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HISTORICTAOS

A Self-Guided Walking Tour of 22

Historic Taos Landmarks

SPONSORED BY

Historic Taos Walking Tour third printing, 2009 TaosVacationGuide.org

architects

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Welcome Visitors and Taoseños!

You are invited to explore the diversity ofthis region through a self-guided tour. Thetwo-hundred-year-old Taos Plaza and the

streets that radiate from it like spokes, form theNational Historic District of Taos. It contains anumber of national and state landmarks that aretestimonials to the rich and complex cultural historyof Taos.

The Taos Valley has been a major trade andtravel route since human presence was first feltin the area. Archeological evidence suggeststhat people have been using and moving throughthe Taos Valley for at least the past 9,000 years.

The ancestors of the Pueblo people, com-monly known as the Anasazi, were the first per-manent inhabitants of the Valley. Room blocksand pit houses in the Taos area testify to theirpresence since 900 AD. Around 1200 AD, theyaggregated into small above-ground structuresof 50-100 rooms.

Many believe the Taos Pueblo was constructedaround 1450 as a multistory complex. However,archeologists predominantly place the date ofconstruction of Taos Pueblo in the 14th centuryon or about 1350. Unfortunately, there is noknown recorded date. In any case, the PuebloIndians depended upon nature for their survival,and therefore treated nature as an organizingand spiritual element in their lives.

At the time of the arrival of the Europeans, allof Taos Valley was in the domain of Taos PuebloIndians. In 1540, Francisco de Coronado, aSpanish conquistador and explorer, was author-ized to explore the area by the King of Spain.Francisco de Coronado led the expedition intoNew Mexico.

After experiencing much resistance from thePueblos of the region, no further expeditionswere authorized until 1598, when Don Juan deOñate established a colonial capital at the cur-rent San Juan Pueblo. Oñate and his soldiersand settlers were awarded titles and believedthat they would make their fortunes by findinggold, silver, and mercury (quicksilver). A captainof Oñate’s who was sent out to look for foodand clothing made the first contact with thePueblos of Picuris and Taos. The captain’s namewas Hernando de Alvarado.

During the 1600s, the Spanish strengthenedtheir control in the Taos Valley and settled inlarge encomiendas (trustees who held a specificnumber of natives in trust) bordering the RioGrande River. For many years there was a clashbetween the two cultures with battles and revolts.

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The Spanish were driven out of Taos at one pointand the resettlement and reestablishment ofSpanish civil government in Taos Valley did notoccur again until 1715. After that time, Spanishfocus shifted from acquisition and exploitationto permanent settlement.

With this new focus, Hispano settlers interactedextensively with the Pueblo and other Indianneighbors. The three groups engaged in trading,informally and through trade fairs. Hispanosbrought many new types of fruits and vegetablesinto Taos Valley and introduced livestock to the Pueblos. The Hispanos introduced modernirrigation systems called acequias, an Arabic wordmeaning irrigation ditch. The Pueblos taughtthe Hispanos to build with mud and timber. The Pueblos adopted the Hispanos’ adobe brickmolds and horno ovens brought from Spain.The land grant system, initiated by the Spanish,blended with the Pueblo tradition and evolvedinto the current style of the central plaza andthe surrounding buildings and churches, for whichTaos Valley is now known.

After the period of Mexican rule, the area wasclaimed as a territory for the United States in1846. President Fillmore established New Mexicoas an official territory in 1850, and Taos becamea county in 1852. Taos Valley flourished duringthis period and other cultures found their wayinto the territory. Taos was a very solid tradecenter for the region.

In 1898, two young artists from the East namedErnest Blumenschein and Bert Phillips discoveredthe valley after their wagon broke down northof Taos. They decided to stay, captivated by thebeauty of the area. As word of their discoveryspread throughout the art community, they werejoined by other associates. In 1915, six artistsformed the Taos Society of Artists. Soon otherintellectuals such as Mabel Dodge Luhan andD.H. Lawrence joined the Taos scene, addinggreatly to the social and intellectual life of thecommunity. To date Taos is known world-wideby artists, art patrons, and inquisitive minds whocontinue to find it a mecca of inspiration.

The history of Taos is a story of change, adap-tation, and the integration of three cultures thatsimultaneously complicates and enriches thereality in which Taoseños live today. You areinvited to explore a small part of this rich historyand culture with the Taos Historic District self-guided tour. The map and brochure will assistyou in your journey.

Welcome to Taos, Bien Venidos, and Na-Tah-La-Wamah.

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HISTORIC SITE LISTINGS

Map Page

1 TAOS PLAZA 4

2 HOTEL LA FONDA DE TAOS 5

3 OLD COUNTY COURTHOUSE 6

4 OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH 7

5 GUADALUPE PLAZA AND SANTISTEVAN HOUSE 9

6 BLUMENSCHEIN HOUSE 10

7 HARWOOD MUSEUM 11

8 PADRE MARTINEZ HOUSE 12

9 LA LOMA PLAZA 13

10 LONG JOHN DUNN HOUSE 16

11 GOVERNOR BENT HOUSE 17

12 BERT PHILLIPS HOUSE 18

13 FECHIN HOUSE 19

14 MANBY HOUSE 20

15 TAOS INN 21

16 EL RINCON TRADING POST 22

17 WALTER UFER STUDIO 23

18 KIT CARSON HOUSE 24

19 LUNA CHAPEL AND SHARP STUDIO 25

20 COUSE HOUSE 26

21 MABEL DODGE LUHAN HOUSE 27

22 VICTOR HIGGINS HOUSE 28

Locator map on pages 14 -15

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1 HOTEL LA FONDA DE TAOS108 South Plaza

There has been a hotel at this locationsince 1820. The first establishment, calledthe St. Vrain Mercantile Store, suppliedlocals and travelers with everything fromtack and seed to rooms and a saloon. Whilethere were numerous fires in the Plaza, thehotel was never affected.

In 1880, Aloysius Liebert built theColumbian Hotel and Bar on the site. It was a popular gathering place.

In 1900, Robert and Maclovia Poolepurchased the hotel and bar and ran it untilRobert was shot by a disgruntled customerin 1909.

Maclovia Poole’s heirs sold the propertyto the Karavas brothers in 1932. Theybegan a major renovation in 1937 whenthey expanded and added a second storyto the complex. They changed the nameto the Hotel la Fonda de Taos.

In 1952 Saki Karavas, son of JamesKaravas, bought out his uncle’s share andran the hotel until his death in 1999. Sakiwas an admirer of D.H. Lawrence andowned many first editions of his literaryworks. He also purchased a group of controversial paintings by Lawrence andthese currently hang in the hotel gallery.

The hotel is now owned by the Sahd fam-ily and underwent a complete renovationin 2002. • 575.758.2211 • lafondataos.com

TAOS PLAZACenter of Taos

The original Spanish settlement of scat-tered farms evolved in Taos Valley about1615. But in 1680, the settlers were drivenout by the Pueblo Revolt. Spanish authoritywas not reestablished until 1696 with thereconquest by Don Diego de Vargas. Thearea was firmly resettled by 1710.

In 1796 the Don Fernando de Taos LandGrant was given to 63 families by the Kingof Spain. This resulted in the establishmentof the current Taos Plaza and surroundingcommunity. Don Fernando de Taos becamethe most important settlement in the areaoutside of the ancient San Geronimo deTaos Pueblo two miles to the north.

Homes were built in large quadrangles,thus offering a fortress-like structure. Hostileraiding Indians from outside the Taos areawere thwarted in their attempts to enterthe village. Sentries stationed at the cornersof the fortified village kept vigil day andnight. A huge gate offered the only meansof entry and exit to and from the Plaza.The enclosure served as a refuge for live-stock at night, and merchants displayedtheir wares there during trade fairs.

Over the years, there were many fireswithin the Plaza and many buildings werelost and rebuilt. Because the buildingswere contiguous, a fire in one usuallyspread to others.

The character of the present structuresaround the Plaza dates from the 1930s.The current Plaza, with its many shops andgalleries, is a natural gathering place forlocals and visitors alike. The park area andGazebo are used extensively for festivalsand civic events year-round.

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TAOS PLAZA, LOOKING NORTHWEST, 1908

ENTRANCE

TO

COLUMBIAN

HOTEL,

1920s

HOTEL

LA FONDA

IN THE

MID-1950s

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3 OLD COUNTY COURTHOUSENorth side of the Plaza

On May 9, 1932, the Taos County Courthouse,along with the other buildings on the northside of the Plaza, was destroyed by one ofa series of fires in the early thirties. This ledeventually to the incorporation of the Townof Taos in 1939 and the establishment of afire department and public water system.

The current Spanish-Pueblo style court-house was built with partial funding from theW.P.A. in 1934. The two-story, flat-roofedbuilding has a curvilinear parapet, exposedvigas, and an added portal with carvedbeams, corbels, and wooden posts.

Between 1934 and 1935, interior muralsdepicting social justice were commissionedby the Works Progress Administration(W.P.A.) Public Works of Art Project for the courtroom on the second floor. EmilBisttram had studied fresco painting tech-niques with Diego Rivera in Mexico andenlisted other Taos artists for this project.The four artists were Bert Phillips, VictorHiggins, Emil Bisttram, and Ward Lockwood.The project took three months to completeand the artists were paid $56 per month.

The murals were restored in 1995 andare still displayed upstairs. The countyoffices moved to new facilities on Paseodel Pueblo Sur in 1972 and the old struc-ture was converted to commercial use.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH205 Don Fernando Street

The Franciscans founded the first missionin the Taos Valley in the late 1500s. Thiswas destroyed during the Pueblo Revoltof 1680. After 1693, when the Spanishcame back into the area, a mission wasre-founded, as San Gerónimo de Taos atTaos Pueblo.

As settlement continued, the first Spanishchurch was built at Ranchos de Taos around1776. By the decree of November 1801,Bishop Olivares of Durango gave the peopleof Taos permission to build a new churchin Taos Valley.

This new church, named Nuestra Señorade Guadalupe in Don Fernando de Taos,was built in the early 1800’s. Later, by thedecree of July 4, 1833, Bishop Zubiria ofDurango made Nuestra Señora deGuadalupe of Taos a parish. It then becamethe head church or a visita for the PuebloChurch—San Gerónimo de Taos, and theRanchos de Taos Church. Padre Martínezwas its first pastor and the parish itself is the oldest parish in the United Statesdedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary underthe title of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Over the years, there have been threeGuadalupe Church buildings. All threechurches were built of adobe bricks.

The original church was located south of the current Don Fernando site, in whatis now the Guadalupe Plaza parking lot. It was built in Pueblo style with 3-4 footthick walls. The first structure had a flatroof, but in 1870, a pitched roof was added.

COURTHOUSE

(CENTER)

PRIOR TO

THE FIRE

OF 1932

W.P.A. MURALS IN PROGRESS, 1934

THE FIRST

CHURCH,

CIRCA 1900

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5 GUADALUPE PLAZA AND SANTISTEVAN HOUSE122 Doña Luz

Guadalupe Plaza was once a thriving villagewhich included the original GuadalupeChurch of the 1800s. It extended threeblocks to the west to include Doña Luz,Padre Martínez Lane, and ManzanaresStreet.

The oldest building on the commercialblock of Doña Luz was built in the 1870s.John Sanchez used this building on thesouth end of Doña Luz for his law prac-tice in the 1930s.

Other businesses in this building includeda gift shop, artists’ studios, and cafés. Oneof these was the “House of Taos,” whichwas mentioned in the book The HippiesGuide to Taos. The millstones in front camefrom an old flour mill in the area. Anotherbuilding was once the courthouse, jail, andtown garage.

The Santistevan House, located at thenorth end of the block, may be the oldestresidence on the block. It was already builtwhen Don José de la Cruz Santistevan andhis wife Dona Maria Gregorita Hernándezde Santistevan arrived from Spain in theearly 1800s. They first settled in Los Coloniasand raised five children. The estate on DoñaLuz eventually became their winter home.

Originally, this property had a well in thecourtyard and portions of the rooms wereonce used as a hotel. Other uses includeda lawyer’s office, a fish market, a clothingstore, and several restaurants. The buildingwas recently renovated and care was takento restore the character of the originalelements of the Santistevan House. It nowhouses LDG Architects • 575.751.9481•ldgtaos.com and Antonio’s Restaurant.• 575.751.4800 • antoniosoftaos.com

In 1911, due to disrepair and limitedsize, the church was torn down. A newchurch was built in Gothic style. It servedthe community for 50 years until it wasdestroyed by fire in June 1961.

After that disaster, the church was movedacross the street to its current location, on the north side of Don Fernando Street.Fortunately many elements of the oldchurch were salvaged—the altar screenand several santos. The painting of OurLady of Guadalupe, which is on the mainaltar, was painted by José Santiago in1674. This was a gift from Mexico to PadreMartínez. A large wooden crucifix, to theside of the altar, was created by JoséAragon, one of the pioneers of the santosmakers in Northern New Mexico. All thesefeatures have been incorporated into thenew church design. • 575.758.9208

PAINTING BY

JOSE SANTIAGO,

1674, HAS HUNG

IN ALL THREE

CHURCHES

THE SECOND

CHURCH

AND PLAZA,

CORPUS

CHRISTI

PROCESSION

1916

COURTYARD

OF THE

HOUSE, n.d.

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7 HARWOOD MUSEUM OF ART238 Ledoux Street

The Ledoux Street neighborhood, wherethe Harwood Museum stands, probablyhad its first adobe houses built in the earlypart of the nineteenth century. There werebuildings standing on what would laterbecome the Harwood property when SmithH. Simpson acquired it in 1861.

Simpson had come west to serve in amilitary campaign against the Ute Indians,and later worked as a clerk for the nearlyilliterate Kit Carson. After Simpson’s deathin 1916, his heirs sold their family houseto Burritt and Elizabeth Harwood.

From 1917 to 1924, the Harwoodsacquired three additional parcels on theeast side and one more on the west. In1918, they renovated the buildings andcalled the complex “El Pueblito,” since its design was strongly influenced by thearchitecture of Taos Pueblo.

In 1923, a year after her husband’s death,Elizabeth Harwood, joined by members of the art and business community, BertPhillips, T.P. Martin, Victor Higgins, WilliamM. Frayne, and B.G. Randall, created whatwould become one of New Mexico’s mostenduring art institutions, the HarwoodFoundation.

In 1929, the Harwood and the Universityof New Mexico developed a partnershipthat existed up to 1937, at which timeownership was transferred to the University.

Elizabeth retained her residence in theHarwood until her death in 1938. Her visionof turning their home into an art center,cultural center, and library for northernNew Mexico had been achieved.

In 1998, after relocation of the townlibrary which was housed in the structure,the Harwood building was renovated andrenamed the Harwood Museum. It hasbeen referred to as the “jewel in thecrown” of Northern New Mexico. 575.758.9826 • harwoodmuseum.org

BLUMENSCHEIN HOUSE222 Ledoux Street

In 1919 Ernest Blumenschein, one of thefounders of the Taos Art Colony, purchaseda four-room house on Ledoux Street fromfellow artist W. Herbert “Buck” Dunton.Later the Blumenscheins acquired severaladjoining rooms and adapted the hometo its present layout in 1931. Ernest andhis wife Mary, both European trainedartists, were accomplished painters. Theirdaughter Helen was also an artist.

According to history, in 1898 Blumenscheinwas traveling through the Southwest withBert Phillips. The two men were youngartists from the East on a sketching tripfrom Denver to Mexico.

While crossing northern New Mexico, awheel from their surrey slipped into a deeprut and broke. Blumenschein rode 23 milesinto Taos to have the wheel repaired.They remained in the area for two months,becoming so entranced with the beautyof Taos Valley that they decided to makeit their home.

By 1915, Blumenschein and Bert Phillipswere joined in Taos by fellow artists JosephSharp, Oscar Berninghaus, E. Irving Couse,and W. Herbert “Buck” Dunton. Togetherthey created the Taos Society of Artists to promote their work across the country.This original group of artists was instrumen-tal in developing Taos into a significantAmerican art colony. • 575.758.0505 •taoshistoricmuseums.com

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6

VIEW OF

HOME FROM

LEDOUX

STREET,

1925

“BLUMIE”

WITH BROKEN

SURREY

WHEEL,

PHOTO

BY BERT

PHILLIPS,

1898 COMPOUND FROM THE WEST, CIRCA 1934

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8 PADRE MARTÍNEZ HOUSE108-A Padre Martínez Lane(Private residence—please do not disturb the occupants.)

In 1835 Padre Martínez acquired whatsome historians claim was the first printingpress west of the Mississippi. On it, hepublished the first books and a newspaper.From his home this visionary operated acoeducational school, a seminary, and inanticipation of annexation by the U.S., alaw school, drawing students from promi-nent families throughout the region.

Aside from training a generation ofleaders, Martínez himself served regularlyin the Mexican territorial assembly. As oneof the first New Mexicans to become anAmerican citizen, he was elected presidentof the initial territorial constitutional con-ventions and the upper house of the FirstLegislative Assembly.

As a powerful defender of the existingpopulations, the friction generated by thetransition to American rule inevitably ledMartínez to clash with certain representa-tives of the new order, includingGovernor Bent.

In spite of this, Martínez provided refugeto survivors of the revolt of 1847, and per-mitted the American army to headquarteritself in this house.

Conflicts with Archbishop Lamy, of thenewly created Archbishop of Santa Fe,led to Martínez’ excommunication, whichmany consider to have been invalid.However, Padre Martínez continued tominister to his people from his privatechapel until his death in 1867.

The Padre Martínez home is a privateresidence, owned by one of his numerous,direct descendants. The grounds are closedto the public, but visitors are invited totour the virtual museum and library atpadremartinez.org.

LA LOMA PLAZAOn the north side of Ranchitos Roadjust west of the Salazar intersection

La Loma Plaza was one of the first settle-ments in the Taos area, established in the1870s by settlers of the Don Fernando deTaos land grant.

This plaza was built as an enclosure of homes with common walls, creating a defensive style plaza for the inhabitants.Most homes had their own wells and gardens. Teams of horses, cows, pigs, and chickens were kept in corrals in backof the houses.

The families that settled in this compoundwere some of the founding fathers andartists of the community.

In 1874-75, Gabriel Jeantet (now spelledJeantete) and his son Filiberto Jeantet(great grandfather and grandfather toEloy Jeantete) along with members of thecommunity, built the San Antonio Chapel,which is on the north side of the Plaza.Following a written petition by communitymembers, Archbishop Lamy blessed thechurch in October of 1876.

Today, most of the houses have beenrestored and the quiet, peaceful characterof the plaza still exists.

THE SAN ANTONIO CHAPEL ON LA LOMA PLAZA

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COMPOUND

AS SEEN

FROM THE

EAST, 1970s

LA LOMA

PLAZA,

SEEN FROM

THE WEST,

CIRCA 1910

1514

LA LOMITA RD.

PLAZA

Taos Center for the Arts

Taos CivicPlaza &

ConventionCenter

Kit CarsonMemorial Park

T A O S H I S T O R I C D I S T R I C T

Kit CarsonCemetery

Library

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HISTORIC TAOS 1 TAOS PLAZA

2 HOTEL LA FONDA DE TAOS

3 OLD COUNTY COURTHOUSE

4 OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH

5 GUADALUPE PLAZA AND SANTISTEVAN HOUSE

6 BLUMENSCHEIN HOUSE

7 HARWOOD MUSEUM

8 PADRE MARTINEZ HOUSE

9 LA LOMA PLAZA

10 LONG JOHN DUNN HOUSE

11 GOVERNOR BENT HOUSE

12 BERT PHILLIPS HOUSE

13 FECHIN HOUSE

14 MANBY HOUSE

15 TAOS INN

16 EL RINCON TRADING POST

17 WALTER UFER STUDIO

18 KIT CARSON HOUSE

19 LUNA CHAPEL AND SHARP STUDIO

20 COUSE HOUSE

21 MABEL DODGE LUHAN HOUSE

22 VICTOR HIGGINS HOUSE

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10 11 GOVERNOR BENT HOUSE117 Bent Street

Charles Bent was appointed Governor ofNew Mexico in 1846 when New Mexicobecame an American territory during thewar between the United States and Mexico.On a visit to his home in Taos in Januaryof 1847, he was killed by an angry mobthat was protesting American rule. Hiswife and children survived the attack.

The new Anglo-American governmentwas symbolized by, and embodied in, itsfirst governor, and it is for those very rea-sons that he was murdered. It was a clashof cultures and a reaction against theupstarts who took over what had beenNative American, then Spanish, and then,comparatively briefly, Mexican. Suddenly,it was American. Just as suddenly, thatnew government’s representative lay dead.

Charles Bent was a highly respected,much-loved figure of the Old West. Hewas a trader and owned a number ofwagon trains on the Santa Fe Trail. Heowned trading posts in Santa Fe and Taosand had many dealings with early moun-tain men, providing them with suppliesand buying their furs and buffalo hides.

Today the Governor Bent House is aprivate museum open to the public. • 575.758.2376

LONG JOHN DUNN HOUSE120 Bent Street

In 1887 John Dunn arrived in Taos. He hadevaded the law in Texas and was lookingfor someplace to settle in for awhile.

Over the years John Dunn opened upfour saloons, a gambling hall, a livery stable,and built a house on Bent Street.

He bought the bridge at Taos Junctionfrom a man named Myers and the newbridge at Manby Springs in Arroyo Hondofrom Miller and Gusdorf. Both bridges werewiped out by floods. But John Dunn rebuiltthe bridges and contracted with the PostOffice to run daily mail service from TresPiedres to Taos.

On his mail route, which includedEmbudo and Taos Junction, much of theparcel post was paintings and paintingsupplies for the artists who had begun to arrive in the area.

To establish his passenger and freightbusiness, he put up $2,500 of his ownmoney and passed the hat to raise anoth-er $2,500. His toll bridges across the RioGrande gave Dunn a monopoly on roadtravel in and out of town. He set up a hotelat the Dunn Bridge and called it “The BridgeHotel.” He owned the first car in Taos—a Ford.

Long John Dunn’s lanky six-foot frame,spicy vocabulary, broken nose twang, anddiverse range of business interests madehim a legend in northern New Mexico. Hewas one of the people who lived throughthree phases of the West—the gun-fightingdays, the cattle-working days, and thepresent modern West. He died in 1955.

Today Long John Dunn’s house is the siteof the John Dunn Shops.• johndunnshops.com

JOHN DUNN AT THE SERVILLETA RAILROAD STATION GOVERNOR CHARLES BENT

16

NORTH SIDE

OF THE

DUNN HOUSE

PRIOR TO

CURRENT

RENOVATIONS,

1960s

GATEWAY

INTO THE

BENT HOUSE

COMPOUND

FROM THE

SOUTH, n.d.

13

12FECHIN HOUSE227 Paseo del Pueblo Norte

One of the architectural treasures of Taosis the house of Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955)who was born in Kazan, Russia. Fechin wasan established artist who immigrated toNew York City in 1923.

After a summer visit to the Mabel DodgeLuhan House in 1926, he moved to Taosthe next year. He immediately began con-structing his home and studio, which isprized for its interior carvings and hand-crafted furniture.

Fechin lived in Taos for just six years withhis wife and daughter before a divorcesplit up his family. Nicholai moved back to New York and then on to Santa Monica,California, where he died in 1955.

After her parents’ deaths, their daughter,Eya, promoted the preservation of theirTaos home, acting as caretaker for 30 years.Following her death in 2002, it was acquir-ed by the Taos Art Museum.575.758.2690 • taosartmuseum.org

BERT PHILLIPS HOUSE136 Paseo del Pueblo Norte

Bert Phillips’ house was built in the early1800s and remodeled by Phillips in 1905with the addition of a studio and squaretower loft to the north end of the building.

Bert Geer Phillips (1868-1956) was bornin Hudson, New York, and studied art atthe Art Students League and the NationalAcademy of Design, then at the AcadémieJulian in Paris. In 1898, at the age of thirty,he was the first Eastern artist to make hishome in Taos, where he would remain untilshortly before his death in 1956.

He was traveling on a drawing expeditionin the Southwest region with his friend,Ernest Blumenschein, when their surreybroke down. Repairs were made by thenearest blacksmith, 23 miles to the southin Taos. The two artists stayed in the areafor two months, captivated by the beautyof the valley.

When it came time to leave, Blumenscheindeparted for the East, intending eventuallyto return. Phillips, on the other hand, mar-ried Rose Martin, sister of the local doctor,and never left. He settled into his newhome and played an aggressive role inpromoting Taos as an art mecca.

Until Phillips was able to firmly establishhis own reputation as an artist, he supple-mented his income by buying and sellingIndian artifacts, developing mining interestsat Twining, and working as a forest ranger.He was instrumental in the creation ofCarson National Forest. He was alsoinstrumental in the establishment of theTaos Society of Artists in 1915. He was a charter member and its first secretary. In 1933-34 he painted one of the W.P.A.murals in the County Courthouse, alongwith Victor Higgins, Emil Bistram, andWard Lockwood.

The Phillips house is located on Paseodel Pueblo Norte (formerly Pueblo Road),across from the property of his brother-in-law, Dr. Martin, and that of Arthur Manby.Although it has been converted to com-mercial use, it is readily recognizable bythe studio and square tower loft that Phillipsadded to the north end of the building.

18 19

VIEW OF

HOUSE FROM

PASEO DEL

PUEBLO

NORTE

(FORMERY

PUEBLO ROAD)

AND BENT

STREET, 1960s

SOUTH

FACADE

AND LIVING

ROOM ARE

MUCH THE

SAME TODAY

AS IN THE

1930s WHEN

FECHIN

LEFT TAOS

21

15

14

TAOS INN125 Paseo del Pueblo Norte

The town doctor, T.P. Martin, initially purchased one house from a cluster of oldadobes around a small plazuella, anchoredby a community well. The original buildingdates back to the early 1800s and was onceowned by Arthur Manby.

The doctor and his second wife, Helen,eventually acquired all of these housesand named the complex the MartinApartments. The doctor and his wife livedin the northern part of the complex andDoc set up his practice in what is now DocMartin’s Restaurant. One of the sectionsof the dining room was the operating room.In exchange for his services, Doc wasknown to accept goats, chickens, or produceas payment.

The Martins were involved in the emerg-ing art community. Dr. Martin’s sister, Rose,married artist Bert Phillips, and in the early days of the colony, the Martins rentedstudio/apartments to visiting artistsincluding Oscar Berninghaus and ErnestBlumenschein. In 1915, six artists met inthe Martin studio occupied by Berninghausto form the Taos Society of Artists.

When Doc Martin died in 1933, Helentook advantage of the increasing flow ofvisitors to the area and the fact that themajor hotel in town had burned downearlier that year. She remodeled the MartinApartments into the Hotel Martin, addingindoor plumbing, electricity, and steamheat. She also roofed over the enclosedplazuella, creating a vaulted lobby. Thewell was covered and converted into afountain.

Over the years, the hotel lodged manycelebrities, including such notables as GretaGarbo, Thorton Wilder, and Anthony Quinn.• 575.758.2233 • taosinn.com

MANBY HOUSE133 Paseo del Pueblo Norte

Arthur Rochford Manby was the secondson of English nobility, who came to theUnited States to make his fortune. Usingwhat were thought to be unscrupulousmethods, he acquired major tracts of landin northern New Mexico.

In 1898, he bought seven parcels of land,about 23 acres, on Paseo del Pueblo northof the Plaza. He built a nineteen-roomSpanish-style adobe hacienda, set in asquare with three wings, stables, and outerwalls. Manby landscaped the hacienda inthe English style, with a lilac garden thatextended to what is now Kit Carson Park.

At the time, Manby’s home was consid-ered the largest and most attractive housein Taos. He was often seen in town wearinghis English Riding attire, an unusual sightfor the traditional Southwestern cowboy.

Due to his many shady dealings, Manbywas not a popular man. In 1926, a beheadedbody was found in his home. To this day itis uncertain whether this was Manby orwhether he had staged his own death andleft the area. His grave marker lies outsidethe fence of Kit Carson Cemetery, whichholds many graves and of famous Taoseñosand is open to the public.

The Manby house passed to Dr. VictorThorne, a wealthy New York art collector,who held a second mortgage on the prop-erty. Thorne had hoped to use the houseas a summer home but never did so. Whenhe died suddenly without a will, his care-taker, Helen Williams, turned the propertyinto a community center called the ThorneHouse. The Taos Art Association, which wasfounded in 1952, purchased the propertyand turned it into a museum and artistgallery space.

Today, the Manby house includes theStables Gallery and offices of the TaosCenter for the Arts. • 575.758.2052 •tcataos.org

20

ENTRANCE

TO THE LILAC

GARDEN FROM

PASEO DEL

PUEBLO

NORTE

(FORMERY

PUEBLO ROAD),

CIRCA 1910

WEST SIDE OF TAOS INN, CIRCA 1940

2322

17 WALTER UFER STUDIOOn Des Georges Lane

The studio of Walter Ufer, situated justeast of the plaza, was incorporated intothe back of the shopping complex knownas Cabot Plaza when that building wasremodeled into shops.

Walter Ufer (1876-1936) made his firsttrip to New Mexico in 1914 under thesponsorship of a group of art collectorsled by Chicago’s former mayor, CarterHarrison, Jr. He soon made his home inTaos, living in a lovely Victorian house rent-ed from the Des Georges family, locatedacross the lane from his studio. In 1917,Ufer was elected to the Taos Society ofArtists, serving two years as its secretary/treasurer and two years as its president.

Born in 1876, Ufer was raised in Louisville,Kentucky. After studying art for a coupleof years at the Royal Academy in Dresden,he settled in Chicago, where he workedas an illustrator. In 1911 he returned toGermany for further study in Munich. Aftermoving to Taos, he received wide acclaimfor his paintings depicting the brilliant lightof New Mexico. He died of appendicitisin 1936. The studio was next used byHenry Cabot.

EL RINCON TRADING POST114 Kit Carson Road

Built in 1809, this was the home of La DoñaLuz in the mid-1800s. It later became thehome of Ralph and Rowena Meyers, whoopened the Mission Shop in 1909.

This was the first trading post in Taosthat carried Native American arts and craftsof the region. Ralph traveled to the sur-rounding reservations, buying and tradingwith knowledge and understanding. Fewwhite men were as well loved and acceptedby the Taos Pueblo Indians.

Ralph Meyers was an artist, trader and acraftsman in his own right. He came to Taosas a photographer, but was soon developinginto an artist. He created exquisite carvingsand furniture, studied dyes from all overthe world, wove magnificent blankets, andmade fine jewelry. He even taught Navajosthe craft of jewelry making during theW.P.A. days.

Ralph and Rowena Meyers were respon-sible for adding much to Taos by preservingthe costumes and traditions of the time within his collections. He also developed a wonderful photographic archive of Taos history.

Currently, the El Rincón Trading Post isa gift shop and museum, which includesEl Rincón Bed & Breakfast. It is still ownedand operated by descendants of Ralphand Rowena Meyers. • 575.758.4874 • elrincontaos.com

´

WALTER UFER

STANDING

ON PASEO

DEL PUEBLO

NORTE

(FORMERY

PUEBLO ROAD)

16

VIEW FROM

KIT CARSON

ROAD,

CIRCA 1920

INTERIOR

OF THE

MISSION

SHOP,

CIRCA 1920

GATEWAY TO

THE STUDIO,

PRE-1970

2524

19

18

LUNA CHAPEL AND SHARP STUDIO146 Kit Carson Road

The Oratorio of San Antonio of Padua wasbuilt by Juan de Luna as a family chapelca. 1835. Because of its occasional use forPenitente ceremonies, this family chapelis sometimes mistakenly referred to as aPenitente Morada. Its ownership eventuallypassed to the Diocese of Santa Fe, and itwas sold in 1909 to the artist J. H. Sharp.

By adding two large windows, Sharpconverted the building into a studio,naming it the Studio of the Copper Bellafter an old bell that he bought at thePueblo in 1910. The land to the north ofthe chapel was Sharp’s front garden andhis house was located on the site nowoccupied by the Mission Gallery. Afterpainting in the chapel for six years, Sharpbuilt a larger studio on his property to the south, a building that still exists.

Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953) wasborn in Bridgeport, Ohio. He began his artstudies at the McMicken School of Designin Cincinnati and continued his studies inGermany, Holland, and France.

Sharp first visited Taos in 1893, wherehe continued to paint for short periodsduring the summers, while devoting hismajor artistic efforts to recording thePlains Indians in Montana.

By 1909 the focus of his work had shiftedto the Southwest and he purchased a houseon Kit Carson Road that was his home untilhis death. Sharp was a charter member ofthe Taos Society of Artists.

The chapel is now owned and preservedby The Couse Foundation and Museum.Tours by appointment only.• 575.751.0369 • cousefoundation.org

KIT CARSON HOUSE 113 Kit Carson Road

During the 19th century, a number of thefur trappers or “mountain men,” the firstAnglo-Americans to explore the AmericanWest, settled in Northern New Mexico.Of these mountain men, Kit Carson wasperhaps the most famous.

Born in Kentucky in 1809, Carson was a trapper, guide, Indian agent, and Armyofficer. In 1861, Carson began the finalstage of his career as a military officer, firstin the Civil War and later in the campaignsof the Indian Wars.

In 1843, when he married Maria JosefaJaramillo, daughter of a prominent Taosfamily, Carson bought a single story adobehouse. At least six of their eight childrenwere born there.

After Carson died in Colorado in 1868,his body was brought back to Taos andburied in Kit Carson Park.

The Carson house was both his homeand a fine example of Spanish Colonial andTerritorial architectural features. Now theKit Carson Museum, it is open to thepublic and owned and operated by Taos

Masonic Lodge. • 575.758.4945

STREET VIEW

OF THE

HOUSE

IN 1910

CHRISTOPHER

HOUSTON

“KIT” CARSON

CHAPEL

STUDIO

WITH HOUSE

IN THE

BACK-

GROUND,

CIRCA 1935

27

20

MABEL DODGE LUHAN HOUSE240 Morada Lane

Mabel Ganson Evans Dodge Sterne Luhan,an author and friend of prominent artistsand intellectuals, was born in New York in1879. She was well-known in the New Yorkart scene, holding salons for artists andwriters, before moving to Santa Fe in 1917to join her third husband, painter MauriceSterne.

After moving to Taos, they divorced andMabel bought land adjoining the TaosReservation in 1918. She began to remodeland expand the small buildings, blendingPueblo, Spanish Colonial, and Tuscan stylestogether. The project was finished in 1922.

During construction, she met her nexthusband, Tony Luhan of Taos Pueblo, whowas the construction foreman of the project.She later built five more houses on theproperty and this complex became amecca for artists and writers, includingD.H. Lawrence and Willa Cather.

The house is now an historic inn andconference center. • 575.751.9686 •mabeldodgeluhan.com

COUSE HOUSE146 Kit Carson Road

E.I. Couse bought his home on Kit CarsonRoad in 1909. The oldest part of the struc-ture was built in 1839 by Pedro Luna andgrew over the years with additions madeby later owners, one of whom was JamesQuinn, a scout captain serving with KitCarson in the 1850s. In the 1860s thehouse was occupied by Gabriel Ussel, theparish priest, who used it as a boys schoolfor several years. After their purchase in1909, the Couses added a large studiowing and Mrs. Couse began to develop agarden that became famous in the region.No additions to the house have been madesince Couse’s death in 1936.

Eanger Irving Couse (1866-1936) cameto Taos in 1902 in search of a good locationto paint Native American subjects. The settingwas ideal for his work and he made Taoshis primary residence from that point on.

Couse was born in Saginaw, Michigan,in 1866. He studied art at the NationalAcademy of Design in New York and at theAcademié Julian in Paris, after which hebegan his career as a painter of AmericanIndians while living in the state of Washington.

In 1902, he was introduced to Taos byErnest Blumenschein. Here he developed a

worldwide reputationfor his peaceful depic-tions of Pueblo life.He was particularlyadmired for his por-trayals of moonlightand firelight, many of which were repro-duced on the SantaFe Railway’s annualcalendars between1914 and the artist’sdeath. Couse was a

charter member of the Taos Society ofArtists and its first president, a position he held for five years.

The Couse house remains today essentiallyas it was during the artist’s lifetime, making itthe most significant building to survive fromthe early days of the Taos Art Colony. It is open to the public by appointment.• 575.751.0369 • cousefoundation.org

TAOS ARTISTS

ON THE

COUSE

PORTAL,

CIRCA 1910

MABEL AND

HER HUSBAND,

TONY LUHAN

26

21

ENTRY TO

STUDIO

GARDEN,

CIRCA 1920

EAST SIDE

OF THE

BIG HOUSE,

1935

28

22 VICTOR HIGGINS HOUSE 239 La Morada Road

Victor Higgins had his first home and studioat the site of Tony Abeyta’s Gallery on KitCarson Road. In 1946, he moved to theproperty on La Morada Lane.

Victor Higgins was born in 1884 inShelbyville, Indiana. He studied art at theChicago Academy of Fine Arts and the ArtInstitute of Chicago. He came to Taos in1914, where he found the landscape, color,and light a refreshing change from theclaustrophobic confines of the easternacademies.

In 1917, Higgins was elected to fullmembership in the Taos Society of Artists,but he continued to divide his time betweenTaos and Chicago, which he still consideredhis home.

In 1934, he was one of four artists employ-ed by the Works Progress AdministrationPublic Works of Art Project to paint muralsin the Taos County Courthouse. He alsopainted a mural under the WPA for the postoffice in Rocky Ford, Colorado.

Higgins was greatly influenced by theartist John Marin, who was in Taos in 1929and 1930. He was open to new ideas andstyles and was considered the most pro-gressive member of the Taos Society ofArtists. Many considered him a “painter’spainter.” His body of work includes land-scapes, still-lifes, and figure paintings invarious styles. He died in Taos in 1949.

The house is currently a private residenceand bed and breakfast inn. • 575-758-1331• taoscasitamorada.com

■

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to the following individualsand organizations for their professional

assistance and dedication to the rich history of Taos Valley.

2009 Sponsors• El Monte Sagrado

Living Resort and Spa• Historic Taos Inn• LDG Architects

Town of Taos • Historic Preservation Commission,

Kent Lewis, Former Commissioner • Planning and Zoning Department,

Sarah Backus, Former P&Z Director

Lynn Fitzgerald, Project Manager and Research Writer

Peter Mackaness, Historian

Virginia Couse-Leavitt, Historian

New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office

Historical Society of New Mexico • Robert Torrez

Taos Business Alliance/Taos Project• John Otis

Property Owners of the Historic Sites

Taos Historic Museums • Karen Young, Director • Joan Phillips, Photo Archivist

SW Research Center of Northern New Mexico

• Nita Murphy

Taos County Historical Society • Jacque Chase • Bob Romero• Corina Santistevan

Design• Webb Design Inc., Taos

Printing• Starline Printing, Albuquerque

TaosVacationGuide.org

HOUSE AND

GROUNDS

AS THEY

APPEAR

TODAY

COVER: COMING UP FROM THE RIO GRANDE CANYON FROM

SANTA FE TO TAOS, 1914. COLLECTION OF THE HARWOOD MUESUM

OF ART. PHOTO BY BURT HARWOOD