Constructed 1951. The Cavern Theater was built in 1951 in downtown Carlsbad, New Mexico at 210 North Canyon Street, just one block north of the Eddy County courthouse square and in the heart of the downtown commercial district. The theater was designed in the International Style, a form of modernism Read more…
Constructed 1902 The depot at Carlsbad, NM started out as a traditional brick structure that was later extended and extensively rebuilt into a stucco structure with a more “southwestern” appearance. An as-built photo of the 1904 brick depot on page 184 of Robert Pounds’ Santa Fe Depots – The Western Read more…
According to the City of Carlsbad the Carlsbad Museum and Art Center was founded in 1931 and fulfills its mission as a cultural and educational institution through the collection, preservation, exhibition and interpretation of artifacts, documents and works of art relating to prehistory, history and aesthetic environment of the City Read more…
Constructed 1892. Located along the banks of the Pecos River, Carlsbad was originally christened the Town of Eddy on September 15, 1888 and organized as a municipality in 1893. With the improvement of the mineral springs north of town, and their valuable medicinal qualities, the town changed the name to Read more…
Constructed 2013. Commissioned by Prudential Insurance in 1952 and painted by Peter Hurd, this striking mural was painted directly onto a 15’x 47′ plaster wall and weighs 58,000 pounds. The wall was rescued from a building in Houston before its demolition and transported to Midland, Texas where it was housed Read more…
Constructed 1939. The Old City Hall was built with WPA funds in 1939. It is currently being used as an office building and is managed by Artesia MainStreet. As WPA (Works Progress Administration, a depression-era program) building project, it brought several City departments together under the same roof, including the Read more…
Constructed 1935. The Ocotillo Theater was built in 1935 by theater owner and developer C.W. Bartlett and his son Ray, who built and operated several historic theaters in Artesia. The Ocotillo was converted to a popular cafeteria in the 1950s. The Artesia Arts Council acquired the Ocotillo in 2001 and Read more…
Constructed 1947. In 1947, a first-class, state-of-the-art movie theater, Land of the Sun, opened in Artesia. It was operated by the Gilchrist family until 1975. Eventually it came into ownership by Carmike Cinemas, and by the late 1990s, the theater had become rundown, inside and out. Artesia MainStreet and Carmike Read more…
Constructed 2008. The new Hotel Artesia was inspired by the Historic Hotel Artesia, which was a several story building located just a couple blocks away, but demolished over 40 years ago. The current Hotel Artesia was designed by architect Richard Yates inspired by the region’s tradition of outstanding mid-century modernism Read more…
Constructed 2007. Several monuments are located in the Artesia MainStreet District that celebrate the history of the community. The monumental sculptures that comprise the History in Bronze public art project, depict scenes from the cattle drive era to the later discovery of oil in the area. The monuments include: The Read more…