history & preservation - santa fe, new mexico

History & Preservation 3. History & Preservation SantaFewasestablishedasaprovincialcapitalofNewSpainin1610andofficiallynamed–LaVillaRealdelaSantaFedeSanFranciscodeAsis,attachingthenameofitsPatronSaint,St.FrancisofAssisi.ThecitywassettlednearthebanksoftheSantaFeRiverasitflowedoutofthenearbymountains,andwaslaidoutaccordingtothe“LawsoftheIndies”,issuedbySpain’sKingPhilipIIin1573tobeusedforSpanishsettlementsinthenewworld.Thecity’scentraldowntownplazaandthelayoutofthesurroundingstreetsareevidenceoftheKing’sdecree.

AfterthePuebloRevoltof1680,itwaslefttoDiegodeVargasandamilitaryforcetoreclaimthesettlementfortheSpanish12yearslater.SantaFesoonsettledintoitsroleasanortherntradingoutpostandsmallprovincialadministrativecenterfortheSpanishCrown.Mexico’sindependencefromSpainin1821hadfar-reachingeffectsforSantaFeastradewasofficiallyopenedwiththeUnitedStates.TheSantaFeTrailwasestablishedbetweenthecityandIndependence,Missouri.TradeturnedintoU.S.militaryoccupationjust25yearslaterin1846.AfterthewarwithMexico,NewMexicobecameaterritoryoftheUnitedStatesin1850,whenstatehoodwasdeniedbyanarrowU.S.Senatevote,andwasfinallyadmittedasthe47thstateoftheunionJanuary6,1912. The Preservation Movement

Even before New Mexico became a state, a stronggrassroots movement began in Santa Fe to preserve nativeNewMexico architecture in the city and end the spread of“imported” architectural styles. The authors of the firstcity plan in 1912, “Plan for Proposed Improvements inSanta Fe,” (the same year NewMexico gained statehood),recommended that the city only approve building permitsthatshouldbeissuedwerethosereflectingthearchitectureofwhatwastermed“SantaFeStyle”orSpanish-PuebloRevivalarchitecture that consisted of a stucco façadewith roundedcornersthatemulatednativeadobeconstruction.

“We further recommend that no building permits be issued to any personintendingtobuildonanyofthestreetslistedhereafterandindicatedonthemapasoldorancientstreetsuntilproperassuranceisgiventhatthearchitecturewillconformexteriorallywiththeSantaFestyle.”-ReportoftheSantaFeCityPlanningBoard,December3,1912. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, preservation-mindedcitizensworked toput those recommendations into law. In1957, Santa Fe adopted its first historic styles ordinance,which also established the city’s first historic district.Through amendments to this ordinance in 1983, additionaldistrictswerecreatedandthecity’sHistoricDistrictsReviewBoard was established to review requests for demolition,alterationsandnewconstructioninthesedistricts.

Historic Buildings AsSantaFecontinuestogrowtoincludemorecontemporarydevelopment,thehistoricsectionsof townbecomeevenmorecritical topreserve. Thehalf-centuryofhistoricpreservationlawinthecityhasbecomepartofthecitygovernment’sdailyfunctions. Somebelievethehistoricpreservationordinances are too restrictive,while others believe that the city’s historicdistrict regulations do not go far enough. The city continues to try andbalance broad community support for preservation while allowing someflexibilityforownerstomodifytheirhistorichomesandproperties.

Thecitycontainsover100individuallylistedpropertiesontheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesandStateRegisterofCulturalProperties,SitesandDistricts.Inaddition,foursitesarelistedasNationalHistoricLandmarks:

• PalaceoftheGovernors • SantaFePlaza • BarriodelAnalcoHistoricDistrict • NationalParkServiceHeadquarters(locatedonOldSantaFeTrail)

Thepreservationoftheabovelistedbuildingsandhistoricareasareoflocal,stateandnationalinterest.Thecitywillworkcloselywithstateandfederalagenciestoprovideappropriatemaintenanceandprotectionoftheseareas.

Thecity separateshistoricproperties into “significant”, “contributing”and “non-contributing” categories based on the level of historic integrityofthepropertyanditssocialimportanceinthehistoryofSantaFe.SenaPlaza, an old familyhacienda, is an example ofa significant historic site indowntown Santa Fe. Citystaff and the city’sHistoricDesign Review Boardcombinetoreviewhundredsof cases annually whereapplicants request somemodification to historichomes and buildings in thecity’s historic dis t r ic ts .Bui lding additions, wallor fence construction, anddoororwindowreplacementare common changes tohistoric buildings that thecity reviews for historicintegrity.

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Photo Credit: New Mexico State Archives

Photo Credit: Maria Clokey, City of Santa Fe Multi MediaPhoto Credit: New Mexico State Archives

History & Preservation Historic Neighborhoods The city recognizes five historic districts that representerasofcommonarchitecturalstylesorthemes.ThesedistrictsareshownontheHistoricDistrictsandLandmarksmapandinclude:

• DowntownandEastsideDistrict• DonGasparDistrict• Westside-GuadalupeDistrict• HistoricTransitionDistrict• HistoricReviewDistrict

The Eastside, Don Gaspar and Westside Guadalupedistricts represent thriving residential neighborhoods, and ones that are closely watched when it comes to physicalchange. TheEastsideDistrictcontainssomeofSantaFe’soldestandmostphysicallyintactneighborhoods.OldSantaFecompoundsarecommoninthisareaandstreetpatternsaremoreirregularthaninotherpartsoftownsuggestingsomeoftheoldestdevelopmentpatternsoffthePlaza.

Historic Downtown The centerpiece and showcase ofSantaFeisitsdowntown.BuiltaroundthecenturiesoldPlazaandtheadjoiningPalace of the Governors, the oldestpublic building in the United States,downtownhasbeenamagnetforvisitorsfor over a century. Spanish PuebloRevivalarchitectureandthesmalltownpedestrian-oriented atmosphere havecapturedtheheartsandmindsofpeoplefromaroundtheworld.ThecombinationofarchitectureandhistoryprovideSantaFewithastrongtouristeconomy.

The Don Gaspar District, part of the larger South CapitolNeighborhood, reflects railroad era development in Santa Fe (1890-1930). The district contains a variety of architectural styles includingthe bungalow. In some respects, this district reflects a time at whicharchitecturewas becoming amajor topic of public debate in the CityDifferent.Newmannersofdesignwerebeingrapidlyintroducedinthecity,andspecificallythisdistrict,asaninfluxofpeoplefromtheeasternpartofthecountrysettledinSantaFe.Thedistrictisalsocharacterizedbya tightly-knitgridof streets, typicalof theera’splanned residentiallayout.

The Westside-Guadalupe Transition District includes homesalongAguaFriaStreet,theoriginalCaminoReal,orroyalhighwaythatconnectedSantaFetoMexicoCity.Mostoftheoriginalhomesaregone,butsomehousesinthisareapre-date1900.Thedistrictgrewslowlyfromamoreruraldevelopmentpatternthroughmostofitshistoryuntiltherailyardwasdevelopedontheedgeofthedistrict.Accordingtoastudyofthearea,considerablegrowthoccurredbetween1920and1946.

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Photo Credit: Maria Clokey, City of Santa Fe Multi Media

Photo Credit: Richard Macpherson

Photo Credit: Chris Corrie Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe. Creative Common

History & Preservation Archaeological Sites Thecity’spreservationeffortsarealsogearedtowardidentifying,catalogingand,wherepossible,preservingarchaeologicalsites.In1987,thecityestablishedarchaeologicalreviewdistrictsthatrequireofficialreportingofarchaeologicaldiscoveriesaspartofthelanddevelopmentreviewprocess.Thesedistrictsinclude:

• HistoricDowntownArchaeologicalReviewDistrict• RiverandTrailsArchaeologicalReviewDistrict,• SuburbanArchaeologicalReviewDistrict.

ThecityworkswiththeNewMexicoArchaeologicalRecordsManagementSectionoftheState’sHistoricPreservationDivisiontoallowon-siteinspections,recoveryandcatalogingofsitesinSantaFe.Thiscaninvolvetheexcavationandremovalofhumanremainsforscientificanalysisafterwhichreburialoccurs.

PrehistoricsiteshavebeendiscoveredinDowntownSantaFe,alongtheSantaFeRiverandalongtwohistoricentrancesintothecity–AguaFriaandGalisteoStreetsaswellasintheareaalongtheOldSantaFeTrail.ThesefindsremindusthattheSantaFeareahadasubstantialpre-columbianhistory.

So far,mostof thearchaeological sitesanalyzed thatpre-date theEuropeansettlementofSantaFefallintoeitherthelatterpartoftheDevelopmentalPeriod(A.D.600-1200),theCoalitionPeriod(1200-1325)ortheClassicPeriod(1325-1600).TheDevelopmentalPeriodincludestheperiodoftheAnasaziculture,apeoplewhowereancestorsof thepuebloculture. It isbelievedthat thepueblosoftheAnasaziwereabandonedby1425duetoenvironmentalconditions. ButbythetimeSpanishexplorationoccurredinthe1540s,thepuebloculturehadbeenre-established.

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Photo Credit New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. Creative Commons