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Barrio de Analco is a historic neighborhood in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It sits south of the heart of downtown Santa Fe.
History
Barrio de Analco was settled in 1620, shortly after the foundation of Santa Fe in 1610. It’s one of the oldest residential neighborhoods of European origin in the United States. It suffered major destruction during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and was rebuilt by Spanish colonists in 1692. The neighborhood was made up of working-class Spanish colonists as well as Native Americans and Mexicans.
Today, Barrio de Analco is a National Historic Landmark District made up of seven buildings along East De Vargas Street. The architecture is a mix of Spanish Colonial and Territorial styles, and the buildings are made of adobe.
Oldest House Museum
We spent a short time in Barrio de Analco and visited just a few of the buildings. First, we stopped into the Oldest House Museum. The construction date is unknown, but the owners claim it was built around 1647. It may sit on foundations of the old Analco Pueblo, which dates back to the 13th century and was still standing when Spanish colonists arrived in the area.
Entrance to the house is through the gift shop, which was constructed in the late 19th century. Admission is free (as of May 2023).
The Oldest House consists of two stories. The first story is original and contains vigas (wooden beams in the ceiling) dating back to the mid-18th century. The second story was reconstructed in the 1920s and is closed to visitors.
San Miguel Chapel
Across the street is the San Miguel Chapel, which is covered in another entry. It’s often referred to as the oldest continuously used church in the United States. The original church was built in 1610 by Tlaxcalans accompanying Spanish settlers from Mexico, under the direction of the Franciscans. It was rebuilt twice, in the late 17th century and again in 1710. Mass is still offered every Sunday.
St. Michael’s Dormitory
Just south of the San Miguel Chapel is St. Michael’s Dormitory, which is also known as the Lamy Building. It was built in 1878 as the main building of St. Michael’s College, the predecessor of St. Michael’s High School and the College of Santa Fe (later the Santa Fe University of Art and Design). St. Michael’s College was established by Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy (1814-1888) of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. It held its first classes in the fall of 1859.
In 1877, the leader of the school, Brother Botulph, raised funds to build a new building. Construction started in April 1878 and it was completed by November of that year. It had three stories, with the lower two made of adobe and the third floor made of wood. The third floor was destroyed by fire in 1926, reducing the building to its current height of two stories. It continued to be used as a dormitory until 1966, when the school moved to a new campus.
The State of New Mexico purchased the building and renamed it the Lamy Building after Archbishop Lamy. It now houses the New Mexico Tourism Department.
New Mexico State Capitol
Finally, although not part of the Barrio de Analco Historic District, is the nearby New Mexico State Capitol. Unofficially known as the Roundhouse, it was dedicated on December 8, 1966. It’s the only circular state capitol building in the United States.
The building was designed to resemble the Zia sun symbol when viewed from above. It has four levels, and stone carvings of the Seal of New Mexico sit above each entrance.
Visitors can take a free self-guided tour of the building Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm or Saturdays from Memorial Day through August 9am to 5pm (as of May 2023). They can admire the rotunda and also the galleries overlooking the House and Senate chambers. Guided tours are by appointment only. Unfortunately, we visited Santa Fe on a weekend and the building was closed.
We did, however, get a chance to walk around the grounds. A 6 ½ acre garden surrounds the capitol building containing over 100 varieties of plants and trees. There are also statues and other works of art scattering the grounds.
