The Hacienda de
los Martinez is one of the few northern New Mexico style, late Spanish
Colonial period, "Great Houses" remaining in the American Southwest.
Built in 1804 by Severino Martin (later changed to Martinez), this
fortress-like building with massive adobe walls became an important
trade center for the northern boundary of the Spanish Empire. The
Hacienda was the final terminus for the Camino Real which connected
northern New Mexico to Mexico City. The Hacienda also was the
headquarters for an extensive ranching and farming operation.
Severino and his
wife Maria del Carmel Santistevan Martinez raised six children in the
Hacienda. Their eldest son was the famous Padre Antonio Martinez who
battled the French Bishop Lamy to preserve the Hispanic character of
the Catholic Church in the territory. The Padre was a dynamic social
reformer who created the first co-educational school in New Mexico and
brought the first printing press to Taos.
After Mexican
Independence from Spain in 1821, Severino Martinez and his family
became active in trading with the Americans who were bringing badly
needed trade goods in by the Santa Fe Trail.
Today the
Hacienda's twenty-one rooms surrounding two courtyards provide the
visitor with a rare glimpse of the rugged frontier life and times of
the early 1800s. Additionally, regularly scheduled demonstrations
present the continuing traditions of northern New Mexico.
