Today, we spent some time in historic Old Mesilla, in Las Cruces, NM. A little bit about it:
Mesilla ("Little Tableland") is the best-known and most visited historical community in Southern New Mexico. Since its' beginning, around 1848, Mesilla has had a major influence on the economic, cultural, historical, and political life of the Mesilla Valley. From the Gadsden Purchase, to the Civil War, to the Butterfield Stage Coach Trail, to the trial of Billy the Kid, to being a lively social center in the 1880s--Mesilla has been a prominent part of the rich history of the Southwest.
Today, many of Mesilla's population of nearly 2,200 residents are direct descendents of Mesilla's early settlers. As such, they have retained many of the "hearty folk" qualities of the original founders. Mesilla has a rich and diverse heritage with the integration of Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American cultures. Perhaps the greatest import of the past history is the physical character of the community itself. The traditional adobe structures and architectural features modified through time because of style and technology still remain as a reminder of the long and significant history of the town....
From another part of the website:
Ghosts In Historic New Mexican Town Still StirThe adobe home in which the Double Eagle restaurant is located was built during the boom time for Mesilla in the 1840's and is acknowledged as the oldest building in Historic Old Mesilla. Although Mesilla was a well-known watering and stop-over spot for trails east and west as well as north and south since ancient Indian times, the real founding of Mesilla was the late 1840's after the Mexican American War. Many Mexican citizens resented the United States taking the northern half their country and refused the offer of United States citizenship moving south of the new border to Mesilla. The home was a private residence up until the 1950's when it was abandoned for a time, was used as a cotton warehouse and became a series of shops until 1972.
Today, many of Mesilla's population of nearly 2,200 residents are direct descendents of Mesilla's early settlers. As such, they have retained many of the "hearty folk" qualities of the original founders. Mesilla has a rich and diverse heritage with the integration of Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American cultures. Perhaps the greatest import of the past history is the physical character of the community itself. The traditional adobe structures and architectural features modified through time because of style and technology still remain as a reminder of the long and significant history of the town....
From another part of the website:
Ghosts In Historic New Mexican Town Still StirThe adobe home in which the Double Eagle restaurant is located was built during the boom time for Mesilla in the 1840's and is acknowledged as the oldest building in Historic Old Mesilla. Although Mesilla was a well-known watering and stop-over spot for trails east and west as well as north and south since ancient Indian times, the real founding of Mesilla was the late 1840's after the Mexican American War. Many Mexican citizens resented the United States taking the northern half their country and refused the offer of United States citizenship moving south of the new border to Mesilla. The home was a private residence up until the 1950's when it was abandoned for a time, was used as a cotton warehouse and became a series of shops until 1972.
Here are some pictures we took as we went along..
Description of this structure is below.
Below is a picture of the inside of the oldest structure spoken of above. You can see a bit of the uneven ceiling.
Town Square:
We ended our day washing our Comforter here....
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