Spanish
Mission Churches of New Mexico
Copyrighted
by Karen Mitchell.
From: Spanish
Mission Churches of New Mexico, 1915
Used with permission.
"The very name of Taos
brings up so many subjects of entrancing interest that
it is likely to open
the flood-gates of description, of history, of
tradition, of architecture, of Indian mythology, ceremonials, and
domestic customs, to such an extent that a whole volume would be filled to the
exclusion of all other parts of New Mexico.
Each subject is so
inviting that it is a positive delight to dwell upon it
and a real sorrow to pass
it by.
Who that has visited
the wonderful Pueblo structures, certainly the most
remarkable residential
buildings in the United States, does not long to
describe those unique houses of a unique people, which some have
characterized as the “American Pyramids” and some as the “Human Bee-hives,” so
that those less fortunate may obtain some adequate idea of their size and form and
all the peculiarities of their construction?
And who that has been
present at the fiestas of the people, the religious
ceremonials, the dramatized
folk-lore, the games of amusement or of athletic
contest—all so different from the corresponding exercises of the white
man—does not long to describe all these things by written word and
photo-illustration, so that the new Americans of the
East may have a better
knowledge of these old Americans of the West? Taos is
entitled to have a whole book to itself; and what a volume of varied
interest it will be, when once it is worthily prepared!
In this volume, the
only way to avoid the temptation to digress is to
confine this chapter strictly
to its legitimate subject of the churches; and that we
will endeavor to do.
21.1. A—THE PUEBLO OF
TAOS
The first European to
see the great communal houses which render Taos famous,
was Francisco de
Barrio-Nuevo, one of Coronado's captains. While the
headquarters of the expedition
were established at Tihuex, in the Rio Grande Valley
near the present Bernalillo,
this intrepid explorer was directed to march to the
north in order to investigate and report as to the country and its
inhabitants. At that time Cia was the limit of the geographical knowledge of the
Spaniards. But Barrio-Nuevo quickly passed that point, reached Jemez and discovered the
sulphur springs, and then crossed to the Rio Grande and proceeded up its valley, and
finally came to the largest town in that section of the
country, which was
called Braba, and was situated on both sides of a
stream, and is so well
described that it is immediately identified with Taos.
The Spaniards called it Valladolid from some fancied resemblance to
the Spanish city of that name; but in future history we
hear no mention of that
attempted change, and the town of the twin pyramids is
always called the
pueblo of Taos.
After Coronado's time,
the intermediate expeditions did not reach as far north
as this remote
pueblo; but when actual colonization came, under Oñate,
in 1598, that energetic leader, within three days after the
decision to make the permanent settlement and capital at San Gabriel, on July 12th,
started to visit the northerly towns of his dominion, of
which he must have
heard marvelous accounts, and before July 20th had
explored all the vicinity of Picuris and Taos and returned to his
headquarters at the mouth of the Chama.
A few weeks later,
when the Franciscan comisario, Fr. Martinez, divided New
Mexico into seven
districts for missionary purposes, Taos and Picuris,
with all the northern country, were made into one district, and Fr.
Francisco de Zamora assigned as its missionary. He commenced his work energetically,
though with many drawbacks, of which an entire ignorance of the language was
perhaps the greatest, and one of the first churches
built in the new
province was at the pueblo of Taos. In the report of Fr.
Benavides, written in 1629, he states that at this pueblo there
were then a church and a convento and that the number of baptized Indians was not
less than 2,500; which certainly speaks well for the persistent labors of the
Franciscan priest.
That this acceptance
of Christianity was often only skin-deep, seems to be
too evident from the
fact that notwithstanding this gratifying number of
baptisms, within two years thereafter the Indians of Taos killed their
missionary, who was then Pedro de Miranda. The most circumstantial account
that we have of this unfortunate event, is that the government furnished two soldiers,
named Luis Pacheco and Juan de Estrada, as a guard for the protection of the
missionary; that on the morning of December 21, 1631,
they came into the
kitchen of the convento to warm themselves, as it was
very cold, and found the priest engaged in prayer; that they were
followed by a crowd of Indians, who for some reason had become incensed against
the Spaniards, and who killed the soldiers and afterwards the priest. When the
Pueblo Revolution of 1680 broke forth, the missionary in
charge was Fr. Antonio
de Mora, who had been in service in New Mexico for nine
years and who was
assisted by Juan de la Pedroza, a Franciscan lay
brother, who had a still longer term of service to his credit.
Though Taos was the most remote pueblo towards the north, yet the arrangements for
the uprising were so perfect that all the Indians were
in revolt on the
morning of August 10th, and both of the Franciscans soon
joined the noble army
of martyrs. Nearly every Spaniard living in the valley
was slain, as will be stated hereafter.
Little change took
place in the Mission Church through all the years of its
existence. Another
church was built at the Mexican town of Fernandez, only
three miles away, and often one clergyman had charge of the
entire religious work, both for the whites and the Indians. The Pueblo church was
very massively constructed and had two towers in front.
No prophet arose to
foretell its strange destruction. Fernandez had become
quite a commercial
center, and around its plaza were the stores of traders
who had become rich largely
from the traffic in furs and skins. In 1846 rumors
arrived of the approach over the great eastern plain of an American army
under General Kearny; and later the news came that the invaders had occupied
Santa Fé and taken charge of the government. The selection of Charles Bent, a
resident of Taos, well known by all, as the new
governor, naturally
created an increased local interest, but the sentiment
of the people was still opposed to the domination of the
Anglo-Americans and the leaders in the revolutionary movement to destroy them had
little difficulty in enlisting the aid of the Indians of
the pueblo of Taos.
At all events, while the leadership was in and around
Santa Fé, the actual uprising
centered in Taos, resulting in the killing of Governor
Bent and other friends of the new government in Fernandez, and of all the
American residents at the Arroyo Hondo.
Unwittingly the
revolutionists were ringing the knell of the old Mission
Church at the pueblo,
and it is with this that we are specially concerned. The
news of the revolt and the death of the governor created great
excitement in Santa Fé and called for instant action on the part of the little American
army and those sympathizing with it. The situation was critical. Very few troops were in
Santa Fé; Kearny had marched toward California and Doniphan to Chihuahua, so that the
number remaining in the Territory was very small, and they were scattered at
Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and other distant points. News
came that a large
Mexican and Indian force was approaching from the north.
Delay meant destruction,
and Colonel Price, who was in command, determined to
march immediately with
such troops as he could muster, at the same time sending
to Albuquerque for reënforcements.
All the force that could be gathered amounted to 320
men, including Captain
Angney's Missouri battalion and a volunteer company
composed of nearly all the Americans in the city, under command of
Colonel Ceran St. Vrain, who happened to be in Santa Fé at the time. In this
company were Manuel Chares, Nicolas Pino, and a few
other prominent New
Mexicans, who stood by the new government and offered
their services.
The first conflict
took place at La Cañada, where General Tafoya was
killed, and the Mexicans
and Indians retreated to Embudo. Here they made another
stand in a narrow cation,
but were forced to abandon it and again to retreat, many
of the Mexicans returning to their homes. This time the remainder
concentrated at the pueblo of Taos, with headquarters in the mission
church, within whose massive walls they fortified
themselves against
attack.
Meanwhile the
Americans had been reënforced by Captain Burgwin's
company of cavalry,
which had hastened up from Albuquerque and arrived at
the town of Taos in the afternoon, and immediately marched to the
pueblo.
The American troops
were worn out with fatigue and exposure, and in most
urgent need of rest;
but their intrepid commander, desiring to give his
opponents no more time to strengthen their works, and full of zeal
and energy, if not of prudence, determined to commence an immediate attack.
The two great
buildings at this pueblo are well known from
descriptions and engravings. Between these great buildings, each of
which can accommodate a multitude of men, runs the clear water of the Taos Creek;
and to the west of the northerly building stood the old
church, with walls of
adobe from three to seven and a half feet in thickness.
The church was
turned into a fortification, and was the point where the
insurgents concentrated their strength; and against this Colonel Price
directed his principal attack. The six-pounder and the howitzer were brought into
position without delay, under the command of Lieutenant
Dyer, and opened a fire
on the thick adobe walls. But cannon balls made little
impression on the
massive banks of earth, in which they imbedded
themselves without doing damage; and after a fire of two hours, the battery
was withdrawn, and the troops allowed to return to the town of Taos for their
much-needed rest.
Early the next
morning, the troops advanced again to the pueblo, but
found those within equally
prepared.
The story of the
attack and capture of this place is so interesting, both
on account of the meeting
here of old and new systems of warfare—of modern
artillery with an aboriginal stronghold—and because the church was one
of the oldest of the Spanish Missions, that it seems best to insert the official
report as presented by Colonel Price. Nothing could show
more plainly how
superior strong earthworks are to many more ambitious
structures of defense,
or more forcibly display the courage and heroism of
those who took part in the battle. Colonel Price writes:
“Posting the dragoons
under Captain Burgwin about 260 yards from the western
flank of the church
I ordered the mounted men under Captains St. Vrain and
Slack to a position on
the opposite side of the town, whence they could
discover and intercept any fugitives who might attempt to escape. The
residue of the troops took ground about three hundred yards from the north wall. Here,
too, Lieutenant Dyer established himself with the six-pounder and two howitzers,
while Lieutenant Hassendaubel remained with Captain Burgwin, in command of two
howitzers. By this arrangement a cross-fire was
obtained, sweeping
the front and eastern flank of the church. All these
arrangements being made, the batteries opened upon the town at nine
o'clock. At eleven o'clock, finding it impossible to breach the walls of the church
with the six-pounder and howitzers, I determined to storm the building. At a signal,
Captain Burgwin, at the head of his own company and that
of Captain McMillin,
charged the western flank of the church, while Captain
Angney and Captain
Barber charged the northern wall. As soon as the troops
above mentioned had established
themselves under the western wall of the church, axes
were used in the attempt
to breach it, and a temporary ladder having been made,
the roof was fired. About this time, Captain Burgwin, at the head of
a small party, left the cover afforded by the flank of the church, and penetrating
into the corral in front of that building, endeavored to
force the door. In
this exposed situation, Captain Burgwin received a
severe wound, which deprived
me of his valuable services, and of which he died on the
7th instant. In the meantime,
small holes had been cut in the western wall, and shells
were thrown in by hand,
doing good execution. The enemy, during all of this
time, kept up a destructive fire upon our troops. About half-past three
o'clock, the six-pounder was run up within sixty yards of the church, and after ten
rounds, one of the holes which had been cut with the axes was widened into a
practicable breach. The storming party now entered and
took possession of
the church without opposition. The interior was filled
with dense smoke, but for which circumstance our storming party
would have suffered great loss. A few of the enemy were seen in the gallery,
where an open door admitted the air, but they retired without firing agun. . . “The
number of the enemy at the battle of Pueblo de Taos was
between six and seven
hundred, and of those one hundred and fifty were killed,
wounded not known.
Our own loss was seven killed and forty-five wounded;
many of the wounded have
since died.”
RUINS OF CHURCH, TAOS
PUEBLO
Thus, not by lapse of
time and gradual dissolution, but amid the fierceness of
armed conflict and
with hundreds of cannon balls embedded in its walls,
this ancient Mission, the northerly outpost of the Christianizing
efforts of the intrepid followers of St. Francis fell
into ruin.
Two-thirds of a century has since passed, but its walls
were so massive and so strongly constructed that its remains stand
almost exactly as they were left at the close of the battle, its solitary tower
standing in picturesque grandeur against the clear
horizon, a source of
unceasing interest to the traveler and the favorite
subject of every artist. The illustration shows it as it appeared in
1914.
21.2. B—FERNANDEZ DE
TAOS
The fertile valley of
Taos naturally attracted the Spanish colonists who came
to New Mexico and
the officials who, from time to time, had occasion to
visit the pueblo, and history informs us that at the time of the
Revolution of 1680, there were about seventy Spaniards who had settled there.
At the uprising they were attacked by the Indians from the pueblo and also by the Apaches
who were sojourning there, and all but two were killed. These were Sergeant
Sebastian de Herrera and Don Fernando de Chaves, who, leaving their dead wives and
children, worked their way along the mountains to the
south until they
came within sight of Santa Fé, and finding that the
Spaniards there were besieged
on all sides, continued their journey toward the south
until finally, after ten days of danger and hardship, they succeeded in
joining the Spaniards who had gathered near Isleta under Lieutenant Governor
Garcia.
OLD PARISH CHURCH OF TAOS
After the reconquest
new settlers were attracted by the beauty and fertility
of the valley, and
the town of Don Fernandez grew during the eighteenth
century to considerable proportions. About 1806, or perhaps
somewhat earlier, the large church was erected, which until very recently was the
religious center of the community, and of which we are glad to be able to present an
excellent picture from a photograph. Many years ago the
rear wall showed signs
of weakness and quite a dangerous crack was developed,
but by inserting a
stone foundation and building two massive buttresses of
adobe it was made secure.
These buttresses formed a conspicuous feature when
viewed from the rear, but do not show in the photograph here
presented, which gives a direct front view.
This church was the
scene of the pastoral labors of the celebrated Padre
Martinez for many
years. He became pastor in 1826 and continued in charge
until 1856. During this long period he was not only parish priest,
but he conducted the most important school which then existed in New Mexico,
brought a printing press to Taos, established the first
newspaper in the
Southwest, and published several school-books and
manuals of devotion.
A full generation of the youth of northern New Mexico
was educated under his personal instruction, and he thus exercised
a very important influence in molding the sentiment of that section for many
years. When, as a result of the inevitable clash between the old Mexican
ecclesiastical methods and the new ones introduced by
Bishop Lamy and the
French priests, he was superseded as pastor of Taos by
Rev. Damaso Taladrid,
he continued to hold regular services in a chapel
erected for that purpose, and fully half of the people of Taos refused to
be separated from their old pastor until his death.
CHURCH AT ARROYO HONDO,
TAOS COUNTY
This chapel is still
standing, but has been used for other purposes since the
death of Padre
Martinez. It is forty-eight feet long by twenty-five
feet in width and was entered by a large square door five and a half
feet wide.
Some years ago a
movement was started for the improvement of the old
parish church and
the introduction of some modern features; and this
finally resulted in an effort to erect an entirely new edifice. The
latter project was warmly supported by the “Revista de
Taos,” and a number
of public spirited citizens, and at length was crowned
with success. The new structure, which was dedicated in 1914, is
a very creditable building, thoroughly abreast of the times as to modern
conveniences and ornamentation; but it is a subject of
regret that it could
not have been built on some other piece of ground, so
that the venerable building which was associated with the lives of the
people throughout such a long period could have been preserved as an enduring
monument to the Christian zeal and devotion of the generations that are passed.
21.3. C—RANCHOS DE
TAOS
The church at Los
Ranchos de Taos is one of the finest specimens still
standing of the early
New Mexican church architecture, and it is to be hoped
that it may long be preserved in all its essential features.
THE CHURCH OF RANCHOS DE TAOS
It is massively
constructed of adobe, with two towers in front, the
upper portions of which are built of wood, and each surmounted by a
cross. The front walls on each side of the large central arched doorway are
sloped outside from the top to the bottom so as to form
buttresses to
strengthen the building and also add to the
architectural effect. On one side of the rear, with an entrance from the
chancel, is an addition about twenty feet square. The main body of the church
measures 108 feet in length, inside; to which should be
added the thickness of
the walls. The vigas of the ceiling are all sustained by
carved supports
imbedded in the walls, and some of the vigas themselves
are ornamented by carving.
The understanding
among those best informed is that this church was built
in the year 1772,
and certainly, judging from appearances, it is entitled
to that much of antiquity. The altar is comparatively new, in the modern
French style, but the reredos behind the altar has not been modernized and
apparently has remained unchanged from the time of the building of the church. It
includes eight pictures of saints painted on canvas. On
the north side is
another reredos containing eight pictures painted on
wood, and of native New Mexican workmanship. These, as well as some
others on the south side, have been whitewashed over the paintings at
some remote period, and the marks of that covering are not yet entirely removed. In
the chancel is a large statue of Christ, which is
evidently of great
age. The church and the adjoining rooms are full of
smaller objects of interest, less changed by the spirit of innovation than in
most of the old churches, and consequently well worthy of the attention of the
tourist.
No traveler who is
visiting Taos and its wonderful pueblo should fail to
see this church, as well
as the whole town of Los Ranchos. Originally it was the
home of a number of Pueblo Indians, and a few of the old houses,
showing the aboriginal style of architecture, are still
in existence.
The illustration
presented is from a photograph giving an excellent front
view of the church,
together with the walled campo santo which surrounds it,
and showing not only the large cross which commemorates a mission
held in the parish some years ago, but a number of other crosses which mark
the resting places of the departed."
