A Walk Around Mesilla

We must have made about half a dozen trips between Phoenix and San Antonio or between Albuquerque and San Antonio over the past five years.

One of our overnight stops is in Las Cruces, NM. On this current cross-Southwest trip, we stayed for a couple of days. Here was another chance to spend a little time in Mesilla, the historic part of the city.

Basilica of San Albino, originally built of adobe in 1855, rebuilt to its present structure in 1906

After past visits to this historic section, we have written about the role of Mesilla in the history of the Southwest--from the Gadsden Purchase, to the Civil War, to the Butterfield Stage Coach Trail, to the trial of Billy the Kid, to being a lively social center in the 1880s.

So, on this visit, I just walked around the square and some nearby blocks to photograph the structures and activity of the area--and anything that caught my eye.

“Many of Mesilla's population of nearly 2,200 residents are direct descendents of Mesilla's early settlers…(and) have retained many of the ‘hearty folk’ qualities of the original founders.

Scenes (above and below) from the early set-up of the semi-weekly Farmers and Crafts Market on the Square

“Mesilla has a rich and diverse heritage with the integration of Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American cultures. Perhaps the greatest import of the past history is the physical character of the community itself. The traditional adobe structures and architectural features modified through time because of style and technology still remain as a reminder of the long and significant history of the town” (oldmesilla.org/html/history_of_mesilla).

"In 1881, the railroad bypassed Mesilla in favor of Las Cruces, four miles to the northeast. With this event, the county seat was moved to Las Cruces and Mesilla's importance was soon dimmed by its neighbor. As a result, Mesilla has experienced little growth until recently, and so, has retained much of its original nineteenth century character.

"Citizens of Mesilla, wanting to retain the character of the original town, enacted a historic zoning ordinance to promote the preservation of this lovely old town" (oldmesilla.org).