2025
Presentations and Abstracts
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Baca, Elmo – Las Vegas Community Foundation
Friday, Oct. 3 – 9:00 – 9:50 am (Downstairs meeting room)
Querencia of Place: Las Vegas, New Mexico
A personal remembrance of the historic preservation movement in Las Vegas with some thoughts on present and future projects, including initiatives developed by the Las Vegas NM Community Foundation to help in the long term recovery from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire of 2022.
Jojola, Theodore – University of New Mexico
Sunday, Oct. 5 / 10:00 – 10:50 am
PlaceKnowing and 7 Generations Planning
Dr. Jojola presents about principles used for indigenous planning that focuses on cultural identity, worldview, and generational thinking to create sustainable communities.
Spears, Beverley – Spears Horn Architects
Friday, Oct. 3 / 1:00 – 1:50 pm (Downstairs meeting room)
American Adobes: Cultural Fusion and Adaptation
The Vernacular dwellings of northern New Mexico
This talk explores the relationship between culture and architecture—a subject as complex as it is revealing. I will begin by examining building practices in New Mexico before the arrival of the Americans, then trace how American styles, technologies, and materials gradually merged with Spanish colonial traditions. What emerges is a hybrid architecture that reflects the fusion of two very different cultures. Certain aspects of the Spanish colonial style—such as the arrangement of space, the construction of walls, and the use of rooms—proved remarkably resistant to change and persisted for decades. By contrast, more superficial elements, such as decorative features and roofing styles, were adopted more quickly. Architecture is, on many levels, a communal art. People draw inspiration from neighbors and family, shaping decisions about how a house should be built, what features are most desirable, and which details signal tradition or modernity. This communal exchange gave rise to distinct village variations and regional characteristics within northern New Mexico, a cultural pattern that can still be traced in the built environment. One such example can be found with the pitched-roof houses of northern New Mexico. Though as distinctive as the Spanish Pueblo revival style, they have not been commercialized or widely recognized. Subtle and regionally rooted, they remain an overlooked yet important chapter in New Mexico’s architectural heritage. I will also address the reasons I undertook this study, the methodology I employed, and why conducting such research in the early 1980s was possible in ways that would be more difficult today.
Wilson, Chris – University of New Mexico
Saturday, Oct. 4 – 9:00 – 9:50 am (Downstairs meeting Room)
Preservation, urbanism, and the Housing Crisis
The grassroots preservation movement across the U.S. in the 1950s and 60s focused on defending urban neighborhoods against Interstate Highway construction and Urban
Renewal demolitions. With the establishment of the National Register in 1966, the 50-year cut off for registration meant that preservationists envisioned protecting neighborhoods built before 1916 and the rise of the automobile and single use zoning. As the 50-year cut off has rolled forward now to 1975, we take the preservation of suburbia for granted, and have lost sight of the earlier alliance between preservation and urbanism
In keeping with the conference theme, “Building on Traditions,” I will advocate for the revival of historic housing types and denser, walkable communities to help address our current housing crisis. After outlining the history of mixed-use and multi-family building types in the U.S. — with an emphasis on New Mexico — I will suggest ways we as preservationists can renew our alliance with urban neighborhood interests. These include such standard preservation approaches as the registration of historic multi-family buildings, and the preservation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings to add to the housing stock. But also, such contemporary urbanist tactics as allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs, casitas) by right, the revival of historic mixed-use and multi-family building types, the coordination of this Missing Middle Housing within historic contexts, and the development of preapproved infill housing plans. I look forward to learning from audience experiences and perspectives in the discussion portion.
Barnhart, Amy and Gutierrez, Daniel – New Mexico MainStreet
Friday, Oct. 3 / 10:00 – 10:50 am (Upstairs meeting room C)
The Ins & Outs of Using the NPS Paul Bruhn Grant for Restoring Historic Building Facades
Every year, hopeful applicants have their hearts broken when they read the fine print of the NPS Paul Bruhn Grant Application and realize they cannot apply for this grant on behalf of a specific project they are working on, but instead, must apply to create a competitive grant process that they now must convince multiple property owners to apply for. It sounds like a daunting task, but it can be done! This session will teach you the basics about the grant and you will also hear about the firsthand experience of New Mexico MainStreet and three local MainStreet programs in implementing this grant as subgrantees of Main Street America, the lead grant applicant. Main Street America has also helpfully passed along some of their tips as well, so this will be a well-rounded presentation with the perspectives and experiences of multiple levels of grantees (and sub-grantees) within the grant process.
Barrow, Jake – Cornerstones Community Partnerships
Friday, Oct. 3 / 2:00 – 2:50 pm (Downstairs meeting room)
Rising From the Ruins: Restoration Work at Plaza del Cerro in Chimayó, New Mexico
The site, the remaining structures of a historic fortified plaza (dating from early Spanish colonization in the 1700s) has been granted a new start, through the energy and concerns of its community, the Chimayó Cultural Preservation Association, and through support of a Save America’s Treasure grant. While severely degraded, restoration commenced to create a living site. The process led to a comprehensive plan to support the entire plaza area and to involve the community and neighboring communities. With care, this site can easily survive another 300 plus years.
Baca, Elmo – Las Vegas Community Foundation
Friday, Oct. 3 – 9:00 – 9:50 am (Downstairs meeting room)
Querencia of Place: Las Vegas, New Mexico
A personal remembrance of the historic preservation movement in Las Vegas with some thoughts on present and future projects, including initiatives developed by the Las Vegas NM Community Foundation to help in the long term recovery from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire of 2022.
Berwald, Sarah and Merrigan, Maggie – Hartman + Majeski Design Group
Saturday Oct. 4 / 2:00 – 2:50 pm (Upstairs meeting room A)
Advocating for Preservation Assessment: Planning and Design at the New Mexico Supreme Court
In the winter and spring of 2024, Hartman + Majewski Design Group performed a comprehensive assessment of the New Mexico Supreme Court building in Santa Fe. This structure is vitally important to the region’s architectural history. It has continuously housed the seat of New Mexico’s judicial branch of government since its completion in 1937. It is one of the oldest public buildings within Santa Fe’s Capitol Complex. Its architectural design, referred to as Territorial Revival style, set a stylistic precedent for the state’s public architecture and the impact of this design continues. Our work at the building included an assessment of the building’s envelope, MEP and technology systems, structural integrity, code compliance, utilization and workflow. We also established a framework for making decisions about the building to protect its most important historic features and actively support required changes to come that will promote security, safety and occupant comfort. In the process of assessing this building, we used thermal imaging and 3D cameras to create a digital model of the structure. What resulted was a plan for prioritized alterations and repairs to the building. Our clients have found this very useful as they apply for state appropriations to complete this work. Our presentation will focus on describing the assessment process, our challenges, and the ongoing advocacy needed to care for this important public resource.
Bencomo, Monica and Singh, Aastha – Homewise, Inc.
Saturday, Oct. 4 / 10:00 – 10:50 am (Downstairs meeting room)
Historic Barelas Neighborhood: A story of revitalization through community development
This presentation highlights the transformative power of community-driven development through the revitalization of key local spaces. By narrating the story of the Historic Barelas Neighborhood in downtown Albuquerque, we emphasize how preserving cultural landmarks can enhance local identity and foster a sense of pride. Orpheum Theatre, once a historic movie venue hosted many other uses in the past, has now reincarnated as an office for Homewise, and a hub for community events and monthly ABQ Art Walk exhibitions. The B Ruppe Drugstore- one of the longest continuously operating drugstore in Albuquerque, has been transformed into a space dedicated to the legacy of curandera, Maclovia Zamora and the art of curanderismo. In the Historic Barelas neighborhood, the creation of Koala Children’s Academy and the Barelas Community Kitchen serve as a model for essential services that can strengthen social bonds and meet the needs of its residents. Historically hosting a myriad of food businesses on site, such as El Coronado café and Coronado Frozen Chile, the kitchen is now home of the Street Food Institute. Central to this discussion is how Homewise approaches acquisition and rehabilitation of vacant properties within the Barelas Neighborhood. These efforts act as a catalyst for revitalization, promoting accessibility while spurring economic growth. More than just physical development, this process contributes to intergenerational wealth that ensures long-term communal stability. By reinstating neglected properties, we not only breathe new life into underutilized spaces but also build stronger, more sustainable communities that thrive for generations to come.
Caporuscio, Giulia – Historic Santa Fe Foundation
Saturday, Oct. 4 / 3:00 – 3:50 pm (Downstairs meeting room)
A Case Study of Historic Santa Fe Foundation and Santa Fe’s Habitat for Humanity’s Endangered Properties Program
In 2023, the Santa Fe-based nonprofit Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF) partnered with Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity to combine Habitat’s repairs program with HSFF’s knowledge of historic preservation standards, techniques, and practices to serve our community with historic home repairs. Historic preservation and its connection to affordable housing is a topic that Historic Santa Fe Foundation has explored for over forty years. This exploration prompted the establishment of the Endangered Properties Program, which set out to help people stay in their homes by providing free repairs to low income households. With the assistance of a Certified Local Government Grant from the City of Santa Fe, HSFF explored the program and found that it had many limitations and difficulties. This case study provides insight into our program’s future and could provide valuable information towards the establishment of a comparable program by other organizations. This presentation will give a brief history of HSFF followed by information on this program presenting the difficulties of finding projects, struggles from funder restrictions, homeowner hesitations, and identifying houses in Santa Fe. We will also share perspectives from the oral histories from this program on how Santa Fe has changed and how a program may prove successful.
Cassidy, Daniel, Cassidy, Paul, Houser, Phil, Rivera, Jose – Cleveland Roller Mill Museum, Mora Valley Mills Committee, St. Vrain Mill Foundation
Friday, Oct. 3 / 11:00 – 11:50 am (Downstairs meeting room)
Valley of the Mills
In the latter half of the 1800s, the Mora Valley boasted seven mills within a seven mile stretch of the Mora River, which earned it the unofficial designation of the “Valley of the Mills”. Today, there are still four mills along the Mora River, more than any other location in New Mexico. They are the La Cueva Mill, the Gordon-Sanchez Mill, the St Vrain Mill, and the Cleveland Roller Mill, all of which are National Historic Register sites. This presentation will describe how the millowners and others are embarking on a “Mora - Valley of the Mills” campaign to leverage the presence of the mills and their history to attract visitors to the Mora Valley. While the Gordon-Sanchez Mill is shuttered, the other three mills offer complementary perspectives and attractions. The La Cueva Mill has the most complete offering with adjacent store and café. Cleveland Mill has an extensive agricultural display and working milling equipment. The St Vrain Mill no longer has any of the original equipment, but their focus is on developing a heritage display featuring the generational families of the Mora Valley. The key action is that all three of the mills have agreed to be open during Labor Day weekend and advertise the event throughout Northern New Mexico as the “Valley of the Mills” Tour.
Historic Preservation Division – Karla McWilliams, Matt Saionz, Steven Moffson
Saturday, Oct. 4 / 10: 10:50 am (Upstairs meeting room C)
New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office’s Role in Historic Preservation
NM HPD staff will present about the State Historic Preservation Office and focus on its programs: State/National Register, Historic Tax Credits, and Grants / Certified Local Governments.
Steven Moffson, State and National Register Coordinator, will talk about the National Register of Historic Places program. This talk will provide an overview of the National Register, its many uses by Karla McWilliams, Deputy Director, will speak about grant opportunities offered through the State Historic Preservation Office and other resources. Matt Saionz, Tax Credits & Historic Markers will present what Tax Credits are and how they can be used.
Horn, James – Spears Horn Architects
Friday, Oct. 3 / 10:00 – 10:50 am (Downstairs meeting room)
Adaptive Reuse at Santa Fe’s Lannan Foundation
The Lannan Foundation, a charitable arts and cultural institution, was located primarily in Santa Fe from 1997 to its closure in 2022. The foundation engaged Spears Horn Architects in 2000 to assist with the adaptive reuse of an 1880’s Congregational Church into the “Meeting House,” a state-of-the-art multipurpose center to support foundation programming. The architects led the renovation design with special care in restoring existing elements such as windows and roof trusses to their original appearance and introducing a fabric scrim ceiling as a trace of the historic plaster ceiling. The project meets technological and environmental demands of a leading cultural institution while preserving the exterior shell of a historic building in Santa Fe’s city center. The project won multiple design awards and continues to be a celebrated part of Santa Fe’s architectural heritage and diversity of style.
Horn, Oliver – Lincoln & Ft. Stanton, NM Historic Sites
Saturday, Oct. 4 / 3:00 – 3:50 pm (Upstairs Meeting room A)
Historic Preservation at the Fort Stanton Historic Site: Restoring a Unique and Complex Built Environment
Established in 1855, Fort Stanton is the largest state historic site and among the most historically rich built environments in New Mexico. Its 88 buildings are a combination of nineteenth century military structures (1855-1896) and New Deal era medical facilities (1933-1945). In the past five years, the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs has conducted more capital projects at the site than at any point since the New Deal era. This presentation will discuss recent historic preservation projects and highlight the structures’ unique histories and building materials. Restoration projects include the 1) Visitor Center, one of the original sandstone barracks dating to 1855; 2) Laundress Quarters, erected out of adobe by Black soldiers of the 9th Cavalry in 1876; 3) Hospital, constructed out of cinderblock in 1936 and home to the state’s first elevator; and 4) Nurses Quarters, a 1941 Public Works Administration Project built out of brick and stucco, whose architect also designed the FDR Presidential Library. Each of these projects has posed unique challenges and opportunities that can inform other preservation work across the state.
Negrette, Michelle – New Mexico MainStreet
Hughes, Rebecca – Deming Luna County MainStreet Program
Friday, Oct. 3 / 3:00 – 3:50 pm
If these Buildings Could Talk: How New Mexico MainStreet and the Deming Luna County MainStreet Program are Leveraging Local Lies, Legends, and an Alley for Cultural Preservation
Join us for an engaging session exploring how Deming Luna County MainStreet is blending forgotten histories, cultural resources, and creative placemaking to create immersive visitor experiences in their historic downtown. In this session, we will share how local myths, legends, and regional folklore are being brought to life in often overlooked and underutilized spaces such as alleyways, utility boxes and storefronts. These new vibrant storytelling environments allow visitors to interact with and interpret Deming’s rich past in dynamic, engaging ways. We will delve into how Deming Luna County MainStreet is leveraging both temporary and long-term interpretive elements to reconnect the past with the present. Participants will learn about the innovative strategies being used to curate an exploratory environment, build meaningful community partnerships, and engage local community members. This session will share tools, resources and provide practical insights into how such creative placemaking efforts are supporting local cultural preservation and invite visitors to draw their own understanding of Deming’s colorful history.
Jagers, Martin and Larsen, Christopher – The Carson House and Museum
Friday, Oct. 3 / 11:00 – 11:50 am (Upstairs meeting room A)
Preserving Historical Legacy, Inspiring Futures – The Carson House & Museum
Kit Carson House National Historic Landmark in Taos, New Mexico, was the home of the famous frontiersman and his wife Maria Josefa Jaramillo Carson. The site has hosted over 20,000 visitors annually, including residents, tourists from around the state and nation, international guests, as well as students and scholars, indicating its broad appeal and educational significance. Built in 1825, the Carson House and campus confronts urgent structural challenges jeopardizing its very existence. The infiltration of moisture and decay poses significant risks to the integrity of its traditional adobe construction. Funded by two Certified Local Government (CLG) Grants awarded to the Town of Taos from the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, a comprehensive preservation project is underway. The first grant funded a Condition Assessment and Preservation Plan (CAPP) Report, documenting the extent of deterioration and outlining necessary steps to mitigate further deterioration and initiate restoration. The second grant addresses severe drainage problems in critical areas. Our ultimate vision transcends the walls of this historic home as we aspire to cultivate a dynamic space that celebrates a multitude of voices and narratives, igniting the curiosity of future generations to connect with history. Through innovative programming and community partnerships, we endeavor to nurture an understanding of the complex past by fostering and cultivating appreciation for the intricacies and contradictions of the American West.
Khatibi, Omid Shafigh, Ünal, Ferda Didar, and Uviña-Contreras – University of New Mexico
Friday, Oct. 3 / 4:00 – 4:30 pm (Upstairs meeting room C)
Architectural Evolution of Palace of the Governors through Digital Representation
This presentation will depict the work that took place by two Graduate students from University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning, under the supervision of Professor Francisco Uviña-Contreras and in collaboration with several New Mexico History Museum administrative staff. The presentation will highlight an important exhibit that demonstrates the extensive changes in important historical time periods in the Palace of the Governors (the oldest public building in the United States). It will showcase the created 3D-printed physical models, and architectural drawings for the “Palace through time” exhibit which is displayed in the New Mexico History Museum. The “Palace through Time” exhibit displays the archaeological, historical, and architectural evolution of the Palace of the Governors (POG) over the centuries and under different administrations in eight different milestones in the region’s history. The changes to the building are summarized in alterations in the length, width, height, and materiality of the building. Existing drawings and models in the exhibit are created by using existing archival documents including historic photography, reports, sketches, archeological documents, and early architectural drawings.
Quintana, Lawrence – Las Vegas Citizens Committee for Historic Preservation
Saturday, Oct. 4 / 1:00 – 1:50 pm (Downstairs meeting room)
Awarding Preservation
Powell, William – New Mexico MainStreet
Saturday, Oct. 4 / 2:00 – 2:50 pm (Downstairs meeting room)
Capitalizing on Historic Downtown Assets – Creatively
Case Study of New Mexico Main Street and the New Mexico Resiliency Alliance, restoring and a historic vacant storefront with the assistance of inmates from Northeastern NM Correction Facility. The Dudley Building (1915) is an adjacent to the Luna Theater and also constructed at the same date. With a small grant, technical assistance from NMMS, and inmate volunteer labor - we have been able to stabilize the building's exterior envelope, program the storefront and utilize an otherwise vacant building.