New Mexico State University System

New Mexico State University System, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Preservation Plan on the NMSU site which includes a slideshow of images.

Established in 1888 before New Mexico became a state, New Mexico State University (NMSU) is the state's oldest public institution of higher learning and the only land-grant institution in the nation classified as Hispanic-serving by the federal government. The majority of the system's historic resources are located on the main Las Cruces campus, whose first master plan was created in 1906 by the prominent architectural firm of Trost & Trost. Grant funds will support a comprehensive survey of historic buildings and landscapes at all NMSU properties across the state, with an emphasis on the main Las Cruces campus. NMSU will also develop historic preservation policies and guidelines to guide future conservation work and maintenance activities.

New Mexico State University System received a Getty grant in 2005 for $175,000 to support campus heritage planning.

Report Summary

Established in 1888 before New Mexico became a state, New Mexico State University (NMSU) is the state's oldest public institution of higher learning and the only land-grant institution in the nation classified as Hispanic-serving by the federal government. In 2005, the university received a Getty grant of $175,000 to support a comprehensive survey of historic buildings and landscapes at all NMSU properties across the state, with an emphasis on the main Las Cruces campus, where the majority of the system’s historic resources are located. NMSU also developed historic preservation policies and guidelines to guide future conservation work and maintenance activities. The work was led by two Albuquerque firms: Van Citters: Historic Preservation, LLC (VCHP) and Cherry/See/Reames Architects.

New Mexico State University has a long, distinguished heritage that is highlighted by distinctive architecture and a heritage that played a key role in helping to develop the state’s agricultural economy. The university’s agricultural heritage has played an important role in shaping campus planning. The close proximity of traditional academic facilities with those specifically designed to meet the agricultural curriculum have resulted in a unique campus layout that is still visible today. Overall, the university has done a good job of maintaining its campus heritage, as reflected in its number of historic buildings, while still accommodating tremendous growth, particularly during the last fifty years. An important goal for the university in the future will be to find a way to value those historically significant buildings and landscapes while still continuing to grow and develop as a respected academic institution.

Purpose:

The goal of the NMSU Heritage Preservation Plan (HPP) was to identify and evaluate the historically significant buildings, structures, landscapes, and objects located on the NMSU campus, which contribute to architectural and cultural heritage of the university. In addition, the Preservation Plan was intended to supplement the university’s 2006 Master Plan for the campus and work in concert with the overall goals of that plan. The plan also offers recommendations for the maintenance and preservation of these properties in accordance with established preservation practices.

The following objectives guided the preparation of this HPP:

• Identify the architectural and historic features of the NMSU Main Campus that contribute to its unique heritage
• Advocate for the importance of landscape settings, which include buildings and the spaces between them
• Provide general design guidelines that can later be used to encourage the design of future construction so as to strengthen the spatial and visual relationship between contemporary and historic buildings and sites on campus
• Provide general guidelines for maintenance of designated cultural properties
• Provide information on important cultural properties on the NMSU Main Campus so that those properties may be adequately considered during the course of future campus planning
• Provide information for decision-makers to form policies and develop plans that will preserve NMSU’s heritage properties
• Encourage the inclusion of historic preservation planning principles into current and future Campus Development and Strategic Plans

How the Plan is Organized:

For ease of reference, the HPP is divided into two volumes. Volume 1 summarizes the preservation principles that guided the study, as well as a brief history of the university, its major architects, and a discussion of landscape use on the campus. The plan identifies four historic districts with contributing buildings and structures: the Academic Historic District; the West Side Farm Historic District; the Animal Sciences Historic District; and the Sutherland-Tom Fort Historic District. The districts and the properties therein meet criteria set forth for the National Register of Historic Places and are thus included or eligible for inclusion in the National Register. Further, it elaborates on the architectural features found in the Academic Historic District - NMSU’s oldest and most historic landscape – and the historic buildings found in the immediate vicinity of the main campus. The plan also identifies Heritage Conservation Places that do not meet the National Register’s standards, but nevertheless contribute to NMSU’s overall sense of place.

Volume 2 offers a discussion of the campus’s other historic districts, describes other buildings and landscapes that contribute to New Mexico State’s heritage, and contains the plan’s appendices.

Finally, the HPP offers suggestions for future studies that will enhance this plan’s serviceability. The plan also contains six appendices that illuminate federal and state historic preservation legislation and guidelines, which will aid university architects and planners in integrating the preservation plan’s recommendations with overall campus Master Plan. There are also appendices that discuss other campus properties of interest – most notably those that are less than fifty years old. There is also an appendix on the Fabian Garcia Horticultural Farm which exemplifies the types of NMSU historic properties located off the main campus.

Historic Designations

NMSU has 4 districts of historic significance:

1. The Academic Historic District, with four buildings on the National Register of Historic Places: the YMCA Building, now know as the Conroy Honors Center, designed by Henry Trost; Goddard Hall and the President’s House, now Nason’s Hall, both designed by O.H. Thorman; and Foster Hall, designed by Percy McGhee. Four buildings in the district contribute to the historic district: the Gymnasium, now know as the Music Center, and Young Hall, both by Trost; Hadley Hall, designed by Robert Merrell; and O’Loughlin House, architect unknown. In addition, the district has four eligible objects: a fishpond, a fountain, the McFie Cornerstone, and the Greek Bulletin Board. Also, four buildings in the district are individually eligible for their history and architecture: Kent Hall and Dove Hall, designed by Percy McGhee; and the Chemistry Building and Gardiner Hall, both designed by Wolgamood and Millington. Seven additional buildings adjacent to, but not in, the Academic Historic District, are also individually eligible.

While the Academic Heritage District is the most well known, there are three other historic districts that, according to the NMSU architectural survey, appear to meet the criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places:

2. The West Side Farm Historic District, consisting of buildings associated with the university’s agricultural heritage spanning a period of significance from 1890 to 1959. It includes the Seed House (Nematology Building) – NMSU’s oldest structure – two utility farm buildings (the Incubator Building and the Farm Poultry Building), and agricultural fields that have been farmed for over a century.

3. The Animal Sciences Historic District, associated with research into animal husbandry, noted for its architecture, but also its arrangement of buildings, animal pens, chutes, and other typical livestock structures, which when viewed as a whole represent a historical pattern of use relating to animal science research.

4. The Sutherland-Tom Fort Historic District consisting of the Sutherland Village and Tom Fort married student housing developments and associated landscape. The two housing complexes, built in the late 50s, represent examples of low-cost, affordable married student housing built during a period of rapid university growth. The very nature of these simple, masonry houses, built in a simplified Ranch style have precluded any significant architectural modifications and thus preserved the historic integrity of these structures. In addition, the layout of these homes, i.e., uniform lot size and setbacks on slightly curvilinear streets, are representative of post-war suburban residential housing development.

Planning Process: A small team of graduate students from the History Department at NMSU, under the direction of Professor Marsha Weisiger, Ph.D., conducted the architectural survey of all buildings and associated cultural landscapes on the main campus, Fabian Garcia Research Center, and the Horse Farm that were constructed prior to 1968. VCHP assisted the team in developing the survey form and providing classroom training by Ms. Cherry on the recording of cultural landscapes. The survey team conducted archival research and wrote a historic context for the architectural survey, conducted the fieldwork, and completing the survey forms. They identified 91 individual buildings, three historic districts encompassing 326 buildings, three structures, 12 objects, and 17 landscapes. The historic properties identified by the survey were recorded on survey forms and evaluated by the survey team for their eligibility in the National and State registers.

Once the NMSU survey was completed, VCHP reviewed the survey work and conducted field investigations to verify important character-defining architectural features, clarify the details of existing building conditions, and gather any additional architectural and landscape data deemed necessary to complete the preservation plan. VCHP also gathered additional historical information to answer questions about the history of NMSU generated during their evaluation of the NMSU survey information. Historic campus maps, including Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, and those included in early Student Bulletins, were very useful in analyzing the early patterning of campus buildings and charting campus development. The sum of this work was used to develop the historic context that was presented in this document as well as describe the architecture of the university’s historic buildings, discuss significant cultural landscapes, and identify other places of importance to the campus heritage. While the NMSU survey was an integral part of preparing this preservation plan, and VCHP’s analysis of the survey findings resulted in a general agreement with a majority of their conclusions regarding historic significance and the designation of individually eligible properties as well as historic districts, there were several differences of opinion regarding some properties, which affected the recommendations found in the HPP. These differences are detailed in Appendix C, Volume 2.

In addition, a meeting was held on the NMSU campus to inform the public of the preliminary results of the architectural survey and elicit comments on any additional properties or landscapes that the campus community thought contributed to the university’s heritage. Current and former students and faculty members, university staff, and interested alumni and community residents attended the meeting. The public’s preservation interests focused on The Horseshoe and the historic buildings in the immediate vicinity – what comprises The Academic Historic District. There was also strong support for the preservation of the agricultural landscape on the west side of the campus – part of the West Side Farm Historic District. In addition, the International Mall-Regent’s Grove-Duck Pond area generated positive comments with regard to maintaining this relatively new open space on campus. Finally, there was a lengthy discussion about the Sutherland Village – Tom Fort housing area with regard to its historic importance, not so much from an architectural standpoint, but because of its place in the social history of the university and its development of affordable student housing and its role in promoting cultural diversity. All these public comments were taken into account by VCHP when preparing the HPP.

Coordinating Preservation with the Master Plan:

VCHP compared the results of the architectural survey with the New Mexico State University Master Plan: 2006-2016 (MP) prepared by the University Architect, Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company and Studio D Architects. This plan included input and comments from NMSU’s administration, faculty, staff and students, staff and leadership from Doña Ana County and the City of Las Cruces, and local residents. There were over 125 meetings conducted including on-site workshops, focus groups, planning team meetings and presentations. It should be noted that the MP acknowledged that historic preservation should be a part of the overall planning process on the NMSU campus. As such, the HPP follows up on that recommendation and expands on the historic preservation concepts summarily presented in the MP.

Although there is general agreement between the two plans with regard to historic preservation issues, there are also areas of significant difference as follows:

• The Academic Historic District. Substantial new construction is planned along University Avenue, on the north side of The Horseshoe. Both the MP and the HPP identify The Horseshoe and the historic buildings along its perimeter as important and worthy of preservation. University planners should strive to honor the heritage of this historic core of the campus and the visual attributes of the original campus plan.
• The West Side Farm Historic District. The west end of the university comprises agricultural fields that date to the earliest days of the campus and reflect the historic land grant status of the university. Both the MP and the HPP identify these fields as important and worthy of preservation; however, it is also an area of proposed redevelopment with the construction of a new Las Cruces Convention Center complex. Care should be taken to integrate the complex with the university’s agricultural heritage, through building design, interpretive displays, signage, and preservation of the remaining fields.
• The construction of future new academic facilities will alter the Animal Sciences Historic District. Although the need for new facilities is always an important issue for a university, the demolition of buildings and structures in this district would affect the look of this area. While many students and faculty may welcome the elimination of the sights, sounds, and smells associated with the care and feeding of livestock in such close proximity to the main campus, undoubtedly others will feel a sense of loss of this aspect of the university’s heritage. The HPP recommends comprehensive historical documentation of this area prior to any demolition in order to preserve a record of this heritage.
• A long-range recommendation in the MP calls for the demolition of buildings in the Sutherland-Tom Fort Historic District. These properties retain a high degree of architectural integrity and represent an important period in post-war development for campus housing that is set within a national context. Again, the need for planned growth is often at odds with the desire for preservation; however, it is recommended that the university study alternatives and develop mitigation plans to minimize the adverse effects of any new development on these historic resources.

Although there are some points of disagreement over how best to accommodate the university’s historic properties within the framework of future campus growth, the MP and HPP are in general agreement on the need for preserving historic buildings, districts, and heritage places on New Mexico State University campus. The Master Plan highlights the variety of historic preservation resources found on campus, and the Preservation Plan supplements this plan with balanced, reasonable historic preservation recommendations, which recognizes the importance of conserving the university’s heritage while at the same time acknowledging the need for growth and development. The results of this analysis are detailed in Volume 2.

Outcomes:

• Product: The HPP and a crosswalk with the Master Plan
• Plan: New Mexico State University Heritage Preservation Plan, Vols. 1 and 2
• Unique Features: Attention to agricultural facilities and landscapes and their unique role in development of the state’s agricultural sector

Individuals of significance:

Henry C. Trost, regional architect from El Paso, creator of NMSU first master plan in 1907, organized by a Horseshoe feature; also designer of several buildings. His influence on the university’s architectural tradition lasted well into the 1950s and is currently being revitalized in the twenty-first century. This Spanish Renaissance Revival style represents the largest number of historic buildings on today’s campus. Henry C. Trost died in 1933, but by 1929 his protégé, Percy McGhee, of the firm Braunton & McGhee, had already taken over the design of campus buildings. Following his mentor’s vision, McGhee designed some of the most beautiful buildings on the campus during this time period.

El Paso architect, Otto Thorman, made a significant contribution to the early architectural heritage of the campus with his design of the three-story Goddard Hall, built in an Italian Villa style for the Engineering Department. It quickly became an iconic structure on campus with its tall, domed tower that rose over the campus and faced onto one of The Horseshoe shoulders. He also designed the 1918 President’s House, now the Nason House (1918). This Prairie style building, the first on campus, housed university presidents and their families for over sixty years before becoming the home of the Center for Latin American Studies in 1983.

Robert E. Merrell (1895-1947) while a partner in the firm of Schaefer and Merrell (formed with Jerry Schaefer in 1938), designed Milton Hall, Garrett Hall, and Rhodes Hall, all in 1941, and all in Spanish Colonial Revival style. His design of the new Hadley Hall (1953) at the east end of The Horseshoe is a later Schaefer and Merrell building, which shows a more purely utilitarian influence than his earlier work on campus. While New Hadley Hall does retain some features of the Spanish Renaissance Revival style, it signals the beginning of a movement away from traditional styles at New Mexico State toward more a more Modernist approach.

Leo J. Wolgamood (1904-1975) designed Breland Hall (1956), Gardiner Hall, and the Chemistry Building (both 1957). The latter two buildings reflected the trend towards Regional Modernism by incorporating Modernist styling, such as large glass curtain walls at the main entries, with earlier Spanish Renaissance Revival styling, such as red tile roof parapets that emulate the work of Trost and McGhee.

Willard C. Kruger (1910-1984) was one of the most illustrious of New Mexico architects in his time. At NMSU, W.C. Kruger and Associates were responsible for the design of the Pan-American Arena, the home of the university’s men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams, which was dedicated in 1968, as well as numerous distinctive additions to existing university buildings, such as Chemistry and Gardiner Hall.

Advisors:

Van Citters: Historic Preservation, LLC
220 Adams Street SE, Suite A
Albuquerque, NM 87108
(505) 268-1324

and

Cherry/See/Reames Architects
220 Gold Avenue SW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
(505) 842-1278

Authors:

• Karen Van Citters, CSI, CDT
• Edith Cherry, FAIA, ASLA
• William A. Dodge, Ph.D.
• Timothy L. Sawyer, Ph.D.

Credits and Links:

The New Mexico State University Historic Preservation Committee:

• Michael Rickenbaker, Director, Facilities Planning and Construction
• Greg Walke, Assistant Director, Facilities Planning and Construction, and Project overseer
• Dwight Pitcaithly, Ph.D., Public History
• William Eamon, Ph.D., Dean of Honors College
• Sonya Cooper, Ph.D., Academic Department Head, College of Engineering Technology
• Terry Reynolds, Ph.D., Curator, NMSU Museum
• Pat Taylor, Cornerstones Community Partnership
• Jean Fulton, Cornerstones Community Partnership
• Orasa Vaught, Project Manager, Facilities Planning and Construction
• Karen George, Dona Ana County Historic Society
• Martha Shipman Andrews, Ph.D., University Archivist/Assistant Professor, Hobson-
• Huntsinger University Archives Branson Library
• Steve McCarty, Director of Transportation, Office of Facilities and Services
• Ron Washburn, Manager, Office of Facilities Space Management
• Marsha Weisiger, Ph.D., Associate Professor, History, and
• John Hunner, Ph.D., Professor, History
• Rebecca Sellars, Director, Corporate /Foundation Relations
• Patricia Grumet, Intern Architect
• Stephen Hussman, Ph.D., Department Head, Library Archives and Special Collections

Of that group, of particular note were Greg Walke, project overseer; Marsha Weisiger, Ph.D. for research efforts and work to oversee the architectural survey of New Mexico State University and her survey team of Brigida Blasi and Marty Davenport.

Edie Cherry was singled out for her insight into cultural landscapes issues, the university environment and architecture, and overall project organizational skills.

Campus Contact:

Greg Walke, Assistant University Architect & Assistant Director
Department of Facilities Planning and Construction
1530 Wells St.
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
Telephone: (575) 646-1016
Fax: (575) 646-7917

walke@ad.nmsu.edu