Anson Stevens-Bollen
Letters to the Editor
Cover, March 9: “Castles, Ruins and Mysteries”
Extra Credit
The story about the second Governor’s Mansion revealed a bit of Santa Fe architectural history I knew nothing about. I started to wonder where precisely that gracious Georgian confection once stood.
Reports of flood damage suggested a location adjacent to the Santa Fe River. The tree shadows in a couple of photographs suggested the mansion faced south.
Sure enough, a 1930 Sanborn fire insurance map from the Library of Congress made note of this structure: due north of the Capitol (now the Bataan Memorial Building), roughly half-way between the Capitol and the river. A north-south line bisecting the Capitol would just about intersect the Governor’s Mansion through it’s front door…The city lost a distinctive landmark when it was demolished. Santa Fe apparently also lost what appears to be a shady park. Only two of the many trees survived on the grounds north of the Capitol, according to a 1954 picture in the current issue of El Palacio. (One of those trees is most likely the one to the left in the Reporter’s cover photograph.)
I can find no record of a major flood that could have damaged the mansion in the 1940s or early 1950s. Perhaps water damage of a different kind than an estuary overflowing its banks brought about the mansion’s demise.
The 20th century cliche, oft repeated, also held true regarding the second New Mexico Governor’s Mansion: The demolition site eventually became a place to park cars.
John Wagner, Santa Fe
Food, March 16: “Guadalupe Magic”
Agree
An entertaining and informative review.
Gilda Simon via Facebook
