New Mexico is home to original and authentic community plazas — beginning with prehistoric Native American ceremonial plazas and many distinctive Spanish Colonial era plazas, and evolving into the modern years with American courthouse squares. No other state can boast such a history of town and village squares.
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Albuquerque Old Town Plaza
Central Region: Albuquerque
Constructed 1706. The focal point of community life since it was founded in 1706 by Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdez, the Old Town Plaza district encompasses about ten blocks of historic buildings. On the north side is the San Felipe de Neri Church, the oldest building in the city, which Read more…
Chaves County Courthouse
Southeast Region: Roswell
Constructed 1911. The Chaves County Courthouse was built in 1911, and designed by Isaac H. Rapp of the distinguished Rapp and Rapp architectural firm of Trinidad, Colorado. The Courthouse is one of the most imposing civic buildings in New Mexico, an outstanding example of the monumental civic Beaux-Arts style. Chaves Read more…
Colfax County Courthouse
Northeast Region: Raton
Constructed 1936. The 1936 Art Deco style Colfax County Courthouse is a five-story blond brick building embellished with glazed tile cornices and bas relief metal panels. The larger bas reliefs depict farming, mining, and cattle raising, the main industries of Colfax County. The motifs on the embellishments include cattle brands Read more…
Curry County Courthouse
East Region: Clovis
Constructed 1936. The Curry County Courthouse in Clovis was built in 1936 using WPA funds. 700 N. Main St. Clovis, NM 88101 | (575) 763-6016
Dona Ana County Courthouse
South Region: Las Cruces
Constructed 1937. This 1937, three-story, Spanish-Pueblo Revival style building was partially funded by the Public Works Administration. The courthouse, which is listed on both the state and national historic register, is currently vacant, but there is potential for it to be rehabilitated and repurposed in the future. — Source “Public Read more…
Eddy County Courthouse
Southeast Region: Carlsbad
Constructed 1939. The original courthouse built in 1891, was a Victorian structure built for $21,000 with a steeple and dark colored locally-made brick; later additions were built similarly. When New Deal funds ($185,000) became available in 1939, the architecture of the building was drastically changed to the early Spanish style Read more…
Grant County Courthouse
Southwest Region: Silver City
Constructed 1930. Built in 1930, the Art Deco style courthouse was the first county courthouse to use New Deal funds for decorative murals. Theodore Van Soelen, N.A. painted two murals titled “Chino Mines” and “The Round Up” under the Public Works of Art Project in 1933 and 1934. Van Soelen Read more…
Harding County Courthouse
Northeast Region: Harding County
Constructed 1922. The Harding County Courthouse, in Mosquero, is a handsome Neo-classical building with strong Greek Revival style accents, originally built to serve the county as a school. Named for President Warren G. Harding, Harding County is the least populated of all New Mexico counties, with less than 800 residents. Read more…
La Loma Plaza Historic District
North Region: Taos
Constructed 1870. La Loma Plaza was one of the first settlements in the Taos area, established in the 1870s by settlers of the Don Fernando de Taos land grant. This plaza was built as an enclosure of homes with common walls, creating a defensive style plaza for the inhabitants. Most Read more…
Las Vegas Plaza
North Region: Las Vegas
The Old Town Plaza of Las Vegas was founded by settlers from nearby San Miguel, NM as the Santa Fe Trail gained importance as an international trade route from Missouri to Santa Fe. The Las Vegas plaza is where Gen. Steven W. Kearny and the US Army of the West Read more…