Jemez Historic Site facts for kids

San José de los Jémez Mission and Gíusewa Pueblo Site
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Nave of the San José de los Jémez Mission Church
Location in New Mexico Show map of New Mexico Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	NM 4, Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Area	6 acres (2.4 ha)
Built	1621 (1621)
Architect	Fr. Gerónimo Zárate Salmerón
Architectural style	Pueblo
NRHP reference No.	73001147
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	March 14, 1973
Designated NHL	October 16, 2012

The Jemez Historic Site is a special place in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. It protects the old ruins of a Native American village called Gíusewa Pueblo. It also protects the San José de los Jémez mission church, built by the Spanish.

This site is very important. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In 2012, it became a National Historic Landmark. The site is considered an ancestral home for the Jémez Pueblo people who live nearby today.

Exploring the Jemez Historic Site

The Jemez Historic Site is found north of Jemez Springs. It sits in the beautiful Jemez River valley. The site covers about 6 acres (2.4 hectares) of land.

The Mission Church Ruins

The main part of the site is the old Spanish mission church. Its remaining walls are about 110 feet (34 meters) long. This makes it one of the biggest mission churches from the 1600s in New Mexico.

The church walls are mostly made of limestone. Some parts also use sandstone and volcanic rock. The walls were covered in a traditional mud plaster. Work has been done to protect the walls from weather and falling apart. The walls are very thick, about 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 meters) at the bottom.

Near the church, you can see the foundations of other buildings. One was likely where the priest lived. Another might have been a community building. South of the church is a small open area with a cemetery.

The Ancient Pueblo Village

Next to the mission are the ruins of a medium-sized pueblo. A pueblo is a type of village built by Native Americans. This pueblo likely had about 200 rooms. These rooms were spread across five main sections. It also had two kivas. Kivas are special underground rooms used for ceremonies.

The Gíusewa Pueblo might have looked similar to Taos Pueblo when it was new. Parts of the pueblo have been dug up and are open for visitors to see. Other parts have been covered back up to protect them from damage.

A Look Back in Time: History of the Site

The Gíusewa Pueblo was probably built in the late 1400s. Spanish explorers first wrote about it in 1581.

Building the Mission

A small mission was started next to the pueblo in 1598. But the church you see today was begun in 1621. The church was finished in 1623. However, it was damaged by fire soon after. More work was done on it in 1625-1626.

Spanish priests tried to convert the Jémez people to Christianity. But there wasn't always a priest living at the mission. The Jémez people continued to live in the pueblo. They even built a square kiva inside the mission area.

Abandonment and Rediscovery

The pueblo was left empty in 1680. This happened when the Jémez people joined the Pueblo Revolt. This rebellion pushed the Spanish out of the region until 1692.

Over time, nature took its toll on the buildings. The church roof fell in, and parts of its walls collapsed. Major digging and study of the site began in 1910 and 1922. At that time, work also started to keep the ruins from falling apart more. The state of New Mexico bought the land. It was named a state monument in 1935.

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