Canadian-born master craftsman Philip Hesch (1828–1914) built a home for his large family in a bustling part of town near the state capitol and new railyard district in 1888. The home, which remained in the Hesch family until 1912, is a rare example of the French Second Empire Style in Santa Fe, influenced by the powerful presence of archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy. Philip Hesch, originally from Preston, Ontario, Canada, moved to Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1865 and settled in Santa Fe in 1876, where he established a successful contracting firm. Multiple public, educational, and commercial projects are attributed to Hesch including the Catron Block (see Catron Block); St. Catherine’s Industrial Indian School (see St. Catherine’s Industrial Indian School); buildings at the Santa Fe Indian School; the original St. Vincent Sanatorium (1882), which burned down in 1896; and multiple storefronts on Santa Fe’s main commercial thoroughfare, San Francisco Street.
From Old Santa Fe Today, 5th edition by Audra Bellmore with photographs by Simone Frances.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF MELANIE MCWHORTER