Lamy Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Michael's Dormitory
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Main entrance, 2009
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 Location in New Mexico
Location in the United States
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| Location | 413 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico |
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| Built | 1878 |
| Architectural style | Territorial |
| Part of | Barrio De Analco Historic District (ID68000032) |
| Designated CP | November 24, 1968 |
The Lamy Building, also known as St. Michael's Dormitory, is a very old and important building in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was built in 1878. This building was once the main part of St. Michael's College. This college later became St. Michael's High School and the College of Santa Fe.
Today, the Lamy Building is part of the Barrio De Analco Historic District. This means it is a special building that helps show the history of the area. It is now the main office for the New Mexico Tourism Department. This department helps people learn about visiting New Mexico.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Lamy Building
The story of St. Michael's College began with Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy. He arrived in New Mexico in 1851. At that time, there were no formal schools in the area. Archbishop Lamy wanted to change this.
First, he helped open the Loretto Academy for girls in 1852. Then, he asked the De La Salle Christian Brothers to start a school for boys. St. Michael's College held its first classes in the fall of 1859.
Growing the College
In the 1870s, Brother Botulph became the new leader of the school. Under his guidance, St. Michael's grew a lot. It started offering high school diplomas. Later, it even offered special certificates for people who wanted to become teachers.
In 1874, the government of the New Mexico Territory gave the college a special permission called a charter. This made St. Michael's the oldest chartered college in New Mexico. Over time, the college stopped offering university-level courses. It continued to operate as St. Michael's High School. A new St. Michael's College was later started on a different campus in 1947.
Building the Lamy Dormitory
In 1877, Brother Botulph started raising money for a new school building. People gave many things, not just money. They donated sheep, goats, and cattle, along with cash and building materials. Work on the new building began in April 1878. It was ready for students by November of the same year.
The first two floors of the building were made from adobe. Adobe is a natural building material made from earth and organic materials. The third floor was made of wood. This was done to make the building lighter.
Changes Over Time
In 1926, a fire sadly destroyed the wooden top floor. This made the building shorter, bringing it to its current two-story height. After the fire, the building was still used as a dormitory for students. However, St. Michael's moved to a new campus in 1966.
The state of New Mexico bought the building. It was then renamed the Lamy Building, honoring Archbishop Lamy. Today, it is home to the New Mexico Tourism Department. In the 1950s, the building was updated in the Territorial Revival style. This included adding brick details and a small bell tower on the roof. The building was recognized as a historic place in 1968. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Building Style: Architecture of the Lamy Building
The Lamy Building is a two-story building made of adobe. It is about 160 feet (49 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. It has a special covered porch called a portal or veranda. This porch wraps around the north and east sides of the building. It is built in the Territorial Style.
The original third floor, which was made of wood, had a mansard roof. This type of roof has slopes on all four sides. It also had windows that stuck out from the roof, called dormer windows. There was also a special roof shape above the main entrance called a gambrel-roofed cross-gable. A tall tower also stood on top.
After the fire in 1926, the building was rebuilt with a flat roof. The brick details and the small bell tower you see today were added during the updates in the 1950s.
