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Stonewall, CO |
| This is a portfolio of Churches, Moradas and other community buildings along the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. They cover an area from Santa Fe, New Mexico in the south to Saguache, Colorado in the north.
These churches and buildings were an important part of the settlement of “New Spain” as the Spanish moved northward out of Mexico into what we now call New Mexico and Colorado and established small farming and ranching villages.This portfolio not only documents the architecture and different styles of building methods, but is also a tribute to the strength, perserverance and dignity of the people taking part in the endeavor of settling the New World.
As the rural life becomes more and more difficult, the small communities have been abandoned over the years and some of these churches and buildings have fallen into disrepair or disuse. Others are being sold or torn down to clear sites for other buildings and uses.
Some of these however, are still cared for by local people and used occasionally for services and community meetings. It may be only for the church's feast day or an occasional weding or a funeral, but this is still an important part of the glue holding these communities together. |