Old Santa Fe Today Update February 2021

The Oldest House photographed by Simone Frances for Old Santa Fe Today, 5th edition

READ PREVIOUS UPDATES OR LEARN MORE ABOUT OLD SANTA FE TODAY, FIFTH EDITION

For the last year, Historic Santa Fe Foundation launched an effort to produce a new, expanded edition of Old Santa Fe Today. The process of creating this revised fifth edition was quite a long one with many valuable, and well-researched materials generated by a variety of knowledgeable voices in the architectural, preservation, and historic community. Dr. Audra Bellmore, John Gaw Meem Curator at University of New Mexico and oversees the John Gaw Meem Archives of Southwestern Architecture, wrote citations for 96 properties, and created essays addressing history of preservation in Santa Fe, and architectural styles in Northern New Mexico. We are delighted to also present an essay on the history of the built environment by Paul Weideman who has written about architecture, real estate, archaeology, art, and culture for Santa Fe New Mexican publications for 24 years and more recently authored ARCHITECTURE: Santa Fe, A Guidebook. HSFF’s Preservation Specialist Mara Saxer tells about HSFF’s mission-driven program of preservation easements and Executive Director Pete Warzel presents a state of the foundation along with a vision for the future of our nonprofit. This fifth edition of our classic publication will truly be monumental, informative, beautifully designed, and a wonderful addition to the previous editions of the Old Santa Fe Today.

We have a very strong and supportive publications committee composed of HSFF Board Chair Ken Stilwell, Board Director Nancy Owen Lewis, former Board Chair Mac Watson, and HSFF Development Coordinator Melanie McWhorter. Lewis and Watson also acted as reviewers for the contributors’ texts and volunteered many hours making suggestions in collaboration with the writers.

In 2020, Simone Frances completed the contemporary photography for most of the properties. These images will be supplemented by historic photographs and illustrations from the Palace of the Governors, the Center for Southwest Research, HSFF Archives, and other sources. We still have some loose ends to tie up with these materials, but we are pleased to state we sent the files to our publisher Museum of New Mexico Press in late January. We are on our way to an information-packed resource for Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico’s architecture and history. We could not have done it without all the contributors and our donors. We are truly grateful and send our warm thanks to all the sponsors of this project.

We are now progressing into phase 2 of the publication. This next stage includes the creation of touring maps with local Santa Fe mapmaker Deborah Reade who has worked with the Museum of New Mexico Press designer David Skolkin for many years. She has walked Santa Fe’s quirky streets and roads and is well-aware of our unusual layout and many of the city’s historic properties. Reade has started to create the maps for this book and a free-standing map publication. In addition to this paper map, we are starting to do research on an app-maker for easy touring of the 96 properties. We will continue to update our community in the next year about the new book.

As the publication date gets closer, we will start to sell the books on our website. Until then, we are starting our second fundraising campaign for the map and app and ask for your generous donation towards the supplemental materials. To give to Phase 2 for HSFF’s Old Santa Fe Today’s map and app, please donate below.

Thanks so much for all your support with Old Santa Fe Today.

Images below photographed by Simone Frances for Old Santa Fe Today, 5th edition: New Mexico Museum of Art, Stone Warehouse, Jose Alarid House, Gustauve Baumann House, New Mexico Supreme Court building, Olive Rush House and Studio, McKenzie-Irvine House, and Sheldon Parsons House and Studio.

READ PREVIOUS UPDATES OR LEARN MORE ABOUT OLD SANTA FE TODAY, FIFTH EDITION