Submitted by Ed Boles, Vice President, Corrales Historical Society
Early this summer, the Old San Ysidro Church was closed for repairs to be funded by $275,000 in NM State Legislature funds secured by Representative Kathleen Cates and former Senator Brenda McKenna. The Village of Corrales owns the historic adobe and its annex, both operated by the non-profit Corrales Historical Society. The Village contracted with Wizer Electric LLC for the work, and Wizer brought Crocker Ltd. in as a subcontractor.
A church that has stood 155 years-plus might conceal things no living person has seen. The Old Church did just that until this June, when employees of Crocker Ltd. removed large areas of cracked interior mud plaster from the adobe walls in order to re-plaster them. They found several areas of damage or instability in the adobe brick masonry as plaster was removed in the west end of the building. These areas require expert stabilization, and more are expected as more plaster is removed. Crocker has several decades of experience in such work, and in 2016, the company stabilized the Old Church exterior before applying new mud plaster there.
Wizer Electric workers found failing conditions, too, in the electrical equipment, complicating a project intended for completion by the end of August. Both types of corrective work—walling and electrical—have increased the project cost substantially. As general contractor, Wizer’s original contract amount for all the work, including Crocker’s, was $290,000.
After halting work for planning and re-estimating, Wizer and Crocker are back on-site, attending to the new scope of work. Corrales Deputy Fire Chief Tanya Lattin, the Village project manager, estimates nearly $200,000 in additional funds may be needed. She approached the Village Administration for additional funding.
The Corrales Historical Society Board voted unanimously to donate its entire ROCK (Restore Old Church Kindly) Fund of $35,000. It has asked its members and others to donate more via the Historical Society website or mail-in check. The Society also plans a GoFundMe campaign, and groups such as Kiwanis Club, Music in Corrales and Historic Albuquerque Inc. have been asked for support. Historical Society President Anne Van Camp and Tanya Lattin of the Village are coordinating to get needed funds so the project can be completed by August 31.
The Village and Historical Society plan to add electric heat-pump heating and cooling equipment in the Old Church, when possible, a second project that could be funded if enough money is raised now.
Writes Deputy Chief Lattin about the current project, “The Old Church is the Heart of Corrales. When I think of the Old Church, I muse about long-ago history and what Corrales would have been like. I also think about recent history. When my daughter was in fourth grade at Corrales Elementary, each student had to take a field trip to a New Mexico place with their family. My daughter picked Corrales for its rich history of family, friends, and farming. Corrales is known for coming together to help get things done. Let’s all pull together to repair our Heart.”
Historical Society President Anne Van Camp adds, “I am a relatively new resident of Corrales and as an archivist and historian, I love that the Village has preserved and maintained the Old San Ysidro Church. It is the iconic heart of the Village and everyone I have met here has some special story and connection to it. At the moment, the “heart” is in need of some major life-saving support. The Historical Society, in partnership with the Village, is seeking funds to help us complete the rehabilitation of this treasure. If you would like to help, please visit our website at corraleshistory.org or send a check to the Corrales Historical Society at P.O. Box 1051, Corrales NM 87048.
Fun Fact: Crocker Ltd. will reuse the removed mud plaster in the new batches they apply to the Old Church interior.