Mesilla Plaza
United States historic place in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
Mesilla Plaza is the central plaza in the small town of Mesilla in far southern New Mexico. The plaza and a number of its surrounding buildings are a National Historic Landmark District, significant for its role in the transfers of power that brought first the original New Mexico Territory and later the Gadsden Purchase into United States control. The most notable building facing the plaza is the Basilica of San Albino, which has been on the plaza since its establishment in 1851. The plaza was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Historic district |
| Address | 2 mi. S of Las Cruces on NM 28, Las Cruces vicinity, NM |
| County | Dona Ana County |
| Listed | Oct 15, 1966 |
| Listed for | Exploration and settlement, Politics and government |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 66000475 |
| Contributing resources | 14 buildings |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 2 mi. S of Las Cruces on NM 28, Las Cruces, NM |
| Coordinates | 32.2737° N, 106.8050° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Las Cruces | 17 listed places in Las Cruces → |
| Nearest national park unit | Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail · 1 mile · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Aguirre Spring Recreation Area And Campground 16 miles |
Explore
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Reference
Questions people ask
When was Mesilla Plaza listed on the National Register?
Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is Mesilla Plaza?
2 mi. S of Las Cruces on NM 28, Las Cruces vicinity, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. The nearest national park unit is Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail, 1 mile away.
What does the Mesilla Plaza listing include?
The listing counts 14 contributing resources. Those are 14 buildings. A contributing resource is a part of the listed property that carries its historic significance.
Source: National Park Service
Where is the nomination form for Mesilla Plaza?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Mesilla Plaza?
One federal campground is within reach, Aguirre Spring Recreation Area And Campground, 16 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Mesilla Plaza?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000475. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.