Eugenie Shonnard, an internationally recognized American sculptor, lived in Santa Fe from 1927 until her death in 1978. Born in Yonkers, New York in 1886, Shonnard studied at the New York School of Applied Design for Women and with sculptors Auguste Rodin and Emile-Antoine Bourdelle in Paris. She exhibited widely in exhibitions on the East Coast before settling permanently in Santa Fe in 1927. During the Great Depression, Shonnard worked extensively for the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration, specifically the Federal Art Project (FAP), and completed many significant private commissions. The Eugenie Shonnard House was built in 1890 for Nuestra Lucero de Kirchner, the wife of a local merchant. In 1934, Shonnard’s mother purchased the home for her daughter. The Italianate Style hipped-roof cottage is one of two remaining homes constructed by Canadian-born master carpenter Philip Hesch in Santa Fe (see Philip Hesch House). Today, the property houses Museum of New Mexico Foundation offices.
From Old Santa Fe Today, 5th edition by Audra Bellmore with photographs by Simone Frances.