Our Lady of Purification Catholic Church - Doña Ana, NM - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"Our Lady of Purification Church is the oldest example of an adobe vernacular church in southern New Mexico. The ornamentation and detail of the structure is simple, reflecting the modest resources of the congregation that built it in the middle of the 19th century. The building is of a cruciform floor plan with thick walls made of adobe brick molded by the parishioners and carried up to the site from the valley land below. Until the 1920's, when it was covered with tongue and groove hardwood, the floor was of dirt which often had to be wetted to keep the dust down. As shown by the oldest available photograph (see enclosed) of the church taken around 1910, it was built with a flat roof using the traditional viga (beam) and latilla (small poles laid across the vigas) ceiling, and sealed with packed mud that would routinely have to be maintained. This stark, massive structure of earth had a plain twin-leafed entrance with a small window above it. The windows along the church walls are the 6 over 6 double hung wood type. It was probably around the turn of the century that a small wood-louvered bell tower was built above the entrance. The church faces south onto an open dirt plaza which now serves as parking. A garden bordering the east side of the church is enclosed with a stone wall which features an open arch parallel to the church entry." (visit link)

Street address: Camino Real and 2nd St Dona Ana, NM USA County / Borough / Parish: Dona Ana Year listed: 1985 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1850-1874 Historic function: Religion Current function: Religion Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

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