The Advent of Santa Fe Style 2
Before Santa Fe was a “style” the local people were building their homes with the materials they had available to them in response to the climate and environment in which they lived. They werebuilding for the lifestyle they were leading, which to a large degree was subsistence and survival. The mud walls, viga ceilings and dirt roofs were unpretentious and in keeping with thetechnology of the day. It was a lot of work to drag the vigas out of the forest and raise them uponto the adobe walls, therefore the buildings were necessarily small, often one or two rooms tobegin with. The low ceilings and very small windows and doors helped to keep the elements atbay and the temperature inside stabilized. These homes were often added on to room-by-room astime went on and new family members were born or children married and began their own families.
As people came along the Santa Fe Trail during the 1800′s, the adobe style they encountered wasremarkably different than anything they had seen back East. The baked mud bricks and the mudplaster combined with the flat roof is such a simple solution and fits in so well with the landscapeit amazed the visitors. The locals noticed how impressed the newcomers seemed to be with thearchitectural style. The idea of Santa Fe as a “style” slowly began to emerge. However, noteveryone was impressed for the better. Some complained about being overwhelmed by livingwith all the dirt – dirt walls, dirt floors, dirt streets, dirt filtering in from the ceilings.
A major turning point for Santa Fe came when the railroad passed up Santa Fe and headed forBernalillo instead. This extinguished the Santa Fe Trail as the primary trade route from the Eastand ended Santa Fe’s monopoly as the destination for trade in these parts. Bernalillo had moreagricultural products for shipping and Santa Fe was 2,000 feet uphill and out of the way of therailroads’ western trajectory. This caused a tremendous economic crisis in Santa Fe andinfluenced a trend toward preserving the architectural character of Santa Fe as a way to attractvisitors. Santa Fe Style began to solidify in people’s minds.
There has always been a strong preservation component to Santa Fe Style. In the mid-1800′s thephilosophy of the Arts and Crafts Movement was gaining acceptance along with its appreciationfor the intrinsic value and beauty of the simple lifestyle of indigenous peoples. This was areaction against the increasing industrialization here and abroad. Concurrently, in the Southwestwere those who desired to preserve and collect the artifacts of the Native Americans and theSpanish culture. The Historical Society of New Mexico was formed in 1859 for that very purpose.
With the railroad came more people and more fascination with the anthropological and cultural history of the area. There was growing national support to study the archaeology of America. Adolf Bandelier documented the pueblo ruins in the late 1800′s. With support from theArchaeological Institute of America, the School of American Archaeology was established inSanta Fe in the early 1900′s. At the same time the State legislature created the Museum of NewPage 2 of 2Mexico and many artists and writers began to locate here. Santa Fe shifted its focus from beingthe center of trade to being the cultural center of the region.
The face of Santa Fe visibly changed during the early years of the 20 century, ushering in whatthmight be called the “Golden Age of Santa Fe Style.” The Palace of the Governors wasremodeled form an assortment of Territorial and Victorian styles into one of the first prototype“Santa Fe Style” buildings. Also built at the time were several other prototype buildings: theMuseum of Fine Arts, La Fonda Hotel, the old Post Office across from the Cathedral, and theGross Kelly warehouse. These buildings, built in a relatively short time span, dramaticallychanged Santa Fe’s skyline and anchored the notion of preserving the architectural heritage ofSanta Fe. The local artists were largely responsible for the look of the new architecture.
It cannot be overstated how much impact the newly forming artist community had on the look ofSanta Fe Style. The decade from 1912 to 1922 saw a major influx of artists living and workingin Santa Fe. The first to come were Carlos Vierra, Gerald Cassidy, Sheldoh Parsons, and WarrenRollins. Following them were the well-known artists W.P. Henderson and wife Alice, JohnSloan, Randall Davey, and Robert Henri. And finally, Frank Applegate and the Cinco Pintores. The artists were attracted by the brilliant light and the beautiful landscapes of the area. Theyoften used the soft adobe houses and churches as subjects in their paintings.
Most of these artists were enthusiastic and vocal about their love for the local style ofarchitecture. They were proponents for the establishment of an Historic Zone to protect theexisting structures and to compel new buildings to conform as well. Many built their own homesin this style. Vierra provided some of the aesthetic influence for the design of the Museum ofFine Arts and was involved in a civic group proposing the new architectural design guidelines. Henderson started his own construction company committed to building Santa Fe Stylearchitecture and furniture. Applegate built a home on Camino del Monte Sol and then sold landto each of the Cinco Pintores and helped them to build their own adobe homes. John GawMeem, who is probably the most notable architect, began his practice of architecture in 1924, andcalled the old buildings a “fundamental form” of America.
It was these, and other artists who took the idioms of the simple structures of the local people andinvented Santa Fe Style as we know it today. It is the “artist’s eye” which takes the idioms oftoday and reinterprets them, thus continuing the evolution of Santa Fe Style. Hopefully, as youtour the homes in our Parade, you will be inspired to use your own “artist’s eye” and the help ofthe many talented designers and builders to create a Santa Fe Style just right for you.
Contact Kurt Faust
Cell: 505.780.1157