The Historic Santa Fe Foundation, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a nonprofit organization for the preservation, protection, and promotion of the historic properties and diverse cultural items considered worthy of preservation. These properties are listed on the Foundation’s Register of Resources Worthy of Preservation and many display the Historic Santa Fe Foundation bronze plaque.
The Historic Santa Fe Foundation sponsors regular lectures, exhibits, workshops, events, and tours of historic properties. The Foundation also administers the Faith and John Gaw Meem Preservation Trades Internship, a 10-week program that permits a qualified student working in architecture, planning, design, or a similar field to gain hands-on experience in the theory and practice of preservation by working with foundation board members and staff. Each year, the Foundation recognizes contributions to historic preservation by local residents, businesses, and building trades professionals through its Architectural Stewardship Award. In addition, the Foundation has an artist-in-residence program focusing on the heritage of the Santa Fe area. As of 2018, the Foundation maintains preservation easements on nine properties and maintains a register of 95 homes, buildings, structures, and places that are considered worthy of preservation.
History
The Old Santa Fe Association, an advocacy organization for improved preservation policies, sponsored the formation of the Historic Santa Fe Foundation in 1961. The inaugural members consisted of Santa Fe artists, writers, doctors, business owners, and neighbors. John Gaw Meem, a New Mexico architect, was elected the First Honorary Director of the Board of Directors. The catalyst for this new preservation organization was the City of Santa Fe’s proposal to demolish the historic Simon Nusbaum House in 1960. With the help of John Gaw Meem, $20,000 was raised to try to purchase the building. Although the Nusbaum house was replaced with an 85-car parking lot, the money that had been raised to protect it was used to begin the Foundation.
Protection
The Historic Santa Fe Foundation's preservation easement program seeks to permanently protect historic buildings and sites. The easement is a voluntary form of legal agreement between the Foundation and the property owner that describes the preservation objective of the easement and the property owner’s rights and obligations to follow those restrictions when making alterations to the property. The easement agreement remains in force when the property changes ownership, thus protecting the property well into the future
The Historic Santa Fe Foundation endeavors to protect Santa Fe’s historic architectural and cultural integrity through scholarly research and documentation. HSFF archives include property files (narrative histories, newspaper articles, correspondence, etc.), photographs, and documentation relating to early and current preservation efforts. In addition to maintaining archives, the Foundation staff offers advice to those researching Santa Fe’s historic properties.
Publications
The Historic Santa Fe Foundation produces a tri-annual newsletter of essays, book reviews, and historical site descriptions. It also publishes a monthly e-zine, and occasional books, including Old Santa Fe Today
Archives
The Historic Santa Fe Foundation has archives on about 100 historic properties in the Santa Fe region. The archives have historical information on ownership, architectural modifications, and more. Most properties are now in an electronic database and the electronic cataloging of files continues.
The Faith and John Gaw Meem Preservation Trades Internship
The Faith and John Gaw Meem Preservation Trades Internship, established in 2005, provides emerging students of preservation with an opportunity to engage in hands-on conservation of historic adobe buildings, working under the mentorship of Foundation Board members and staff. The 10-week summer program houses the intern, reimburses the intern at the rate of Santa Fe's Living Wage, and allows the intern to participate in all Foundation activities.
Training and education
Much of the preservation work performed by the Foundation is presented in workshops on the use of traditional techniques and material, open to the public. These workshops help to train new generations of preservation craftspeople as well as providing stewardship information for owners of other historic properties. Past workshops have covered tree ring dating (a useful tool in dating structures), earthen plasters, natural lime finishes, historic window restoration and maintenance of historic gardens.