, solar energy techniques, Bridgers & Paxton business files, publications, and files on projects in the United States. Box 2 holds personal data and correspondence for Frank Bridgers, his accomplishments, personal and business awards, and obituaries and retirement information for Bridgers and staff at Bridgers & Paxton Engineering Firm.