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The Lincoln Historic Site is made up of 17 buildings in the unincorporated town of Lincoln, New Mexico. This entry focuses on several of those buildings.
All of the buildings belonging to the Lincoln Historic Site sit along Calle La Placita, the street running through town. To keep things organized, I’ll start at the Anderson-Freeman Visitor Center and Museum and work my way west along the north side of the street, then cross to the south side and head back east. This entry does not include the Old Lincoln County Courthouse.
Luna-Chavez House
Just in front of the Anderson-Freeman Visitor Center is the Luna-Chavez House. It was built before 1868 and was originally two separate houses. It’s a single story adobe house with no hallways. For a good portion of its history, the Luna family lived on the east side while the Chavez family lived on the west side.
Torreón
Next is the Torreón. It’s a circular stone fortification built by the area’s first Hispanic settlers in the 1840s or 1850s. It has an open-roofed second story and was used as a lookout as well as for protection from raiding Apaches. The Torreón probably once sat in the center of a plaza. The Murphy-Dolan faction held it during the Five Day Battle of the Lincoln County War in 1878.
Tunstall Store
Further along the street is the Tunstall Store. It was built by English merchant John Tunstall (1853-1878) in 1878 using part of a building dating back to the 1850s. The building also contained a bank, Tunstall’s living quarters, and a law office for his business partner Alexander McSween (1837-1878).
The Tunstall Store was the focal point of the Lincoln County War, which began when Tunstall and McSween came into direct competition with Jimmy Dolan (1848-1898) and Lawrence Murphy (1831-1878) in the dry goods business. Tunstall and McSween were both killed and are buried near the store. There’s a space under the floorboards where one of the Regulators, perhaps Billy the Kid (1859-1881), hid while wounded after the murder of Sheriff Willam Brady (1829-1878).
After 1878, the store went through several different owners including James Dolan. In 1914, John Penfield purchased it and ran it until his death in 1938. His family continued the business until 1957, when they sold it to the State of New Mexico.
Today, the Tunstall Store contains original 19th century shelving and cases stocked with original 19th century merchandise. Unfortunately, it was closed for the season when I walked by and I was unable to enter.
Dr. Watson House
Continuing west is the Dr. Watson House. It was built before 1886 but has no real historical value other than fitting in architecturally with the rest of the town of Lincoln. Dr. Thomas Watson was originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, and bought the house with his wife Virginia in 1903. They lived in the east rooms and had a pharmacy in the west rooms.
The Watsons moved to Carrizozo in 1914 and sold the house to Dr. John Neal and his wife Pearl in 1920. Watson’s neighbor, Dr. Earl Woods, ran the pharmacy for Dr. Neal and himself until 1922.
Dr. Woods Annex
Next is the Dr. Woods Annex, which was originally built in the 1880s as a furniture store. From 1889 to 1891, it was probably used as a newspaper office and printing press, and from 1892 to 1894 as a boarding house. Its function was unknown from 1894 to 1920, except for a short period as a saddle shop. During the early 1920s, it was used as a movie house. In 1926, Dr. Earl Woods converted the building into a winery and later a soap factory. From the 1930s to 1960s, it was used once again as a boarding house, and was acquired by the Lincoln County Heritage Trust in 1977.
Dr. Woods House
The annex sits adjacent to the Dr. Woods House. It was originally built by Lincoln County Sheriff and stonemason George Peppin (1841-1904) for George and Mary Danner around 1882. The house went through several owners until Dr. Woods and his wife Mary June purchased it in 1925. It was closed during my visit but is typically open on weekends from April through October.
Wortley Hotel
The final historic building on the north side of the street is the Wortley Hotel. It was once owned by Sheriff Pat Garrett (1850-1908) and still operates as a hotel. The building was occupied by the Murphy-Dolan faction during the Five Day Battle.
On April 28, 1881, US Marshall Bob Olinger (1850-1881) was having dinner at the hotel with five prisoners from the Lincoln County Jail at the Old Lincoln County Courthouse across the street when he heard the gunfire coming from the courthouse. He ran to the courthouse where Billy the Kid shot him dead along with Deputy James Bell from the second story window. It was the last time Billy the Kid escaped from the Lincoln County Jail.
Old Lincoln Church
Heading back east on the south side of the street is the Old Lincoln Church. It’s no longer used.
Dolan House
Across from the Tunstall Store is the Dolan House. It was built between 1883 and 1884 by George Peppin and Elijah Dow for Jimmy Dolan. The house had six rooms and an entryway, and Dolan had 20,000 adobe bricks made for its construction.
During the 1920s and 1930s, it served as a hotel, the Bonito Inn. In the 1950s, the house was expanded to 13 rooms. It was purchased and restored as close as possible to its original look in 2007.
San Juan Mission
Across from the Torreón is the San Juan Mission. This Catholic church was built between 1885 and 1887 by parishioners led by Father John Marie Garnier. It was sold to the State of New Mexico in 1973 in order to prevent it from deteriorating and opened to the public in 1984.
Behind the church was where the secret meeting between Billy the Kid and Governor Lew Wallace (1827-1905) took place. Wallace offered to pardon the Kid for the murder of Sheriff Brady in exchange for his testimony against Jimmy Dolan.
Convento
Next is the Convento, which was built before 1868 as a saloon, dance hall, and community center. From 1869 to December 1880, Lincoln County paid US$50 rent to use the building as the county courthouse twice a year for two weeks. Sheriff Brady was headed there when he was shot dead on April 1, 1878.
The Roman Catholic Church purchased the building in 1885 and briefly used it as a parish church until the San Juan Mission was completed in 1887. It was also used as a priest’s residence. By World War II, the building was no longer used. It was purchased by the state in 1962 and restoration began in 1964.
The Convento is open to the public. It contains interpretive panels featuring historic photographs and the history of the building.
Montaño Store
The final building on the south side of the street is the Montaño Store. It was built before 1868 and served as a boarding house and store for at least 30 years after the end of the Civil War. It was operated by José Montaño and his wife Josefa, who supported the Tunstall-McSween faction. Governor Lew Wallace stayed at there for several weeks while trying to set up a secret meeting with Billy the Kid.
The Montaño Store became state property in 1966. It’s open to the public with exhibits on the Hispanic settlement of the town of Lincoln as well as the construction of adobe buildings.
