One Hundred Year-Old Structures Dot the Village

Published January 26th, 2024 at 9:00 am, Last Updated March 26th, 2024 at 7:23 am

By Mary Davis, Corrales Village Historian

Did you know that there are buildings standing in Corrales today that were built well over a century ago? We are lucky that any older structures are still standing since nearly all were built of adobe, a ready-to-hand building material but disastrously vulnerable to floods, rainstorms, and daily weathering.

Determining the age of Corrales structures is difficult given the lack of good records, but we do have some early dates in the history of a few of our old buildings. At least three or four were built well before 1900, perhaps as early as the 1850s. Old records such as mid-nineteenth century censuses and property deeds can give us some information on these buildings and their owners.

The earliest map that shows buildings in Corrales was not drawn until 1927 when the then recently formed Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District recorded the properties it served. These wonderful maps—copies of which are stored at CHS Archives—show the many individual tracts into which Corrales was divided with the names of their owners, their homes (indicated by a capital D), and some of their crops.

Shown below is a section of one of these maps. In the lower left is the large multifamily house southeast of the southward bend of modern Old Church Road (modern address:1000 Old Church Road) and just north of the Old San Ysidro Church (not shown here) with the small house that became Casa San Ysidro opposite it. The old acequia (the only one that existed in 1927) is shown running north-south between two black triangle to the east of the two houses. The dotted lines running east-west and crossing the acequia may be an early route of Old Church Road. East of the acequia, the properties extend to Corrales Road.

Note the list of owners of various parts of the large house at 1000 Old Church Road. This building’s original owner was Francisco Gutierrez who was the grandfather of Napoleon Gutierrez recorded on the map in 1927.

The Francisco Gutierrez House is one of fourteen to which the Corrales Historical Society has given a historic building plaque. The plaques are presented to the owners of buildings that retain some architectural integrity and have a known history that anchors them in the story of Corrales. This house is presently the only one of the buildings receiving plaques that is not located on Corrales Road in the center of the village.

Those in “downtown” Corrales, all on Corrales Road, are the Teofilo Perea House (aka Casa Perea—4829 Corrales Road), José Felipe Silva House (4779), Octaviano Lopez Building (aka El Portal—4686), Elias Martinez Farmhouse (4655), Cristobal Martinez House/Perea Hall (4607), Old School House (4602), Tijuana Bar (4590), Casa Vieja (4541), Casa de Francisco Gonzales (4535), Old Society Hall (aka Prized Possessions—4534), Alejandro Gonzales House (4499), José Guadalupe Rivera House (4225), and the Candido Gonzales House (4036). The Society obtained information about the historic owners from official records, interviews with descendants, and history gathered by the building’s owners. Each building’s story enriches our understanding and appreciation of the Corrales story.

The locations of each building plus photographs and historic information are included in a Corrales Historical Society brochure, “Historic Corrales, A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Historic Corrales Landmarks,” available at many locations in Corrales.

Of these 14 buildings, five are also listed on the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties, which enables their owners to apply for state tax credits on restoration expenses. The five are the Alejandro Gonzales House, Cristobal Martinez House/Perea Hall, Elias Martinez Farmhouse, Teofilo Perea House, and Casa Vieja. The detailed Register nominations can be found at CHS Archives and also through the State Historic Preservation Division office in Santa Fe.

So why would the New Mexico Preservation Division and the Historical Society do all this? A good way to begin to understand and appreciate Corrales and other New Mexico towns is to acquaint oneself with the histories of the surviving old buildings. The Old Society Hall (Prized Possessions), for example, was built by the local Catholic Men’s Society as a space for meetings and dances. A public building built by residents for local use? Sounds like our beloved Corrales Library. The Elias Martinez House was once surrounded by gardens and vineyards, not so different from Milagro Vineyards today. The Tijuana Bar is still owned and operated by the Perea family who have been a notable part of Corrales history for nearly 150 years.

Casa Vieja’s history stretches back to the middle of the nineteenth century; it was “discovered” in the 1940s by Anglo newcomers who loved old adobes and restored and expanded the building, a common story in our village’s mid-twentieth century history. The Candido Gonzales House, the Francisco Gonzales House, and the Alejandro Gonzales House were all built and lived in by descendants of Corrales’ founding family; their initiative and energy contributed significantly to Corrales’ well being.

So, get out and take a look. You’ll find more reasons to be glad you live in Corrales and are a beneficiary of its history.

Information provided by Corrales Historical Society (CHS) Archives Committee. Want to learn more? Visit www.CorralesHistory.org for all the interesting things the Historical Society has to offer. New members are always welcome!