Constructed 1918.
Mabel Ganson Evans Dodge Sterne Luhan, an author and friend of prominent artists and intellectuals, was born in New York in 1879. She was well-known in the New York art scene, holding salons for artists and writers, before moving to Santa Fe in 1917 to join her third husband, painter Maurice Sterne. After moving to Taos, they divorced and Mabel bought land adjoining the Taos Reservation in 1918. She began to remodel and expand the small buildings, blending Pueblo, Spanish Colonial, and Tuscan styles together. The project was finished in 1922. During construction, she met her next husband, Tony Luhan of Taos Pueblo, who was the construction foreman of the project. She later built five more houses on the property and this complex became a mecca for artists and writers, including D.H. Lawrence and Willa Cather. She was a woman of profound contradictions. She was generous. She was petty. Domineering and endearing. She was Mabel Gansen Evans Dodge Sterne Luhan salon hostess, art patroness, writer and self-appointed savior of humanity.
Today as you approach the house of Mabel Dodge Luhan, it’s easy to see why some of the greatest minds of the 20th century were inspired here. Situated at the end of a quiet road not far from the center of town, the house appears much as it did in the days when Mabel admired her views of the sacred Taos Mountain from the third-story solarium. One can only imagine the tantalizing conversations that must have taken place within these walls. After all, Georgia O’Keeffe stayed here. So did D.H. Lawrence, Ansel Adams, Martha Graham and Carl Jung, among many other notables. As an historic inn and conference center which offers retreat-style meetings and artistic, literary, and personal growth workshops, the Mabel Dodge Luhan House continues to build on its 80-year history of personal, intellectual and artistic ferment. As a guest of the house expect to enjoy warm adobe charm, early century elegance, historic relevance. Herringbone vigas, traditional arched doorways, kiva fireplaces, and carved pillars. A welcoming hearth and relaxed ambiance. Panoramic view. Quiet patios and a tree-lined acequia. A full gourmet breakfast will start each day of your stay with us.
240 Morada Lane Taos, NM 87571 | 575-751-9686
Photo by Elmo Baca.
