From the Historic Santa Fe Foundation:<br><div><br>"Erected in 1878 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, this building was for many years the main structure of St. Michael's College. It was originally three stories high and was the highest and largest adobe building in Santa Fe. Typical late nineteenth-century details included a tower, porticos, galleries, and a mansard roof. Administration, class, and faculty rooms occupied the first two floors, while the third floor was used as a dormitory.</div><div><br></div><div>The Christian Brothers were brought to Santa Fe by Bishop Lamy in 1859 to establish a school for boys. For nearly twenty years, St. Michael's was housed in a much-remodeled single-story building. Funds to construct the new facility were raised by Brother Botulph, veteran educator and first director of the college, who went through the territory in 1877 seeking contributions. In addition to money and building materials, the record of donations listed 735 sheep, two young oxen, a heifer worth $8 and two goats valued at $1 each.</div><div><br></div><div>A disastrous fire in 1926 destroyed the tower and the third floor, which were not rebuilt. The appearance of the building was thus greatly altered, but the graceful two-story rear portal is one of the few remaining in Santa Fe. The French-style trim around the doors and windows and the original mansard roof were due to the influence of Bishop Lamy and the early Christian Brothers, all of whom were Frenchmen.</div><div><br></div><div>After 1947, when St. Michael's College (now Santa Fe University of Art and Design) was organized as a separate unit and moved to the southern part of town, this building served as the dormitory for St. Michael's High School. The property was sold by the Brothers to the state of New Mexico in 1965 and now houses state offices. It has been renamed the Lamy Building."</div>

Close up of the bell tower post-1926 fire

Circa 1881 photo of San Miguel Mission (left) and St. Michael's Dormitory. This photo gives a great idea of what the dorm looked like as originally constructed. Photo by W.H. Jackson and Co. Courtesy of the Palace of the Governors photo archives

Historic Santa Fe Foundation- St. Michael's Dormitory 

More Info

NPS.gov: Barrio de Analco Historic District

Now called the Lamy Building, this 1878 structure was St. Michael's Dormitory, located south of the St. Miguel Mission. The Dormitory was run by the Brothers of Christian Schools, being part of Santa Fe's St. Michael's College (now the College of Santa Fe). This dorm was for the boys of the college, as well as being the main building of the college. Three-stories tall and donned with a bell tower, a fire in 1926 destroyed the third floor and the tower; the third floor was not rebuilt. In 1947, it became a dorm for St. Michael's High School after the St. Michael's College was moved elsewhere in Santa Fe and renamed College of Santa Fe. Sold to the state of New Mexico by the Brothers, it now houses state offices. 

Old St. Michael's Dormitory 

This tour includes numerous historical landmarks and museums in the heart of Santa Fe within less than a mile.

History provided by the Mission's website:<br><br>"Few people question whether or not the San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the oldest Church in the United States, but many do question just how old it is. It is no easy task to sift historical fact from traditional belief. The earliest documentation we have of the existence of San Miguel Chapel is from 1628, so we know it was built sometime before then. Oral history holds that San Miguel Chapel was built around 1610, and it has been rebuilt and restored several times over the past 400 years. The original church, the “Hermita de San Miguel,” was built on the site of an ancient kiva of the Analco Indians. It is believed that it was constructed by Tlaxcalan (Tas-cal’-en) Indians, who came to New Mexico from old Mexico in 1598 with a Spanish contingent led by Don Juan Onate. In its early years, the church served a small group of Tlaxcalan Indians, laborers, and Spanish soldiers who lived in this area on the south side of the Santa Fe River.<p>The church was partially destroyed in 1640 at the hands of Luis de Rojas, a provincial governor who feuded with church authorities. It was reconstructed but was severely damaged again during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Twelve years after the Pueblo Revolt drove them out, the Spanish returned to Santa Fe, led by the Governor General Don Diego de Vargas, who ordered the repair and restoration of San Miguel Chapel. By the end of 1710, the work was completed and a new roof was in place. In 1798, the mayor of Santa Fe helped fund major repairs and the construction of the beautiful altar screen in the front of the church. An elaborate three-tiered bell tower was erected around 1848, followed by the installation of the 780-pound San Jose Bell in the bell tower around 1856.</p><p>In 1859 Archbishop Jean Baptist Lamy purchased the Chapel and adjacent land for the De LaSalle Christian Brothers, who developed a school on the adjacent site. Repairs were initiated again in 1862 by the Christian Brothers. A wooden floor was added, as well as the Communion rail and a large door at the entrance. In 1872 a strong storm struck Santa Fe and brought down the bell tower and, along with it, the San Jose Bell, which is now on display inside the Chapel. By 1887 the Chapel was in serious need of repair, but with no funds available, the Christian Brothers came to a painful decision to demolish the structure. When the local community learned of its plight, many people came to the rescue. At this time, the first of two stone buttresses were built on the front of the building to shore up the adobe walls, and the interior and exterior walls were plastered. A tar and gravel roof replaced the old mud roof, and a new, smaller bell tower was added. Two years later, two additional buttresses were added on the north wall.</p><p>In 1955, a major restoration was carried out under the direction of Ms. E. Boyd, a Santa Fe painter and Spanish Colonial art expert. The original dirt floor and sanctuary steps were uncovered and can be seen today just beyond the Communion rail. During this investigation, many human remains and pieces of pottery were found buried under the church floor."</p>

The San Miguel MIssion, also known as the San Miguel Church, is the oldest church in the United States. Constructed between 1610 and 1626, the church served both the Catholic Church and the Spanish empire as it colonized what is today the southwestern United States. The Chapel was damaged during the 1680 Pueblo Indian revolt and repaired in 1710 when Spanish forces regain control over the area. With last known repairs by Spain in 1798, most of the structure that stands today is the original, such as the adobe walls. Masses are still served on Sundays. 

San Miguel Mission 

<p>"The Oldest House rests on part of the foundation of an ancient Indian Pueblo dating from around 1200 AD. This pueblo was once inhabited by a tribe from the Tano speaking tribes of the northern part of the territory. Sometime around 1435 AD, this tribe abandoned their village, moving on to other sites farther south in search of water, better fields or hunting grounds. In 1598, Don Juan de Onate led a party of Spanish settlers into the area in search of a suitable place to establish a permanent settlement. Accompanying Onate were Tlaxcalen Indian warrior auxiliaries. The small band seems to have gravitated to their own ward, or barrio, soon known as El Barrio de Analco at the same time La Villa Real de Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asisi was founded in 1608.</p><p>The Tlaxcala’s found the river site met their every need. The river provided ample water for the irrigation of cornfields to the south of the San Miguel Church and an abundance of sweet tasting stream trout to grace their tables.</p><p>During the Great Pueblo Rebellion, the Indians of the Barrio de Analco suffered greatly. Their homes were sacked and burned with a heavy loss of life. The survivors retreated across the river and joined the Spaniards in a spirited but unsuccessful defense of the Villa. The Spanish withdrew from the Villa with the Tlaxcalans. Only a few of the first Tlaxcalans are believed to have returned to Santa Fe after the reconquest by Don Diego de Vargas in 1692–93.</p><p>Between 1709–1710 the "Oldest House" became temporary residence to Spanish Territorial Governor Chacon Medina Salazar, Marquez de Penuela, while repairs were being made to the San Miguel Church.</p><p>By the late 1800s, genizaros or acculturated plains Indians such as the Apaches and Navajos, as well as the families of Spanish soldiers were living in the Barrio. Up until the 1920s the Oldest House was continually occupied by people representing all the cultures of Santa Fe."</p>From the Historic Santa Fe Foundation:<br><p>"The origins of this house seem to be lost, but for more than a century tradition has called it the oldest house in Santa Fe. It was labeled the "oldest building" in the city on the Stoner map of 1882, and the Urrutia map of 1766-68 shows a structure near the San Miguel Chapel in the approximate position of this house. Tree-ring specimens, taken from some of the vigas in the ceilings of the lower rooms, show cutting dates of 1740-67.</p><p>On July 31, 1881, the house, although not specifically mentioned in deeds of title, was sold for $3,000 by Bishop Lamy to the Brothers of the Christian Schools, popularly known as the Christian Brothers, with the San Miguel Chapel and other property. For decades this house &nbsp;was included in descriptions pertaining to the area immediately surrounding the San Miguel Chapel.</p><p>The house had two stories in nineteenth-century photographs and paintings. In 1902 when the building was badly in need of repair, the second story was removed. The house remained a one-story structure until about a quarter of a century later, when a new second story was added. Presently, the eastern portion is rented as a curio shop, while the western part remains a unique remnant of the type of building once prevalent in the city–part Indian, part Spanish, low-ceilinged and crude, with dirt floors and thick adobe walls."</p><br>

Also known as the De Vargas Street House, this structure is believed to be both the oldest house in New Mexico and in the whole United States. This title remains although the history of its "birth" has been lost to history. The house was used temporarily from 1709-1710 as the home of the Spanish Territorial Governor while the San Miguel Mission was being repaired. From there to the 1800s, the house was used as a residence for people from all different cultures that were represented in Santa Fe. The house is now home to a museum about the historic section of Santa Fe called the Barrio de Analco Historic District. 

The "Oldest" House

<p>In 1850, French missionary, Jean-Baptisite Lamy (1814-1888) came to Santa Fe, New Mexico and set out to increase the Catholic faith within the Territory of New Mexico. Lamy also wanted to establish a more formal education for young girls in the area. In order to achieve these goals, Lamy asked the Sisters of Loretto for assistance. The Sisters of Loretto is a religious Catholic institution with the goals of brining the Spirit of God into the world. In 1852, the Sisters of Loretto came to Santa Fe, and the following year, they opened the Loretto Academy, which remained open until 1968. In the same year, Jean-Baptisite Lamy was appointed as Santa Fe's first archbishop, and he served that position until 1885. Using tuition, donations, and their own inheritances, the sisters along with Lamy and the two architects he hired, Antoine and Projectus Mouly built the Loretto Chapel in 1878.</p><p>Constructed primarily out of sandstone, the chapel exhibits a Gothic architectural style with buttresses and and spires. The chapel also has stained glass windows imported from France's Sainte Chapelle. During the construction of the chapel, Antoine passed away, leaving his son, Projectus in charge of the project. Shortly after the chapel was built, Projectus unexpectedly died in 1879. The Sisters of Loreto and Lamy quickly discovered there was no way for anyone to get from the first floor to the choir loft. There was a proposal to build a ladder to connect the first floor to the loft, but the Sisters refused the idea. Desperate to find a solution to this problem, the Sisters prayed a nine day novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. Legend says that on the ninth day of prayer, a mysterious man appeared at the chapel with a hammer and a carpenter's square and offered to build a spiral staircase.</p><p>Completed shortly after the construction of the chapel, the "Miraculous Staircase" was finally completed. Some people have said that the mysterious man who built the staircase was St. Joseph himself. However, in the early 2000s, author and historian, Mary J. Straw Cook discovered that local rancher and carpenter, François-Jean "Frank" or Frenchy" Rochas was the man who built the staircase. The 22 ft. wooden spiral staircase leads to the choir's loft and does not have a central column, giving it the appearance of standing on its own without support. The staircase makes two 360 turns, and there are helix-shaped stringers placed into the staircase's foundation. In addition, the staircase contains 33 steps, which is a reference to Jesus's age when he was crucified. After the 1890s renovations within the chapel, modern brackets were added to connect the staircase to the wall, and a pillar was placed within the staircase's structure. These new additions were made to provide more support when people climb the staircase and protect the staircase from the negative effects of the vibrations coming from passing automobiles. However, the modern brackets ruined the sides of the staircase and the natural spring-like movement of the staircase while in use.</p><p>Currently, the Loretto Chapel serves as a museum and a wedding chapel. The museum portion of the chapel features religious artifacts, artwork, and the original Sainte-Chapelle stained glass windows throughout the chapel. Engaged couples could also book the chapel for their wedding venues. Also, the chapel offers several wedding packages to couples, such as the Santa Fe Destination, the Chapel, the Santa Fe Getaway, and the Sainte Chapelle. Depending on the wedding package, the chapel can assist and arrange certain elements of a couple's wedding, such as the flower arrangements, the photography, and the music. In addition, there is a gift shop where people can buy trinkets and souvenirs, such as rosaries, clothing, jewelry, keychains, tote bags, home decor, medals, and Christmas ornaments. Both the staircase and the chapel have served as inspirations for film and literature. In 1998, the television movie,<em> The Staircase </em>made its debut, and it starred Barbara Hershey and William Petersen. In 2000, young-adult author, Ann Rinaldi wrote and published<em> The Staircase</em>. Both the film and book focus on the history of the chapel and the mystery behind the staircase.</p>

Constructed in 1878, The Loretto Chapel is a Gothic style structure that represents the enriching religious history of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The church was founded by Santa Fe's first archbishop, Jean-Baptiste Lamy and the Sisters of Loretto, whom wanted to spread the Catholic faith and educate the youth within the Territory of New Mexico. The most notable feature of the chapel is the "Miraculous Staircase." The 22 ft. wooden spiral staircase leads to the choir's loft and does not have a central column, giving it the appearance of standing on its own without support. The staircase makes two 360 turns, and there are helix-shaped stringers placed into the staircase's foundation. Now, the Loretto Chapel is both a museum and a wedding chapel. In addition, the Loretto Chapel features beautiful stained glass windows, artwork, and a gift shop. Both the Loretto Chapel and the "Miraculous Chapel" have served as inspirations for television movies and novels. 

Loretto Chapel

<div>For more than 100 years beginning in 1540, the Pueblo Indians of present-day New Mexico were subjected to successive waves of soldiers, missionaries, and settlers. These encounters, referred to as the Entradas, were characterized by violent confrontations between Spanish colonists and Pueblo peoples. The Tiguex War, fought in the winter of 1540–41 by the expedition of Francisco Vásquez de Coronado against the twelve or thirteen pueblos of Tiwa Indians, was particularly destructive to Pueblo and Spanish relations.</div><div><br></div><div>In 1598 Juan de Oñate led 129 soldiers and 10 Franciscan Catholic priests plus a large number of women, children, servants, slaves, and livestock into the Rio Grande valley of New Mexico. There were at the time approximately 40,000 Pueblo Indians inhabiting the region. Oñate put down a revolt at Acoma Pueblo by killing and enslaving hundreds of the Indians and sentencing 24 men to have their right foot cut off. The Acoma Massacre would instill fear of the Spanish in the region for years to come, though Franciscan missionaries were assigned to several of the Pueblo towns to Christianize the natives.<br><br><div>Spanish colonial policies in the 1500s regarding the humane treatment of Indians were difficult to enforce on the northern frontier. With the establishment of the first permanent colonial settlement in 1598, the Pueblos were forced to provide tribute to the colonists in the form of labor, ground corn and textiles. Encomiendas were soon established by colonists along the Rio Grande, restricting Pueblo access to fertile farmlands and water supplies and placing a heavy burden upon Pueblo labor. Especially egregious to the Pueblo was the assault on their traditional religion. Franciscan priests established theocracies in many of the Pueblo villages. The priests converted the Pueblos to build the Spanish empire in New Mexico. In 1608, it looked as though Spain might abandon the province, the Franciscans baptized seven thousand Pueblos to try to convince the Crown otherwise. Although the Franciscans initially tolerated manifestations of the old religion as long as the Puebloans attended mass and maintained a public veneer of Catholicism, Fray Alonso de Posada (in New Mexico 1656–1665) outlawed Kachina dances by the Pueblo Indians and ordered the missionaries to seize and burn their masks, prayer stick, and effigies. The Franciscan missionaries also forbade the use of entheogenic drugs in the traditional religious ceremonies of the Pueblo. Several Spanish officials, such as Nicolas de Aguilar, who attempted to curb the power of the Franciscans were charged with heresy and tried before the Inquisition.</div><div><br></div><div>In the 1670s drought swept the region, causing a famine among the Pueblo and increased raids by the Apache which Spanish and Pueblo soldiers were unable to prevent. Fray Alonso de Benavides wrote multiple letters to the King, describing the conditions, noting "the Spanish inhabitants and Indians alike to eat hides and straps of carts". The unrest among the Pueblos came to a head in 1675. Governor Juan Francisco Treviño ordered the arrest of forty-seven Pueblo medicine men and accused them of practicing "sorcery." Four medicine men were sentenced to death by hanging; three of those sentences were carried out, while the fourth prisoner committed suicide. The remaining men were publicly whipped and sentenced to prison. When this news reached the Pueblo leaders, they moved in force to Santa Fe, where the prisoners were held. Because a large number of Spanish soldiers were away fighting the Apache, Governor Treviño was forced to accede to the Pueblo demand for the release of the prisoners. Among those released was a San Juan ("Ohkay Owingeh" in the Tewa Language) Indian named "Popé (Po'Pay)."<br><br><div>Following his release, Popé, along with a number of other Pueblo leaders, planned and orchestrated the Pueblo Revolt. Popé took up residence in Taos Pueblo far from the capital of Santa Fe and spent the next five years seeking support for a revolt among the 46 Pueblo towns. He gained the support of the Northern Tiwa, Tewa, Towa, Tano, and Keres-speaking Pueblos of the Rio Grande Valley. The Pecos Pueblo, 50 miles east of the Rio Grande pledged its participation in the revolt as did the Zuni and Hopi, 120 and 200 miles respectively west of the Rio Grande. The Pueblos not joining the revolt were the four southern Tiwa (Tiguex) towns near Santa Fe and the Piro Pueblos south of the principal Pueblo population centers near the present day city of Socorro. The southern Tiwa and the Piro were more thoroughly integrated into Spanish culture than the other groups. The Spanish population of about 2,400, including mixed-blood mestizos, and Indian servants and retainers, was scattered thinly throughout the region. Santa Fe was the only place that approximated being a town. The Spanish could only muster 170 men with arms. The Pueblos joining the revolt probably had 2,000 or more adult men capable of using native weapons such as the bow and arrow. It is possible that some Apache and Navajo participated in the revolt.</div><div><br></div><div>The Pueblo revolt was typical of millenarian movements in colonial societies. Popé promised that, once the Spanish were killed or expelled, the ancient Pueblo gods would reward them with health and prosperity. Popé's plan was that the inhabitants of each Pueblo would rise up and kill the Spanish in their area and then all would advance on Santa Fe to kill or expel all the remaining Spanish. The date set for the uprising was August 11, 1680. Popé dispatched runners to all the Pueblos carrying knotted cords. Each morning the Pueblo leadership was to untie one knot from the cord, and when the last knot was untied, that would be the signal for them to rise against the Spaniards in unison. On August 9, however, the Spaniards were warned of the impending revolt by southern Tiwa leaders and they captured two Tesuque Pueblo youths entrusted with carrying the message to the pueblos. They were tortured to make them reveal the significance of the knotted cord.<br><br>Popé then ordered the revolt to begin a day early. The Hopi pueblos located on the remote Hopi Mesas of Arizona did not receive the advanced notice for the beginning of the revolt and followed the schedule for the revolt. On August 10, the Pueblos rose up, stole the Spaniards' horses to prevent them fleeing, sealed off roads leading to Santa Fe, and pillaged Spanish settlements. A total of 400 people were killed, including men, women, children, and 21 of the 33 Franciscan missionaries in New Mexico. Survivors fled to Santa Fe and Isleta Pueblo, 10 miles south of Albuquerque and one of the Pueblos that did not participate in the rebellion. By August 13, all the Spanish settlements in New Mexico had been destroyed and Santa Fe was besieged. The Pueblo surrounded the city and cut off its water supply. In desperation, on August 21, New Mexico Governor Antonio de Otermín, barricaded in the Governor’s Palace, sallied outside the palace with all of his available men and forced the Pueblo to retreat with heavy losses. He then led the Spaniards out of the city and retreated southward along the Rio Grande, headed for El Paso del Norte. The Pueblos shadowed the Spaniards but did not attack. The Spaniards who had taken refuge in Isleta had also retreated southward on August 15 and on September 6 the two groups of survivors, numbering 1,946, met at Socorro. About 500 of the survivors were Indian slaves. They were escorted to El Paso by a Spanish supply train. The Pueblos did not block their passage out of New Mexico.<br><br><div>The retreat of the Spaniards left New Mexico in the power of the Pueblos Popé was a mysterious figure in the history of the southwest as there are many tales of what happened to him and among the Pueblos after the revolt. Later testimony to the Spanish by Pueblo Indians was probably colored by anti-Popé sentiments and a desire to tell the Spanish what they wanted to hear.</div><div><br></div><div>Apparently, Popé and his two lieutenants, Alonso Catiti from Santo Domingo and Luis Tupatu from Picuris, traveled from town to town ordering a return "to the state of their antiquity." All crosses, churches, and Christian images were to be destroyed. The people were ordered to cleanse themselves in ritual baths, to use their Pueblo names, and to destroy all vestiges of the Roman Catholic religion and Spanish culture, including Spanish livestock and fruit trees. Popé, it was said, forbade the planting of wheat and barley and commanded those Indians who had been married according to the rites of the Catholic Church to dismiss their wives and to take others after the old native tradition.</div><div><br></div><div>The Pueblo had no tradition of political unity. Each pueblo was self-governing and some, or all, apparently resisted Popé's demands for a return to a pre-Spanish existence. The paradise Popé had promised when the Spanish were expelled did not materialize. A drought continued, destroying Pueblo crops, and the raids by Apache and Navajo increased. Initially, however, the Pueblos were united in their objective of preventing a return of the Spanish. Popé was deposed as the leader of the Pueblos about a year after the revolt and disappears from history. He is believed to have died shortly before the Spanish reconquest in 1692</div><div><br><div>In November 1681, Otermin attempted to return to New Mexico. He assembled a force of 146 Spanish and an equal number of Indian soldiers in El Paso and marched north along the Rio Grande. He first encountered the Piro pueblos which had been abandoned and their churches destroyed. At Isleta pueblo he fought a brief battle with the inhabitants and then accepted their surrender. Staying in Isleta, he dispatched a company of soldiers and Indians to establish Spanish authority. The Pueblo feigned surrender while gathering a large force to oppose Otermin. With the threat of a Pueblo attack growing, on January 1, 1682 Otermin decided to return to El Paso, burning pueblos and taking the people of Isleta with him. The first Spanish attempt to regain control of New Mexico had failed.</div><div><br></div><div>Some of the Isleta later returned to New Mexico, but others remained in El Paso, living in the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. The Piro also moved to El Paso to live among the Spaniards, eventually forming part of the Piro, Manso, and Tiwa tribe.</div><div><br></div><div>The Spanish were never able to re-convince some Pueblos to join Santa Fe de Nuevo México, and the Spanish often returned seeking peace instead of reconquest. For example, the Hopi remained free of any Spanish attempt at reconquest; though they did, at several non-violent attempts, try for unsuccessful peace treaties and unsuccessful trade agreements. For some Pueblos, the Revolt was a success in their aim to drive away European influence.<br><br><div>The Spanish return to New Mexico was prompted by their fears of French advances into the Mississippi valley and their desire to create a defense frontier against the increasingly aggressive nomadic Indians on their northern borders. In August 1692, Diego de Vargas marched to Santa Fe unopposed along with a converted Zia war captain, Bartolomé de Ojeda. De Vargas, with only sixty soldiers, one hundred Indian auxiliaries, seven cannons (which he used as leverage against the Pueblo inside Santa Fe), and one Franciscan priest, arrived at Santa Fe on September 13. He promised the 1,000 Pueblo people assembled there clemency and protection if they would swear allegiance to the King of Spain and return to the Christian faith. After a while the Pueblo rejected the Spaniards. After much persuading, the Spanish finally made the Pueblo agree to peace. On September 14, 1692, de Vargas proclaimed a formal act of repossession. It was the thirteenth town he had reconquered for God and King in this manner, he wrote jubilantly to the Conde de Galve, viceroy of New Spain. During the next month de Vargas visited other Pueblos and accepted their acquiescence to Spanish rule.</div><div><br></div><div>Though the 1692 agreement to peace was bloodless, in the years that followed de Vargas maintained increasingly severe control over the increasingly defiant Pueblo. De Vargas returned to Mexico and gathered together about 800 people, including 100 soldiers, and returned to Santa Fe in December 1693. This time, however, 70 Pueblo warriors and 400 family members within the town opposed his entry. De Vargas and his forces staged a quick and bloody recapture that concluded with the surrender and execution of the 70 Pueblo warriors and with their families sentenced to ten years' servitude.</div><div><br></div><div>In 1696 the Indians of fourteen pueblos attempted a second organized revolt, launched with the murders of five missionaries and thirty-four settlers and using weapons the Spanish themselves had traded to the Indians over the years; de Vargas's retribution was unmerciful, thorough and prolonged. By the end of the century the last resisting Pueblo town had surrendered and the Spanish reconquest was essentially complete. Many of the Pueblos, however, fled New Mexico to join the Apache or Navajo or to attempt to re-settle on the Great Plains One of their settlements has been found in Kansas at El Quartalejo.</div><div><br></div><div>While the independence of many pueblos from the Spaniards was short-lived, the Pueblo Revolt gained the Pueblo Indians a measure of freedom from future Spanish efforts to eradicate their culture and religion following the reconquest. Moreover, the Spanish issued substantial land grants to each Pueblo and appointed a public defender to protect the rights of the Indians and argue their legal cases in the Spanish courts. The Franciscan priests returning to New Mexico did not again attempt to impose a theocracy on the Pueblo who continued to practice their traditional religion.<br><br>Ever since the recapture of Santa Fe by de Vargas, Santa Fe has held "de Vargas Days" ceremonies to commemorate the event.&nbsp;</div></div><br><div><b>Pueblo revolt leaders and their home pueblos</b>:</div><div>Ku-htihth (Cochiti): Antonio Malacate</div><div>Galisteo (Galisteo): Juan El Tano</div><div>Walatowa (Jemez): Luis Conixu</div><div>Nambé (Nambé): Diego Xenome</div><div>Welai (Picuris): Luis Tupatu (Ciervo Blanco)</div><div>Powhogeh (San Ildefonso): Francisco El Ollito and Nicolas de la Cruz Jonv</div><div>Ohkay (San Juan): Po'pay and Tagu</div><div>San Lazaro: Antonio Bolsas and Cristobal Yope</div><div>Khapo (Santa Clara): Domingo Naranjo and Cajete</div><div>Kewa (Santo Domingo): Alonzo Catiti</div><div>Teotho (Taos): El Saca</div><div>Tehsugeh (Tesuque): Domingo Romero</div><br></div><br></div></div></div>

This monument commemorates Don Diego de Vargas who served the crown as Governor of New Mexico after the Pueblo Revolt of 168. In 1680, many tribes of the Pueblo Indians revolted against the Spanish empire within their holdings of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico (containing parts of modern-day New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas). Also know as Pope's Rebellion (not to be confused with the head of the Catholic Church), the revolt was lead by one Pope (Po'Pay) to free the Pueblo from the inhumane treatments laid on them by Spanish political and military leaders, and some religious leaders. The Revolt killed over 400 Spanish settlers and officials and drove Spain out. What would become the modern city of Santa Fe, was one of many Spanish towns captiured by the Pueblos. It would take 13 years for Spain to regain control of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico. The reconquest was violent, but did lead to some changes to the empire's Indian policy. Violence and revolt be attempted again after the reconquest, but never at the 1680 scale. Changes to policies included allowing property rights to some Indians, ability to argue cases before local Spanish Courts, end to wholly dismantle indigenous faith by Franciscan priests, and many members of the Pueblo tribes leaving their homes for the Great Plains. A statue of Pope is found in New Mexico's Capitol Building. The town, now city, of Santa Fe would be recaptured by Spain during the end of 1693. 

Don Diego de Vargas Statue and the Pueblo Revolt 

From the Historic Santa Fe Foundation:<br><p>"The land on which Sena Plaza now stands was once part of the property granted to Captain Arias de Quiros by General Diego de Vargas, with whom he campaigned during the reconquest of New Mexico in 1693. By the will of Juan Nepomuceno Alaríd, dated 1844, this portion of the Arias de Quiros property passed to his sister, Maria del Rosario Alaríd, wife of Juan Estevan Sena, and thence to their son, José D. Sena, who was a major in the United States army during the Civil War.</p><p>At the time of Don José's marriage in 1864 to Doña Isabel Cabeza de Baca, daughter of an equally prominent Santa Fe family, the property included a placita to the west and a small adobe house, which eventually increased to become a hacienda containing thirty-three rooms. All of these were on the first floor except for the second-story ballroom added to the west side. This was reached, as it is today, by an outside stairway. After the territorial capitol burned on May 13, 1892, this ballroom served as a meeting place for the legislative assembly until it could be housed elsewhere.</p><p>The family of Don José, which included eleven children, lived on the south, east, and west sides of the inner patio, where guests were always welcomed &nbsp;with Spanish hospitality. A coach house, storerooms, a chicken house, and servants' quarters occupied space on the north. The well at the east and two front entrances remain in their original location, but a well at the west has been filled. Upon the death of Major Sena and his wife, the land was divided into equal strips, 16 ½ varas in width, for the six surviving children. In 1927 these heirs deeded the property to Senator Bronson M. Cutting, Martha K. White, and Amelia E. White, who restored and remodeled the building for preservation. The original two-story portion at the west had been deeded to Dr. Frank E. Mera, who added it to the restoration project. The heirs reserved the right, however, to erect the family altar under the portal facing Palace Avenue for the annual Corpus Christi procession, and for many years thereafter it was a colorful part of this religious celebration. The second story on the eastern and northern portions of the building was added in 1927, when the properly changed hands. This work was done under the supervision of William Penhallow Henderson, a well-known Santa Fe artist, designer, and builder. lt is a classic example of how a historic building can be restored and reconstructed to adapt to modern business requirements while keeping&nbsp;the integrity of the original.<br><br>Because of the long, continuous portal in front of the Sena, Prince, and Trujillo buildings on this site, the inclusive name "Sena Plaza" is often given to the entire building complex. The above data refer only to the building and patio at its eastern end and not to those on the west."</p>

Located within historic Santa Fe, the Sena Plaza has a history that stretches back to when Santa Fe was part of the Spanish Empire. Originally granted to Captain Arias de Quiros by General Diego de Vargas, with whom he campaigned during the reconquest of New Mexico in 1693, the land was later divided by a few families. The land that houses the plaza was claimed by Don Juan Sena in 1796, would stay in Sena hands until the 1860s. Other parts were owned by throughout time Juan Nepomuceno Alaríd, who willed it a Sena relative in 1844. What would become the plaza was owned by José D. Sena, who was a major in the United States army during the Civil War, and married Doña Isabel Cabeza de Baca, daughter of an equally prominent Santa Fe family, in 1864. He wanted to build a home and garden for his bride. Overtime the building has been expanded lengthwise and height-wise, and the courtyard, later plaza, expanded and repaired. Now the Sena Plaza holds a park and businesses. 

Sena Plaza

<p>The gallery’s name is taken from the legend of Shiprock, a volcanic rock formation that was believed to have once been a great-winged bird that carried the Navajo people to northwestern New Mexico. Also known as "Tsé Bit'a'í" or "the rock with wings," the nearly 1,600 ft. tall formation was formed approximately 27 million years ago, and it is mostly composed of fractured volcanic breccia and Black dikes of igneous rock called minette. Shiprock and the surrounding land are mentioned in many Navajo myths and legends. One such legend posits that bird monsters lived on the peak and fed on human flesh. The great warrior, Monster Slayer is said to have killed two of these adult monsters and transformed two younger ones into an eagle and an owl.</p><p>One of the artists featured in the gallery is photographer Laura Gilpin (1891-1979). Born in Colorado, Gilpin is most famous for her photographs of landscapes and Native American people of New Mexico, particularly the Navajo and the Pueblo. on her 12th birthday in 1903, Gilpin received her first camera, a Kodak Brownie Camera, and her passion for the medium escalated from there. At 17 years old, she made her first autochrome, which is referring to an early color photography process invented by Autochrome Lumière. Between 1916-1917, she studied photography, but returned to Colorado after contracting influenza. Gilpin's mother hired Elizabeth Warhman Forster (1886-1972) as a personal nurse for Gilpin, and until Forster's death in 1972, she and Gilpin remained close companions. Eventually, Gilpin opened a studio in southern Colorado and another in New Mexico. By the mid-1930s, she began receiving critical acclaim for her work depicting the Navajo and Pueblo people and their culture. During her lifetime, Gilpin released several books containing her photographs, such as <em>The Pueblos: A Camera Chronicle</em> (1941), <em>Temples of Yucatan: A Camera Chronicle of Chichen Itza</em> (1948), <em>The Rio Grande: The River of Destiny </em>(1949), and <em>The Enduring Navajo</em> (1968). She was awarded one of the first Annual Awards for Excellence in the Arts by the governor of New Mexico in 1974 and was an active member of the Santa Fe arts scene until her death in 1979.</p><p>In addition to showcasing past and present artists, the gallery also hosts exhibitions. One such exhibition was a showcase of the use of Native American imagery in advertisement and signage. Shiprock also ensures that it remains an active part of the art community by engaging with present-day Native American artists. The gallery hosted an opening for Native American artists of the Kiowa tribe Keri Ataumbi and Teri Greeves. Ataumbi and Greeves are sisters who were jointly named the Living Treasures for the 2015 Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival. Ataumbi is known for her jewelry work and Greeves for her beadwork. Other artists featured in the gallery include jeweler and bead worker Victoria Adams, jewelers Larry Golsh and Cippy Crazy Horse, Zuni artist Leo Poblano and potters Helen Cordero and Margaret Tafoya. In addition to the gallery, there is the Shiprock Trading Co. where visitors can purchase Native American artwork.</p>

The Shiprock Gallery is dedicated to showcasing Native American art. The gallery and its collections were established and have been maintained by art dealer Jed Foutz for over 30 years. Coming from a historic family of Native American art traders and being raised on the Navajo Nation, Foutz was captivated and took interest in collecting Native American art and textiles.The gallery takes its name from the legend of Shiprock, a volcanic rock formation that was believed to have once been a great-winged bird that carried the Navajo people to northwestern New Mexico. The gallery's collections include artists from both the past and present, such as Margaret Tafoya, Larry Golsh, Victoria Adams, Leo Poblano, Cippy Crazy Horse, Helen Cordero, and many more. One of the most notable artists featured at galley is photographer Laura Gilpin (1891-1979). Gilpin was a famous commercial photographer who documented the Navajo people's lives and their culture. In addition to the gallery, there is the Shiprock Trading Co. where visitors can purchase Native American jewelry, artwork, rugs, blankets, pottery, furniture, and sculptures. 

Shiprock Gallery

Built circa 1610 by Spanish governor of New Mexico, Don Pedro de Peralta, the Palace of the Governors served as the capitol for the colony.<sub>1</sub> Being the center of colonial activities including a substantial missionary effort, Santa Fe continued to grow until the Pueblo Uprising of 1680. Angered by missionary activities the native populations rose up and successfully drove the Spanish back to Mexico.<sub>2</sub> Spanish authority returned in 1693 when the new Spanish Governor de Vargas reestablished Spanish control. De Vergas was imprisoned in the palace from 1696 to 1700.<sub>3</sub> In 1771, Governor de Mendinueta lead a celebration after a treaty was established with the Commanche Indians.<sub>4</sub><p></p>

<p>Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821. The Palace of the Governors became the seat of government for the Mexican province of Nuevo Mexico. In 1837, the Chimayó Rebellion erupted in New Mexico. A group of Natives and disgruntled settlers captured and executed Mexican Governor Albino Perez. General Amarijo regained control and executed the rebellion’s leaders.<sub>5</sub></p>

<p>On August 18, 1846, three months after the U.S. declared war on Mexico, 1,500 U.S. troops marched into Santa Fe’s Plaza. Stopping in front of the Palace of the Governors, the columnn took control of the city. The city’s residents listened quietly as the commander addressed the crowd,&nbsp;</p><blockquote>“I, Stephen W. Kearny, General of the Army of the United States, have taken possession of the province of New Mexico. In the name of the government of the United States, I hereby instruct the inhabitants to deliver their arms and surrender absolutely… I am your governor--look to me for protection.”<sub>6</sub>&nbsp;</blockquote><p>The era of U.S. control had begun. In 1847 the legislature, under American control, began to meet in the Palace.<sub>7</sub> Kearny established Fort Marcy on a hilltop near the city center as a means to control the area.<sub>8</sub></p>

<span>The Palace of the Governors continued to serve as the capitol until 1850 when New Mexico first sought to attain statehood. A new capitol building was built in 1885 and the last governor of the New Mexico Territory to live in the Palace left in 1909. The 400-year-old building is the oldest extant building constructed by European settlers in the continental U.S.<sub>9</sub> It has been renovated to reflect its original southwestern appearance. The Palace of the Governors is now part of the New Mexico Museum of History. One of the museum's better known exhibits is displayed in the Palace of the Governors. The Segesser Hide Paintings portray the history of early New Mexico.</span>

     In 1610, Don Pedro de Peralta established Santa Fe as the capital of Spanish New Mexico. One of the earliest buildings constructed by de Peralta was the Palace of the Governors. The building survived many wars and conflicts, including the Pueblo Revolt in 1680, the Chimayó Rebellion in 1837, the U.S. conquest in 1846, brief control by the Confederate States of America in March of 1863 and the reestablishment of U.S. control a few days later. For approximately three hundred years it served as a seat of government. Built as the capital for the Spanish colony of New Mexico, then used as the capital for Mexican province of New Mexico, and finally as the U.S. Territory and State of New Mexico. The building is now home to displays from the New Mexico Museum of History.

Palace of The Governors

Governor Albino Perez:<br><br><div>Albino Pérez was a native of Veracruz.&nbsp;Pérez was a distinguished army colonel from central Mexico. He was appointed Governor of New Mexico by President Antonio López de Santa Anna in 1835, under the new centralized form of government. He succeeded Francisco Sarracino as civilian governor and Captain Blas de Hinojos as military governor. Hinojos had been killed on 28 February 1835 in an ambush while on a slave raid into Navajo country.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Pérez rapidly became unpopular as a representative of the centralist government who was expected to enforce its unpopular Departmental Plan and taxation program. On 16 October 1835 he announced new regulations of trade along the Santa Fe-Chihuahua trail. He linked increases in attacks by well-armed Comanche, Apache, Ute and Navajo raiders to illegal trade in guns with these Indians, and the regulations stopped this trade as well as stopping beaver trapping without license. The law, however reasonable, was unpopular.</div><div><br></div><div>It did not help that he had an autocratic manner and was not a native of the province. Pérez dissolved the municipal council of Santa Cruz de la Cañada in December 1836, and in July 1837 arrested the alcalde of Santa Cruz, Juan José Esquibel. A mob quickly freed Esquibel, who formed a new council opposed to the central government.</div><div><br></div><div>Pérez managed with difficulty to assemble 200 volunteers to put down the rebellion in Santa Cruz, and marched north on 7 August 1837. He met a force of 1,500 or more armed rebels at La Mesilla (Black Mesa) near San Ildefonso Pueblo. Most of Pérez's force deserted him, and he began to retreat with a small group of supporters. They were caught on the outskirts of Santa Fe by some Indians from Santo Domingo Pueblo, who decapitated Pérez and killed some of his supporters. The rebels proclaimed José González of Taos, one of their leaders, as Governor of New Mexico. The former governor Manuel Armijo gathered troops, and in January 1838 took control and had González executed.<br><br>The Daughters of the American Revolution originally erected the simple stone marker, engraved with the date of Pérez’s assassination, near the corner of Hickox and Agua Fría streets in Santa Fe, in 1901. But by 1970, the stone had become so worn that it was moved to the Palace of the Governors for safekeeping. For years, it has sat beneath one of the giant cottonwoods in the palace's courtyard. In June 2007 a monument commemorating Pérez was deeded to the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe.<br><br>Revolt of 1837:<br><br><div>Governor Albino&nbsp;Pérez had arrived from central Mexico in 1835. The Pérez administration was opposed by the people and especially by the inhabitants of the northern part of the territory, who resented the “outsider” forced upon them by President Santa Anna. Their dissatisfaction was exacerbated when, following Santa Anna’s defeat in Texas, the Mexican government drafted a constitution that tightened administration and tax-collection and imposed property qualifications on political participation. New Mexicans assumed that Pérez would attempt to levy the taxes and completely restructure the regional political system in accordance with the new constitution.</div><div><br></div><div>Other grievances included Pérez's reinstatement of Francisco Sarracino, a former governor who had been suspended for fraud from his position as subcomisario (a customs official); Pérez's appointment of a civil servant named Ramón Abreu as prefect when others thought they were better candidates; Pérez's failure to rein in customs officials who defrauded American traders on the Santa Fe Trail, some of whom lived in Taos in northern New Mexico; and the inadequate food and bad conditions endured by men forced to serve in the militia against the Navajos and Apaches. Some may also have resented his adultery (he openly had a relationship with his housekeeper, his wife being in Mexico City) and his wealth and luxurious possessions, as most New Mexicans were poor.</div><div><br></div><div>Opposition to Pérez increased, with his opponents circulating rumors of enormous taxes. The Departmental Assembly's list of three nominees for the next gubernatorial term did not include him. Opposition culminated in the summer of 1837, with the spark that set off the rebellion having to do with the alcalde (mayor) of Santa Cruz de la Cañada, Juan José Esquibel. Esquibel had accepted a bribe from a relative to release him from jail when charged with a "grave crime" and had defied Pérez's order to pay a fine and return his relative to jail. Then Esquibel supported two merchants against a man who had documentation that they owed him money. Pérez's appointee as prefect, Ramón Abreu, suspended Esquibel and on learning of the bribe, had him put in jail in irons. At the end of July a mob freed Esquibel, and he organized a rebellion.<br><br><div>On August 1, rebels from the northern New Mexican communities gathered at Santa Cruz de la Cañada (near Chimayó) with Indians from the surrounding pueblos. They called themselves the Cantón (neighborhood or district). On August 3 their twelve leaders, including Esquibel, issued the following declaration:</div><div><br></div><div>"For God and the Nation and the Faith of Jesus Christ! The principal points we defend are the following: 1. To be with God and the Nation and the Faith of Jesus Christ. 2. To defend our country until we shed every drop of our blood in order to obtain the victory we have in view. 3. Not to admit the Department Plan. 4. Not to admit any tax. 5. Not to admit any disorder desired by those who are attempting to procure it. God and the Nation! Encampment Santa Cruz de la Cañada, August 3, 1837."<br><br></div><div>When Pérez heard of the rebellion, he attempted to raise a militia of volunteers, but his call did not meet with an encouraging answer. On August 9, Pérez started for Santa Cruz with the troops at his command, meeting the rebels near San Ildefonso. Most of Pérez's men promptly abandoned him and joined the rebels. Pérez retreated to Santa Fe with the few men who remained loyal to him. Unable to find security in the capital, Pérez attempted to flee the city by night, but a group of Santo Domingo Indians intercepted and killed him. The rebels decapitated Pérez and returned his head to Santa Fe for public display. Secretary of the Department Jesús María Alarid, former interim governor Santiago Abreú (one of Ramón's brothers), and approximately 20 officials from the Pérez government were also killed, some by mutilation. That same day, the rebels entered the capital and placed José Gonzales, a Genizaro (of Taos Pueblo and Pawnee ancestry) from Chimayo, in possession of the palace and as governor of the territory.</div><div><br></div><div>Initially the rebel government was widely popular in the Department, but it soon made enemies by committing atrocities in gaining power and confiscating the massacre victims' property (at the expense of not only their heirs but also their creditors). The ruling junta popular was contentious and indecisive, its minutes full of crossed-out sections. Meanwhile, in Santa Cruz, the Cantón did not dissolve, instead continuing to imprison people and threaten them with death, outside the control of Gonzales's government. In Taos, unrest broke out against the Catholic Church and its leader there, Padre Martínez, in early September.<br><br><div>In the town of Tomé in southern New Mexico, the priest, Francisco Antonio de Madariaga, began agitating for a counterrevolution. On Sept. 8, he and other "citizens who love their country" adopted the "Plan of Tomé", which named former governor Manuel Armijo to command their force. The 600-man army detachment of Santa Fe, which Gonzales had disbanded, reorganized and marched south to join Armijo. Armijo wrote to the Mexican authorities, explaining the situation, and then marched to Santa Fe. He met little resistance; indeed Gonzales, who had gone to Taos to visit his family, was arrested in Santa Fe on Sept. 11, before Armijo's arrival on the 14th. While in Santa Fe, Armijo wrote to Mexico again, stating what he had done and asking for troops to complete his victory and re-establish peace.</div><div><br></div><div>A former mayor of Taos, Pablo Montoya, led a Cantón force of reportedly 3000 men on Santa Fe. Though Armijo had only about 1000 soldiers, they were much better trained and equipped than the rebels, and Armijo negotiated a peace treaty that was signed Sept. 21. The rebels surrendered Juan José Esquibel and three other men from Santa Cruz to be indicted, but Gonzales was released and the other rebels received amnesty (Montoya would later be executed for his part in the Taos Rebellion).</div><div><br></div><div>In October, the rebellion flared up yet again in Las Truchas, east of Santa Cruz. Armijo ordered the execution of Esquibel and the three other prisoners, but to Armijo's anger, his subordinates postponed the execution. Armijo spent the next few months raising funds to feed and pay his soldiers, who were on the point of mutiny. In January 1838, Federal troops from Zacatecas and Chihuahua arrived in response to Armijo's request, bringing his official appointment to the governorship.</div><div><br></div><div>On January 23, Armijo sent an ultimatum to the rebels in Truchas. The following day, when they did not surrender, he had his four prisoners executed. On the 27th he marched toward Santa Cruz, where Gonzales and Antonio Vigil of Truchas were gathering their forces to return to Santa Fe. The two armies met between Santa Cruz and Pojoaque, and Armijo's forces (commanded by Lt. Col. Cayetano Justiniani of the Veracruz dragoons) prevailed in the battle. Gonzales fled to Santa Cruz where, by Armijo’s order, he was executed in the public square.</div><div><br></div><div>Armijo was to remain Governor of New Mexico through the Texan Santa Fe Expedition until 1844. He became governor again in 1845 until he withdrew without a fight while New Mexico was taken over by the United States Army under the command of General Stephen W. Kearny in 1846.</div></div></div><br><br><br></div>

Also known as the Chimayo Rebellion, the revolt was done by dissatisfied New Mexicans over the affairs and laws of the local Mexican Government and those in the nation's capital of Mexico City. Following Texas's victory over Mexican forces commanded by Mexico's dictator Santa Anna, the Mexican government issued more restrictive measures on political participation, taxes, and customs. Added to Santa Anna reinstating the corrupt former governor of New Mexico, Albino Perez, back into the governorship (despite votes on the contrary) sparked rebellion within Mexico's northern lands. The revolt began after Mayor Juan José Esquibel of Santa Cruz de la Cañada (in New Mexico) was arrested under Perez's orders. Freed by sympathizers, Esquibel led the rebellion against Perez. When this popular revolt began to be more violent and just as corrupt as the government it oust, loyalists of Santa Anna and Perez and Mexican Federal forces gathers to shut down the revolt after battles and skirmishes throughout the then New Mexico territory of New Mexico. A monument to Perez and to the Revolt of 1837 is found in the Palace of the Governors. 

Revolt of 1837

The museum is located one block off the historic Santa Fe Plaza. Designed by Isaac Rapp and built in 1917, it is an example of Pueblo Revival Style architecture, and one of Santa Fe's best-known representations of the synthesis of Native American and Spanish Colonial design styles.&nbsp;<br><br>The museum’s permanent collection includes over 20,000 works of art such as paintings, photographs, sculptures, prints and drawings. Notable artists in the collection include Ansel Adams, Gustave Baumann, Georgia O'Keeffe, Fritz Scholder, T. C. Cannon, Bruce Nauman, Luis Jimenez, Maria Martinez, members of the Ashcan School, Los Cinco Pintores, Transcendental Painting Group, and the Taos Society of Artists.<br><br>The St. Francis Auditorium, located in the New Mexico Museum of Art, is the venue for various cultural and musical organizations, including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and the Santa Fe Community Orchestra. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 450. The auditorium displays several murals depicting St. Francis of Assisi which were originally designed by Donald Beauregard and completed by Carlos Vierra and Kenneth Chapman.<br><br>The museum library contains art books, periodicals, biographical files of artists represented in the permanent collection and catalogs of exhibitions since 1917.<br>

This 1917 building is home to one of New Mexico's oldest museums. The New Mexico Museum of Art is one of four state-run museums found in Santa Fe, which are part of the Museum of New Mexico system operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The museum is known for its St. Francis Auditorium and over 20,000 pieces of art which include works by Ansel Adams, Gustave Baumann, Georgia O'Keeffe, Fritz Scholder, T. C. Cannon, Bruce Nauman, Luis Jimenez, Maria Martinez, members of the Ashcan School, Los Cinco Pintores, Transcendental Painting Group, and the Taos Society of Artists. The museum also features an art library. 

New Mexico Museum of Art

Evidence of human existence in New Mexico stretches back approximately 27,000 years. New Mexico’s earliest inhabitants include the Sandia and Clovis peoples. Agricultural communities develop between 10,000 and 500 BCE with the Cochise people. Mogollon, Anasazi, and Pueblo cultures develop between 1 and 1500 CE. The Chaco Civilization reached its peak about 1300 CE.<sub>1</sub><p></p>

<p>Spanish exploration of the area began in 1536 with the expedition of Cabeza de Vaca. Spain establishes settlements throughout the late 1500’s. In c.1610 Governor Pedro de Peralta founds Santa Fe and builds the Palace of the Governors. The building housed the seat of government until 1909. In 1680 the Pueblo Revolt occurs, Spanish missionaries were targeted and many were killed. Spanish settlers leave the region and do not return for twelve years. Diego de Vargas resettles Santa Fe in 1693. Wars between natives rage between Pueblos, Navajos, Apaches, and Commanches. Spanish control continued until 1821.<sub>2</sub></p>

<p>Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico allows trade along the Santa Fe Trail, Spain had kept the colony closed to outsiders. In 1837 the Chimayó revolt leads to violence in Santa Fe. Forces from Texas failed in her attempt to capture New Mexico in 1841.<sub>3</sub> War between the U.S. and Mexico started in 1846, and the U.S. sent a force under Stephen W. Kearny to take control of Santa Fe and New Mexico. Kearny entered Santa Fe, without incident, on August 18, 1846 and the era of U.S. control began.<sub>4</sub></p>

<span>New Mexico benefits from a wide range of cultural influences. Native nations from the Chaco Civilizations, to the Apaches, Pueblos, and Navajos have each contributed to New Mexico’s culture. One feature of the New Mexico History Museum is the Portal Native Americans Artisan Program. Native artisans present their works on the front porch of the Palace of the Governors.<sub>5</sub> One of the museum's better-known exhibits is the Segesser Hide Paintings.<sub>6</sub> The paintings were made by an unknown artist between 1720 and 1758, and depict battles between Spanish forces and native groups. A Jesuit priest living in the American southwest sent three hides to his brother in Switzerland in 1758. Philipp von Segesser von Brunegg had acquired the hide paintings sometime before 1758. They remained the property of the Segesser family until the New Mexico History Museum acquired them in 1988.<sub>7</sub></span>

In 1909, Santa Fe’s Palace of the Governors ceased being the seat of government and became the home of the New Mexico History Museum. New Mexico’s rich history includes Native, Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. influences. While the Palace of the Governors is itself a piece of history, it proved insufficient to the task of housing and displaying New Mexico’s historic artifacts. A new museum campus, including a 96,000 square foot main building, was completed in 2009. Permanent and temporary exhibits relate the stories of New Mexico’s history and diverse cultural influences. Highlights include the Palace of the Governors and the Segesser Hide paintings. Other campus buildings include the Palace Press, a Photo Archive, and the Fray Angelico Chavez History Library. 

New Mexico History Museum

<p>The library also offers educational and community engagement
programs. They are host to a number of reading programs that encourage children
to read as well as focusing on the culture of New Mexico. They also offer
programs that support local charities, such as the Peace Pets Exotic Animal
Rescue program. With this program, children meet rescued animals and learn how
to properly care for them. The library also offers programs for adults and
teens, such as an introduction to and tutorial about 3D printers to learn how
the new printers in the library work. They also host free teen social events
every Thursday, such as games and movies.</p>

<p>&nbsp;The Santa Fe library
system was involved in an interesting Supreme Court case during the early
1900s. In 1912, the governor of New Mexico argued that, according to the
constitution and laws of New Mexico, women were unable and unqualified to hold
office. He was using this argument to attempt to kick Dolores Elizabeth “Lola” Chávez&nbsp;de Armijo out of her position as a state librarian and replace
her with a male friend. Armijo then filed a lawsuit with the New Mexico Supreme
Court, who ruled in her favor. This allowed her to keep her position and
following legislation ensured that women had the right to hold appointed office
in New Mexico. Although Soledad Chavez Chacon is officially the first women in
New Mexico to hold a statewide office (she served as Secretary of State during
the 1920s), Armijo was the first women to serve in a statewide capacity. Armijo
was born in Albuquerque in 1858 and died in Santa Fe in 1929.</p>

The Santa Fe Public Library offers free materials and programs that promote education in the Santa Fe area. In addition to the services and resources provided in the center itself, the library also offers a number of online resources, including online language courses for children, an Encyclopaedia Britannica online research facility, inter-library loan capabilities, and archived New Mexico newspapers.

Walking Tour of Downtown Santa Fe New Mexico

Old St. Michael's Dormitory

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information