Adobes being made in Las Vegas, NM at the Luna Community College. Photo by Barb Odell.
The month of August has been hot, busy, and productive! Many exciting things lay on the horizon as we wrap up summer projects and continue to foster positive relations with project partners. In the month of August, Cornerstones hosted 2 workshops in southern Colorado, participated in the 15th Annual Luna Community College Heritage Week in Las Vegas, NM, and broke ground on a highly anticipated project at the Plaza del Cerro Desiderio y Pablita Ortega Casita in Chimayó. We are also proud to announce the completion of a 5 year project and partnership with Positive Energy Solar to bring clean solar energy to the San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe, NM.
San Miguel Solar Project
Santa Fe’s San Miguel Chapel, the country’s oldest Catholic church, takes a step into the future as it goes solar! This highly anticipated project has been in the works for 5 years, though Cornerstones began working with Saint Michaels High School and 500+ volunteers to restore the church’s walls since the early 2000s. In partnership with Positive Energy Solar, 20 solar panels were installed on the church’s roof.
Years of research were necessary in assuring the building’s ability to support additional weight. In interviews with the Albuquerque Journal, Santa Fe New Mexican, and KRQE News 13, Cornerstones’ Program Director Jake Barrow said the school’s board of trustees required a feasibility study before making decisions on the solar panels. “It continues to be a live building,” he said. “Sustainability and renewable energy is a positive thing, so making the chapel sustainable and continuing it in its original use is very important.”
Maintaining the historic integrity of the Church was also a main priority for us and our project partners. Jake Barrows emphasizes this in asking, “Could the panels be concealed, necessary because the chapel is right in the historic district.” With this in mind, a plan was implemented, ensuring that the construction and installation of the solar panels would not threaten the historic structure.
This $80,000 project was funded entirely by grants and donations, and we would like to give a big “thank you!” to all of our project partners, volunteers, and donors who worked together and supported us in this step towards finding sustainable solutions in our historic places.
Links to San Miguel Chapel Solar Project news articles can be found here:
Albuquerque Journal: Oldest Church, Newest Technology
Santa Fe New Mexican : Santa Fe's 'Oldest Church' Goes Solar
KRQE NEWS: Oldest Church in the United States is Now Solar Powered
Luna Community College Adobe Making Workshop Adobe Recipient
Earlier this summer, we partnered with Luna Community College, the Luna Foundation, and the Las Vegas Citizens’ Committee for Historic Preservation to hold four adobe-making sessions at the Luna campus in Las Vegas. The purpose of these workshops was to bring the community together to make adobes for those affected by the fire and floods in Mora and San Miguel counties last summer. The workshop was attended by more than 100 people from across New Mexico, and together made over 1,6000 adobes.
By late July, these adobes were dry and ready to be used! Mary Louise Gallegos from La Tewa in San Miguel County was the first recipient of these adobes made by Cornerstones and community members to benefit properties affected by last summer’s devastating fires and floods. For more information on how to get adobes, contact Luna’s Outreach and Community Support team.
Photos courtesy of Jessie Gallegos
More information can be found at Luna Community College News
Colorado Workshops!
Saguache, CO
In August, we returned to Sagauche, Colorado for the June 2023 workshop’s second component, adobe wall construction. During this two-day workshop, the Cornerstones team worked alongside volunteers, community members, and a local youth group from Denver, to build a garden wall at the entrance of the children’s park. All of the adobes used in building this wall were made by community members during the first workshop that took place in June, in which 20 participants from Saguache and the surrounding San Luis Valley participated. Even seasonal rains couldn’t deter us!
Photos courtesy of Michael Pacheco
These workshops were funded by a CLG (Certified Local Government) subgrant awarded by History Colorado to the Town of Saguache and the Saguache Historic Preservation Commision.
To read more about the two workshops, visit the link below!
Alamosa News: Saguache Adobe Workshop offers hands-on learning
Montoya Ranch, Colorado
From Saguache, members of the Cornerstones team drove east to Huerfano County. Here, we partnered with Colorado Preservation, Inc. (CPI) for the 2023 Endangered Places Weekend Workshop, which took place at the Montoya Ranch. Montoya Ranch was added to Colorado’s Most Endangered Places list in 2014, and is the only known adobe building in the United States with a full basement. Constructed in the 1860s, the building began as a farmhouse. Between 1910 and 1930, an addition was added to accommodate a general store in the building. A jacal addition was added in the 1930s when the building was used as the local post office. Throughout the years, Montoya Ranch was also used for sheep ranching, a rare industry for this part of Colorado.
Though there were approximately 12 registered participants in attendance, many neighbors stopped by to see what was going on and to share their own stories the Montoya Ranch building, as well as stories from their childhood and their connection surrounding area.
During this workshop, we went over adobe making, earthen plastering, and alíz plaster application. All materials were gathered locally.
Volunteer Hightlight!
This month we would like to highlight one our long-time and outstanding volunteers, Robert Kelly! Robert is from Ojo Feliz in Mora, New Mexico and has been working with Cornerstones off and on for 13 years! Robbie has worked with Cornerstones as both an intern and volunteer, stating that he wanted to learn how to help his community in some way and working with Cornerstones had presented him this opportunity. In a recent interview at the Luna Community College Adobe-Making Day, he stated, “I love working with adobe and mud, especially because it’s affordable, so I’m able to help a lot of people who can’t afford other types of housing.
Robbie attended the adobe making days in Las Vegas to support Luna Community College, the college he attended. He also believes that it is important to help community members rebuild after the fires.
He is currently enrolled in seminary school and is studying philosophy. Robert plans to return to New Mexico to serve as a priest within the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.