History and Mystery: Uncovering the Past in Harvey Houses

What happens when you take on the renovation of a classic Harvey House? All the headaches of any historic-preservation project are joined by the joy of discovering an almost forgotten time. What stories can layers of paint tell? What mysteries lay deep in basements or at the bottom of a defunct fountain? Join Allan Affeldt, Jenny Kimball and Barbara Felix for “History and Mystery: Uncovering the Past in Harvey Houses” on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 2 pm in the New Mexico History Museum Auditorium. The panel discussion is free with admission; Sundays are free to NM residents. Part of the exhibit Setting the Standard: The Fred Harvey Company and Its Legacy.

Affeldt rescued La Posada in Winslow, Ariz., from near-certain demolition and is now working on a long-sought-after renovation of the Castañeda Hotel in Las Vegas, NM. La Fonda owner Jenny Kimball and architect Barbara Felix took on La Fonda in Santa Fe, restoring the work of Mary Colter and John Gaw Meem—with a modern twist.