Old Santa Fé Photos from the Library of Congress

I was born in Santa Fé, New Mexico in 1953, and lived there until I went to the University of New Mexico in 1971. I didn’t really settle down in Albuquerque until I bought my house in 1976. Up until that time I lived in Albuquerque during the week and spent most week-ends in Santa Fé. Since that time, Albuquerque is my home. From my genealogical studies, I find that many of my ancestors lived in and around the Albuquerque area as far back as pre-Pueblo Revolt (pre-1680).

I’ve been sorting through the old Santa Fé photos I’ve collected over the years, and it seems to me that Santa Fé has changed more in the 30 plus years since I called Santa Fé home than it did in the prior 50 years before it. Sometimes I don’t recognize my childhood home when I’m there, but I do recognize it from the old photos I have. Before I go back to school later this week, I’m hoping to put most of my collection of my old Santa Fé photos here. I’m going to start with photos I found in the Library of Congress.

La Parroquia -Built in 1714, San Francis Cathedral
was built on this spot between 1866 & 1886

East San Francisco Street - La Parroquia is at the end of the street

The Plaza before the Cathedral was Built, cir. 1866

East San Francisco Street on the South side of the Plaza

Another side of the Plaza

San Miguel Mission - Now called the Oldest
Church, Old Santa Fé Tail (College St.)

The street (now West De Vargas) between
the "Oldest House" and San Miguel Mission

Santa Fé Street cir. 1900s

Palace of the Governors on the Santa Fé Plaza

A side view of the Palace of the Governors taken
at the same time as the previous photo
SE corner of Palace Ave & Lincoln St. 

The Patio inside the Palace of the Governors

South Side of the plaza on San Francisco Street

The Borrego House on Canyon Road

On the Plaza

Palace of the Governors

Montoya Hill

Photo of San Miguel Mission taken
much later than the previous one

The Museum of Fine Arts

Under the Portal at the Palace of the Governors

This a photo taken sometime between 1869-1871 of Santa Fé. The photo was taken during the Wheeler Survey and the photographer was Timothy H. O'Sullivan. I found it on the U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library. If you click on the photo at the site mentioned, it will give you an enlarged version. You can see the Plaza because the Civil War Statue is visible in front of the Plaza of the Governors.