Don Gaspar Historic District

The Don Gaspar Historic District is a historic district in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The listing included 278 contributing buildings.^[1]

Don Gaspar Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
NM State Register of Cultural Properties
Inn of the Turquoise Bear
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Location	Roughly bounded by Old Santa Fe Trail, Paseo de Peralta, Don Cubero and Houghton, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Coordinates	35°40′42″N 105°56′28″W
Area	103 acres (42 ha)
Built	1882
Architect	Multiple
Architectural style	Bungalow/Craftsman, Pueblo
NRHP reference No.	83001629[1]
NMSRCP No.	891
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 21, 1983
Designated NMSRCP	December 1, 1982

History

The district is primarily residential, and was largely built up in the early-20th century, although it was apparently subdivided in the late 19th century, and at least a few of the buildings date from this earlier period.

The historic district is named for Don Gaspar Ortiz y Alarid, who was a "merchant prince" who traveled on wagon trains between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico. He traveled later to Saint Louis, Missouri for trading. Ortiz y Alarid donated the property around the present location of Don Gaspar Avenue which forms the heart of the Don Gaspar Historic District.^[2] It is unclear how Ortiz y Alarid obtained possession of the land grant property.^[3]

Architecture

The oldest houses are one-story adobe structures.^[4] The district expands south from the State Capitol, and is a segment of the Santa Fe South Capitol area. To the north it is bounded by Paseo de Peralta, and to the east, it is bounded by the Old Santa Fe Trail. The southern boundary is Houghton Street marks the southern boundary, and Don Cubero marks the western boundary.^[2]

The historic district includes a mixture of architectural styles such as Pueblo Revival, California Bungalow, and late-period Victorian homes. Some of the structures are partially constructed from structural tiles manufactured by the inmates of the New Mexico Penitentiary, known locally as "pen tile". The penitentiary was formerly located in the southwestern quadrant of the district. The area is transected by Don Gaspar Avenue and Galisteo Street, both of which run in a north–south direction.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Fe County, New Mexico

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "Don Gaspar Historic District". Voces de Santa Fé. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
3. Ellis, Bruce (1982). "Fraud Without Scandal: The Roque Lovato Grant and Gaspar Ortiz Y Alarid". New Mexico Historical Review. 57 (a). Retrieved November 12, 2023.
4. Ellen Threinen (October 8, 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Don Gaspar Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved June 15, 2019. With accompanying 34 photos from 1982