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10-16-2006, 08:32 PM
Taylor-Barela-Reynolds-Mesilla State Monument Dedicated
<table><tbody><tr><td>Mesilla, NM — On September 14, 2006 several hundred citizens, and dignitaries gathered in the hot sun on Mesilla’s Historic Plaza to celebrate and dedicate the new Taylor-Barela-Reynolds-Mesilla State Monument which has been given to the state by State Representative John Taylor and his wife and family. This historic 150 year old adobe home has existed on and near the Mesilla Plaza since the 1860’s and now the building and all of its properties, art, and furnishings have been generously donated by the Taylor Family as the New Mexico’s newest State Monument.
Steppin Out was invited to attend this special dedication and got a rare chance to see the new monument that day. We have created a special gallery of the photos we shot during the dedication and the tour that followed. You can view our Taylor State Monument image gallery here (http://sonewmex.com/pp-514/showgallery.php/cat/584).
The history of the Mesilla valley in southern New Mexico will be at the center of the new monument. One hundred and fifty years ago Mesilla was the major stop for those traveling between San Antonio and San Diego and Chihuahua, Mexico and Santa Fe. It hasn’t changed much over the years, allowing visitors to see what an 1800s border town looked like. Originally a part of Mexico, the village became part of the United States with the signing of the Gadsden Purchase in 1854.
Known historically as the Barela-Reynolds Properties, the Taylor donation is the newest addition to the State Monument system. The properties were constructed in the late 1850s and listed on the State Register of Historic Places in 1970. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. In 1958, the Mesilla Plaza itself was designated as a State Monument and it remains on the system’s list today.
At least some portions of the current Taylor home and attached retail buildings existed as early as the 1860s when Rafaela Barela lived there with her son, Sheriff Mariano Barela. She had a store where the northernmost of the two existing stores now stands. The home itself is flanked on either side by two retail stores that actually sit on the plaza. The only evidence of the large home that sits mostly behind the two stores is the entry door on the plaza. This door opens onto a long hallway/foyer which provides access to the remainder of the historic home. Apparently, the property at that time was relatively plain, typical of utilitarian adobe buildings of the period. William Charles Reynolds, who “upgraded” the house in 1903 with architectural elements popular at the time, later owned the property. He also constructed the store with the stamped metal façade.
In 1913, Father Juan Grange, pastor of San Albino Catholic Church, acquired the property. He used it as his rectory. His housekeeper, Perla Aladib, inherited the property from Father Grange in 1937. To supplement her income, she divided the property into several apartments.
The Taylor’s purchased the property in 1953. Since then the building and grounds have undergone substantial rehabilitation and conservation work, including the additional of several rooms to accommodate the Taylor’s growing family. Yet despite all that growth and the changes over the years, the historic home still retains much of it’s authentic historic character with seemingly ancient vegas throughout and a ceiling in the large family room near the back of the residence that seems to consist of sticks, leaves (and historically, dirt) laid over top of the old vegas. The ceiling of that room takes one back more than a century to the days before metal roofs and plaster became part of New Mexican houses as we know them today.
In 1982, under grants from the National Register of Historic Places and the State Historic Preservation Office, and a subsequent Grant from the State Historic Preservation Office with matching funds from the Taylor’s, a major conservation project was undertaken on the building.
In recent months State Monuments have completed additional maintenance and repair work on the buildings, including roofing, fire prevention and updated security systems.
In his October 2004 Architectural Assessment Report: J. Paul Taylor Residence David G. Battle of Southwest Preservation Services wrote: “The donation of this property is an important contribution to the preservation of the history of south-central New Mexico, especially as it pertains to the 19th century border disputes between the United States and Mexico.”
The Taylor collection includes furniture, rugs, pottery and textiles, and an extensive collection of Spanish colonial, Mexican and New Mexican artwork, as well as religious art—bultos, retablos, and 50 nacimientos. Folk art, old church vestments plus Spanish colonial and contemporary retablos and ancestral portraits are included in the collection.
Taylor began collecting art when his aunt gave him a Maricopa pot when he was 5 years old. His father also bought him a black-on-white pot by famed San Ildefonso Artist María Martinez. Now, after decades of furnishing a home for a growing family and collecting, the couple has gathered an extensive art collection that will be preserved for the public to view and enjoy.
Rep. Taylor’s family roots go back to colonial times in the state. Born in Chamberino, in Southern NM, his father, William Robert Taylor, was a Texas native whose family owned a dairy in El Paso. His mother, María Margarita Romero, traced her ancestry to Juan Vaca (now spelled Baca), a soldier with Coronado, Cristobál Vaca, a colonist with the second Oñate expedition, and two territorial governors: Juan Paz Hurtado and Bernardo Bustamante y Tagle. Her father was a delegate to Congress in 1877 and is one of the founders of the Republican party in New Mexico. Through her, Taylor is related to many distinguished families in Northern NM. His great-grandfather was José Miguel Romero y Baca, a merchant, rancher and probate judge who founded Romero Merchantile in Las Vegas, NM, with his sons in 1878. He was the mayor of Las Vegas and furnished horses and supplies to the northern army during the Civil War. His home was on the same side of the Plaza as the hotel. It was from this rooftop that Stephen Watts Kearny proclaimed NM part of the United States. The mayor was also the founder of the New Mexico Republican Party. Taylor’s parents lived on a farm in Chamberino for 56 years. They worked for rural electrification and installation of the natural gas line in the Upper Valley and for improved education in Doña Ana County and Gadsden Independent Schools.
That legacy of enhancing the quality of life for all New Mexicans has continued during the representative’s 20 years in office. During his first term Representative Taylor created the Office of Child Development. Later, he joined in sponsoring legislation to create the Children, Youth and Families Department. The legacy continues through the Taylor’s 7 children, all of whom have developed careers in education, wildlife, or historic preservation: Robert Milton, a retired special-education teacher; Mary Dolores, a respirator-therapist technician; Michael Romero, an archaeologist and historic preservationist; Mary Helen Catherine, a retired elementary-school teacher and mid-school and gifted facilitator; John Paul, Jr., a wildlife specialist; Albert Patrick, a program director for Cornerstones and an adobe specialist; and Rosemary Marguerite, a home-schooling mother and voice performance graduate.
Mary Helen Daniels Taylor, a native of El Paso, Texas, also grew up within a few blocks of the border, which had a profound influence on her future work as a highly respected scholar of border studies. She is the author of A Place As Wild as the West Ever Was: A History of Mesilla, New Mexico, 1848-1872 (State University Museum Press, 2004. Her 40-years of original research in Mexican archives discovering unknown information on the Mesilla Valley and New Mexico has garnered her several awards including the Heritage Preservation Award “In recognition of lifetime achievement in historical research and historic preservation”, from the New Mexico Historical Preservation Division; the Hall of Fame award, Doña Ana County Historical Society; and the Governor’s Award of Honor for Historical Preservation presented to Mary and J. Paul Taylor. Her original research has also led to rewriting the history of the Mesilla area.
“This historic home and its collection of important Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and New Mexican folk art are very generous gifts to the people of New Mexico,” said Stuart Ashman, Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. “The home and art collection will also provide visitors with a unique glimpse into the life of an important New Mexico family.”
Although an official State Monument, Mr. & Mrs. Taylor have reserved a life-estate that permits them to continue to occupy the property for the duration of their lives.
For more information about The Taylor-Barela-Reynolds-Mesilla State Monument please visit www.nmmonuments.org (http://www.nmmonuments.org/).
New Mexico State Monuments is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. The State Monuments, now celebrating its 75th Anniversary, present a capsulated chronology of the state’s history that dates back to the 13th century.</td><td valign="top" width="148"><center>http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3296_web_tn.jpg (http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3296_web.jpg)
John & Mrs Taylor at dedication
http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3330_web_tn.jpg (http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3330_web.jpg)
John Taylor speaking at dedication
http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3385_web_tn.jpg (http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3385_web.jpg)
Art in Taylor Monument
http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3388_web_tn.jpg (http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3388_web.jpg)
More Art in Taylor Monument</center></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><tbody><tr><td>Mesilla, NM — On September 14, 2006 several hundred citizens, and dignitaries gathered in the hot sun on Mesilla’s Historic Plaza to celebrate and dedicate the new Taylor-Barela-Reynolds-Mesilla State Monument which has been given to the state by State Representative John Taylor and his wife and family. This historic 150 year old adobe home has existed on and near the Mesilla Plaza since the 1860’s and now the building and all of its properties, art, and furnishings have been generously donated by the Taylor Family as the New Mexico’s newest State Monument.
Steppin Out was invited to attend this special dedication and got a rare chance to see the new monument that day. We have created a special gallery of the photos we shot during the dedication and the tour that followed. You can view our Taylor State Monument image gallery here (http://sonewmex.com/pp-514/showgallery.php/cat/584).
The history of the Mesilla valley in southern New Mexico will be at the center of the new monument. One hundred and fifty years ago Mesilla was the major stop for those traveling between San Antonio and San Diego and Chihuahua, Mexico and Santa Fe. It hasn’t changed much over the years, allowing visitors to see what an 1800s border town looked like. Originally a part of Mexico, the village became part of the United States with the signing of the Gadsden Purchase in 1854.
Known historically as the Barela-Reynolds Properties, the Taylor donation is the newest addition to the State Monument system. The properties were constructed in the late 1850s and listed on the State Register of Historic Places in 1970. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. In 1958, the Mesilla Plaza itself was designated as a State Monument and it remains on the system’s list today.
At least some portions of the current Taylor home and attached retail buildings existed as early as the 1860s when Rafaela Barela lived there with her son, Sheriff Mariano Barela. She had a store where the northernmost of the two existing stores now stands. The home itself is flanked on either side by two retail stores that actually sit on the plaza. The only evidence of the large home that sits mostly behind the two stores is the entry door on the plaza. This door opens onto a long hallway/foyer which provides access to the remainder of the historic home. Apparently, the property at that time was relatively plain, typical of utilitarian adobe buildings of the period. William Charles Reynolds, who “upgraded” the house in 1903 with architectural elements popular at the time, later owned the property. He also constructed the store with the stamped metal façade.
In 1913, Father Juan Grange, pastor of San Albino Catholic Church, acquired the property. He used it as his rectory. His housekeeper, Perla Aladib, inherited the property from Father Grange in 1937. To supplement her income, she divided the property into several apartments.
The Taylor’s purchased the property in 1953. Since then the building and grounds have undergone substantial rehabilitation and conservation work, including the additional of several rooms to accommodate the Taylor’s growing family. Yet despite all that growth and the changes over the years, the historic home still retains much of it’s authentic historic character with seemingly ancient vegas throughout and a ceiling in the large family room near the back of the residence that seems to consist of sticks, leaves (and historically, dirt) laid over top of the old vegas. The ceiling of that room takes one back more than a century to the days before metal roofs and plaster became part of New Mexican houses as we know them today.
In 1982, under grants from the National Register of Historic Places and the State Historic Preservation Office, and a subsequent Grant from the State Historic Preservation Office with matching funds from the Taylor’s, a major conservation project was undertaken on the building.
In recent months State Monuments have completed additional maintenance and repair work on the buildings, including roofing, fire prevention and updated security systems.
In his October 2004 Architectural Assessment Report: J. Paul Taylor Residence David G. Battle of Southwest Preservation Services wrote: “The donation of this property is an important contribution to the preservation of the history of south-central New Mexico, especially as it pertains to the 19th century border disputes between the United States and Mexico.”
The Taylor collection includes furniture, rugs, pottery and textiles, and an extensive collection of Spanish colonial, Mexican and New Mexican artwork, as well as religious art—bultos, retablos, and 50 nacimientos. Folk art, old church vestments plus Spanish colonial and contemporary retablos and ancestral portraits are included in the collection.
Taylor began collecting art when his aunt gave him a Maricopa pot when he was 5 years old. His father also bought him a black-on-white pot by famed San Ildefonso Artist María Martinez. Now, after decades of furnishing a home for a growing family and collecting, the couple has gathered an extensive art collection that will be preserved for the public to view and enjoy.
Rep. Taylor’s family roots go back to colonial times in the state. Born in Chamberino, in Southern NM, his father, William Robert Taylor, was a Texas native whose family owned a dairy in El Paso. His mother, María Margarita Romero, traced her ancestry to Juan Vaca (now spelled Baca), a soldier with Coronado, Cristobál Vaca, a colonist with the second Oñate expedition, and two territorial governors: Juan Paz Hurtado and Bernardo Bustamante y Tagle. Her father was a delegate to Congress in 1877 and is one of the founders of the Republican party in New Mexico. Through her, Taylor is related to many distinguished families in Northern NM. His great-grandfather was José Miguel Romero y Baca, a merchant, rancher and probate judge who founded Romero Merchantile in Las Vegas, NM, with his sons in 1878. He was the mayor of Las Vegas and furnished horses and supplies to the northern army during the Civil War. His home was on the same side of the Plaza as the hotel. It was from this rooftop that Stephen Watts Kearny proclaimed NM part of the United States. The mayor was also the founder of the New Mexico Republican Party. Taylor’s parents lived on a farm in Chamberino for 56 years. They worked for rural electrification and installation of the natural gas line in the Upper Valley and for improved education in Doña Ana County and Gadsden Independent Schools.
That legacy of enhancing the quality of life for all New Mexicans has continued during the representative’s 20 years in office. During his first term Representative Taylor created the Office of Child Development. Later, he joined in sponsoring legislation to create the Children, Youth and Families Department. The legacy continues through the Taylor’s 7 children, all of whom have developed careers in education, wildlife, or historic preservation: Robert Milton, a retired special-education teacher; Mary Dolores, a respirator-therapist technician; Michael Romero, an archaeologist and historic preservationist; Mary Helen Catherine, a retired elementary-school teacher and mid-school and gifted facilitator; John Paul, Jr., a wildlife specialist; Albert Patrick, a program director for Cornerstones and an adobe specialist; and Rosemary Marguerite, a home-schooling mother and voice performance graduate.
Mary Helen Daniels Taylor, a native of El Paso, Texas, also grew up within a few blocks of the border, which had a profound influence on her future work as a highly respected scholar of border studies. She is the author of A Place As Wild as the West Ever Was: A History of Mesilla, New Mexico, 1848-1872 (State University Museum Press, 2004. Her 40-years of original research in Mexican archives discovering unknown information on the Mesilla Valley and New Mexico has garnered her several awards including the Heritage Preservation Award “In recognition of lifetime achievement in historical research and historic preservation”, from the New Mexico Historical Preservation Division; the Hall of Fame award, Doña Ana County Historical Society; and the Governor’s Award of Honor for Historical Preservation presented to Mary and J. Paul Taylor. Her original research has also led to rewriting the history of the Mesilla area.
“This historic home and its collection of important Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and New Mexican folk art are very generous gifts to the people of New Mexico,” said Stuart Ashman, Cabinet Secretary, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. “The home and art collection will also provide visitors with a unique glimpse into the life of an important New Mexico family.”
Although an official State Monument, Mr. & Mrs. Taylor have reserved a life-estate that permits them to continue to occupy the property for the duration of their lives.
For more information about The Taylor-Barela-Reynolds-Mesilla State Monument please visit www.nmmonuments.org (http://www.nmmonuments.org/).
New Mexico State Monuments is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. The State Monuments, now celebrating its 75th Anniversary, present a capsulated chronology of the state’s history that dates back to the 13th century.</td><td valign="top" width="148"><center>http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3296_web_tn.jpg (http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3296_web.jpg)
John & Mrs Taylor at dedication
http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3330_web_tn.jpg (http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3330_web.jpg)
John Taylor speaking at dedication
http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3385_web_tn.jpg (http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3385_web.jpg)
Art in Taylor Monument
http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3388_web_tn.jpg (http://sonewmex.com/images/IMG_3388_web.jpg)
More Art in Taylor Monument</center></td></tr></tbody></table>