Santa Fe, NM – The New Mexico Historic Preservation Division (NMHPD) is thrilled to announce funding for five projects, from Santa Fe to Deming, through a new statewide grant fund: the state’s Cultural Properties Restoration Fund (CPRF).
“This statewide fund enables us to provide support for organizations working to preserve New Mexico’s cultural heritage for future generations,” said New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Cabinet Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego. “Our agency is honored to help administer a program that supports conservation and preservation efforts throughout the state. “
Funding for the CPRF was made possible by the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund, which was signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2023 with additional historic investments made by the legislature in 2024. The CPRF was established in the mid-90s but had not received funding for decades; it is now one of 10 state programs that will receive dedicated, annual recurring dollars through the Legacy Fund.
“The Cultural Properties Restoration Fund represents an opportunity to fund preservation efforts at a variety of cultural properties doing important work around New Mexico,” said NMHPD Interim Director Michelle Ensey. “We’re incredibly excited to partner with each of these organizations!”
The total for FY25, the program’s first year funding cycle, is $1 million and will be made available to organizations ranging from land grants to acequia associations to public universities. The organizations that will receive grant funding this year are:
Albuquerque Railyards will receive $250,000 to support stabilization of its historic Fire Station building. This funding will be used to stabilize the red Zuni sandstone building, originally built in 1920, to facilitate renovating the historic building for future use. The building, which was once the T&SF Fire Department and is the oldest fire station in Albuquerque, is a key part of the larger Railyards site, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Cultural Properties in 2014.
Silver City Waterworks will receive $250,000 to assist with the fabrication and installation of all windows and doors throughout the building and restoration of interior walls in downstairs rooms, including the above-ground walls of the boiler room. The Waterworks building, Silver City’s only surviving 19th century stone building, was recently awarded $1.2 million in state and federal funding which will be used to revitalize this historic landmark into a cultural center and community gathering place celebrating the role of water in Silver City, the wilderness surrounding Grant County, and the interaction of diverse cultures and interests in the region.
The New Mexico State Land Office will receive $248,000 that will be used to help stabilize four archaeological sites around the state in various states of deterioration. The project will identify, document, stabilize, and interpret four Bee Holdzil (Navajo defensive structures) in the Dinetah region, in alignment with the Office’s goals for the identification and protection of cultural resources on State Trust Land.
The City of Santa Fe will receive $231,300 that will help the city rehabilitate its Main Library, a local treasure that was designed by John Gaw Meem and built in 1937 as the Santa Fe Municipal Building. The project’s scope of work includes interior condition assessment, measured drawings, programming and space planning, schematic design, design development, and arborist consultation/tree work.
The City of Deming will receive $20,000 to support a Historic Preservation plan and window survey for Deming Luna Mimbres Museum. The city is working to preserve the building, which was built in 1916 as a U.S. National Guard Armory in response to the Mexican Revolution, and the museum’s collections. The project will evaluate existing windows and create a plan that meets preservation standards.
Projects receiving grant funding have each been assigned an HPD staff member to work with them on agreement development and support throughout the duration of the grant. Funding is slated to be released to recipients this fall. More information about the fund is available HERE.
About the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division: NMHPD manages, oversees, and coordinates historic preservation activities across the state. The division educates the public about historic preservation and protects thousands of historic and archaeological sites in New Mexico. If you have ever visited an archaeological site, stopped on the side of the road to read a historic marker, or appreciated a well-maintained historic building in your community, you have likely engaged with the work of the NMHPD.