Los Luceros Hacienda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Los Luceros Hacienda
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 Location in New Mexico
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| Nearest city | Los Luceros, New Mexico |
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| Area | 9.9 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1350 ?? |
| Architectural style | Territorial Style, Greek Revival, Mission/spanish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83004157 |
| Added to NRHP | October 20, 1983 |
Los Luceros Hacienda is a very old and important place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. It is located near the village of Los Luceros, New Mexico, close to the Rio Grande river. This historic ranch was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 because of its special history and buildings.
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Los Luceros Hacienda: A Historic New Mexico Ranch
Los Luceros Hacienda is one of the best-preserved old ranches in northern New Mexico. A hacienda is a large estate or ranch, often with a main house and other buildings. This property includes several historic buildings. These include a large, two-story house, a smaller cottage, a chapel, and a guesthouse. There is also an old building that people say was once used as a jail.
The Unique Architecture of Los Luceros
The buildings at Los Luceros are made from adobe bricks. Adobe is a natural building material made from earth, water, and straw. The style of these buildings is called Territorial Style. This style became popular in New Mexico in the second half of the 1800s. It mixes local building methods with ideas from other styles.
Blending Old and New Styles
The main ranch house at Los Luceros shows the Greek Revival style. This style uses ideas from ancient Greek buildings. However, its thick adobe walls might be part of an even older Spanish ranch house. That older house was built on the ruins of a very ancient Native American village.
The original Spanish ranch was like a fortress. It had strong adobe walls that connected the living areas, storage rooms, and stables all together. Only the chapel was a separate building back then. In the 1920s, some parts of the ranch house, the "jail," and the guesthouse were updated. They were remodeled in the Spanish/Colonial-Pueblo Revival Style.
A Long History at Los Luceros
The land where Los Luceros Hacienda stands has been important for a very long time. Some parts of the site might even date back to around 1350! This means people have lived and worked here for hundreds of years.
The ranch is located in a beautiful area with cottonwood trees, right by the Rio Grande. Just like today, the old rancho had a large apple orchard.
Why Los Luceros is Special
Los Luceros Hacienda is considered very important because it is a great example of New Mexico's Territorial Period architecture. The main ranch house is one of only two buildings in New Mexico that show the Greek Revival style with a two-level porch. The other adobe buildings, like the chapel and the cottage, also show different types of Territorial Period styles.
The main house is even believed to have been the courthouse for Rio Arriba County, New Mexico at one time.
Other Names for the Ranch
Los Luceros Hacienda is also known by another name: Morning Star Ranch.
Images for kids
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The apple orchard at the historic Los Luceros property
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Looking out over the pasture
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The Rio Grande bordering the western side property
