Santa Fe, NM

Spanish colonial towns were typically laid out with a central plaza surrounded by buildings, as is the case for Santa Fe Plaza. Known as "the heart of Santa Fe", it's the epicenter for a fusion of cultures: Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and of course Anglo tourists. A myriad of shops and other commercial buildings surround the plaza, and it's the venue for various events throughout the year.
A war memorial obelisk once stood in place of the salmon colored box pictured in the far right photo. It was torn down by protesters (aka vandals) on October 12, 2020.

The Palace of the Governors is a single story adobe building located on the north side of Santa Fe Plaza. Built in 1610, it's the oldest continuously occupied public building in the continental United States. It served as the seat of colonial government for several hundred years. The Palace became home to the Museum of New Mexico in 1909, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960. It has been renovated in the Spanish-Pueblo Revival style to reflect the architectural character of Santa Fe. Native American artisans set up shop under the covered portico running the length of the Palace, trading jewelry and other crafts for tourist dollars.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi was built by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy between 1869 and 1886 and is the seat of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The first church in Santa Fe was a simple abobe structure built in 1610 with the founding of the town. This was replaced in 1630 by a second church that was destroyed in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. La Parroquia was the third church built in 1714-1717 on the site of the first two. Finally, St. Francis Cathedral was built around La Parroquia which was dismantled and removed. A small chapel on the north side of the Cathedral is all that remains of La Parroquia. Saint Francis Cathedral was designed in the Romanesque Revival style featuring round arches separated by Corinthian columns set in truncated square towers. The Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi was officially elevated to a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI on October 4, 2005 and named the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. The basilica is located on Cathedral Place just east of the Plaza.

The Lensic Theater was constructed by Nathan Salmon and E. John Greer and opened on 24 June 1931. The 821 seat theater, designed in pseudo-Moorish Spanish Renaissance style, provided Santa Fe with vaudeville and movie entertainment from the 1930s through the 1960s. Renovation of the Lensic was completed in 2001, and it now serves as a modern venue for the performing arts.

Construction of the Chapel of Our Lady of Light, as Loretto Chapel was first known, began in 1873. Somehow, the chapel was completed without access to the choir loft. A staircase would have taken up too much space in the small chapel - big problem. Legend has it the Sisters of Loretto prayed for guidance to St. Joseph, Patron Saint of Carpenters. Their prayers were answered when an anonymous carpenter appeared and built a spiral staircase using exotic hardwood, simple tools, and wooden pegs, then disappeared without a by your leave or request for payment. The "Miraculous Staircase", as it is now known, has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. I am still kicking myself for not taking any photos of the chapel interior or the "Miraculous Staircase".

San Miguel Church is considered the oldest church in the United States, with construction beginning sometime around 1610. The original adobe walls were built by Tlaxcalan Indians from Mexico under the direction of Franciscan friars. The church was built on top of an earlier Pueblo settlement.