Barrio De Analco Historic District facts for kids
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Barrio de Analco Historic District
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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San Miguel chapel
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 Location in New Mexico
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by E. De Vargas and College Sts., Santa Fe, New Mexico |
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| Area | 18 acres (7.3 ha) |
| Built | 1620 |
| Architectural style | Spanish-Pueblo, Territorial architecture |
| Part of | Santa Fe Historic District (ID73001150) |
| NRHP reference No. | 68000032 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 24, 1968 |
| Designated NHLD | October 18, 1968 |
| Designated CP | July 23, 1973 |
The Barrio de Analco Historic District is a very old and important part of Santa Fe, New Mexico. It's a special area recognized as a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a place with great historical value to the whole country. The district has some of the oldest homes in North America, showing how people lived and built houses long ago.
It includes two of the oldest buildings from the colonial era in the Southwest. One is the San Miguel Mission church, which has been on its site since the 1610s. The other is the "Oldest House", built in 1620, which is now a museum. This historic district was officially named a National Historic Landmark in 1968.
Exploring the Barrio de Analco
The Barrio de Analco is located on the south side of the Santa Fe River. This is across the river from the main downtown area of Santa Fe, which includes the Santa Fe Plaza and the Palace of the Governors. The district is mainly found where Old Santa Fe Trail and East De Vargas Street meet. It also stretches a little bit to the south, east, and west.
Key Historic Buildings
At the southeast corner of the main intersection, you'll find the San Miguel Mission church. A church has stood on this spot since the early 1600s. Right at the northeast corner is the "Oldest House". This building was constructed in 1620 and is made of adobe, a type of sun-dried brick. It has two stories, which was unusual for homes at that time.
South of the mission church is the Lamy Building, also called St. Michael's Dormitory. This building was built in 1878 and was used as a school. It's a great example of the Territorial architecture style, which was popular in New Mexico before it became a state.
West of the main crossroads, past the Santa Fe Playhouse, are more historic homes. These include the Gregorio Crespin House and the Roque Tudesqui House. Both of these homes were built in the Spanish Pueblo style. The Crespin House was built in the mid-1700s. We don't know the exact date for the Tudesqui House, but it was likely also built in the 1700s.
Further away, near the junction of East De Vargas and Paseo de Peralta, are the Boyle House and the Bandelier House. The Boyle House is another Spanish Pueblo style building from the mid-1700s. The Bandelier House was built in 1867 in the Territorial style. It's also famous because the archaeologist Adolph Bandelier once lived there.
What "Analco" Means
The name "Analco" comes from the Nahuatl language. This language was spoken by the Tlaxcalteca people who came with the Spanish explorers. "A" means water, "nal" means next to, and "co" means place of. So, "Analco" means "next to the water," referring to the Santa Fe River.
The barrio, which means "neighborhood" in Spanish, was created soon after Santa Fe was founded around 1609-1610. It was set up as a place for artists, workers, and servants to live. The area north of the river was where the wealthy and powerful people lived.
The buildings in the Barrio de Analco show how architecture changed over many centuries. You can see everything from very simple native adobe construction, like the "Oldest House," to the Spanish Pueblo style, and then the later Territorial style. These buildings tell a story about the different people who lived and worked in Santa Fe throughout its long history.
See also
In Spanish: Barrio de Analco (Nuevo México) para niños
