Old Santa Fe Today Book Update - June 2020

La Capilla de San Ysidro Labrador, image by OSFT photographer Simone Frances

An Old Santa Fe Today, Fifth Edition Book Update by Melanie McWhorter, June 2020

Historic Santa Fe Foundation launched a campaign to reproduce the book Old Santa Fe Today in 2018. The book has been published in four editions thus far with the first one written by the former El Zaguán caretaker and resident Sylvia Loomis. This newly revised and updated edition has been a desire of staff and board for many years. We were happy when Dr. Audra Bellmore made a visit with her UNM class that year to look at El Zaguán as a living interpretation space. She became very invested in our organization as it is aligned with her interests, expertise, and the teaching program at UNM. Bellmore has since joined the Education, Research, and Archives Committee headed by Board Director Dr. Tim Maxwell and commenced and nearly completed the massive task of researching each property, and writing new citations for 95+ properties listed on HSFF’s Register of Properties Worthy of Preservation (Register). This listing was included, along with a few other locations, was the subject of the four previous editions of Old Santa Fe Today and will be the sole focus of the newest version. We have partnered with the Musuem of New Mexio Press and their designer David Skolkin to produce and publish the fifth edition of this book. The book is scheduled for 2021.

Images from left to right: La Capilla de San Ysidro Labrador, Manderfield Mausoleum exterior, Manderfield Mausoleum interior with stained glass. Image by OSFT photographer Simone Frances

We submitted the proposal to MNM Press in late 2018 and set the budget of approximately $40,000 to cover, among other line items, the printing, photography, a map insert, and app. The book has elements for research, and others used touring some of the neighborhoods of Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico. Bellmore’s entries are being edited by Dr. Nancy Owen Lewis and Mac Watson. Lewis is HSFF board director, a scholar-in-residence at the School for Advanced Research and has authored or co-authored numerous books. Watson has worked architectural conservation as a licensed contractor and principal of Watson Conserves, LLC and former HSFF Board Chair. We are delighted for this expertise and wealth of knowledge in our volunteer editing team.

We then launched the fundraising campaign. Executive Director Pete Warzel’s expertise in the business world has proved a valuable skill in the nonprofit fundraising. Many of the Register homeowners and property owners are those who value Santa Fe’s history and are dedicated to the preservation of our unique aesthetic and varied historical architectural styles. Warzel made a list of all properties on the Register and started to reach out to the owners or businesses that occupy the properties. We had a magnificent response from these people who were more than willing to sponsor the reproducing of this book. We also announced in our printed newsletter and the membership donated to the book to donors and sponsors so far are Avalon Trust, Bishops Lodge Development, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, Enterprise Bank, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Inn of the Five Graces, La Fonda on the Plaza, Liz Cale and Santa Fe Properties, New Mexico Bank & Trust, San Miguel Chapel, Sunwest Construction, Victory Contemporary, and Wolf Corporation. More information on the business sponsors and individual donors here.

We hired the contract photographer Simone Frances to create new photographs of all the buildings. Frances was referred by another of Bellmore’s graduate student at UNM. Frances started the collaborative process of photographing privately-owned homes in early in 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic has put a halt on the photography, but she was able to cross off many of the public buildings with a few of those illustrated here. We hope to restart photography in the next few weeks.

We have also partnered with attorney and state senator Matthew McQueen to review the legal documents. Thanks to McQueen for all his assistance.

We experienced a delay in fundraising efforts and some who committed to donate cannot sponsor due to current financial concerns. Warzel applied for a New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC) grant for those nonprofits whose programs were not funded because of the pandemic. We are honored to be awarded $7,000 from NMHC through funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. These moneys will support the initial budget for OSFT. Funds will be used to produce the map and application for tours of the Register properties and may expand into a more comprehensive resource for education and preservation in NM.

Finally, HSFF Board Chair Ken Stilwell with the board’s approval, started the Old Santa Fe Today publishing committee in June 2020. The committee is comprised of HSFF staff and OSFT project manager Melanie McWhorter, volunteers Lewis and Watson, writer Bellmore, and Stilwell and will meet regularly to make decisions about the book and its contents. We are still relatively on schedule despite the lockdown delays and hope to have the book on hand in late 2021.

Galisteo Sala, Image by OSFT photographer Simone Frances

Powder House, Image by OSFT photographer Simone Frances