New Mexico History Museum, April 26, 2025, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM

Each May, Santa Fe’s preservation organizations unite to honor the city’s heritage and earthen building traditions. The City of Santa Fe, Historic Santa Fe Foundation, and Old Santa Fe Association co-host the Heritage Preservation Awards at San Miguel Chapel, recognizing architects, homeowners, and professionals. Separately, the State Historic Preservation Office’s Cultural Properties Review Committee presents its annual awards—a tradition spanning over 50 years. Cornerstones Community Partnerships crafts adobe bricks downtown for restoration projects across the region, preserving cultural heritage through hands-on work and community engagement. In 2025, Historic Santa Fe Foundation partnered with the New Mexico History Museum and others to present Preserving Place: The Santa Fe Symposium—a day-long Preservation Month preview event exploring preservation challenges and relevance through expert discussions.

The partners for this event were: Historic Santa Fe Foundation, New Mexico History Museum, the State Historic Preservation Office, Old Santa Fe Association, City of Santa Fe Historic Preservation Division, Friends of Architecture, AIA Santa Fe, and Cornerstones Community Partnerships.

Sponsored by Emodsol, Cornerstones Community Partnerships, DNCA Architects, and Albert Parra, Adparra Contractors.

SCHEDULE

9:00 AM | Welcome and Announcements

9:15–10:20 AM
Old Santa Fe Association and Historic Santa Fe Foundation: Our History and Future
Panelists: Edward Archuleta (OSFA), Randy Bell (OSFA), Melanie McWhorter (HSFF), Mac Watson (HSFF).
In 2026, the Old Santa Fe Association (OSFA) will commemorate its 100th anniversary. Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF), established in 1961 by many OSFA members, began as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on preserving Santa Fe’s cultural and architectural heritage. OSFA, historically operating under a different structure, transitioned to 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2024. Following this change, leadership and supporters of both organization see the need to delineate and define their distinct missions, projects, and programs. The panel discussion will outline the histories, current structures, and initiatives of OSFA and HSFF, followed by audience questions to better articulate each organization’s contributions to preservation efforts in Santa Fe.

10:30-11:40 AM
Archaeology and Preservation in Downtown Santa Fe’s Historic Districts
Moderated by: Gary Moquino, Historic Preservation Division Manager
Panelists: Stephen Post, Former Deputy Director of the DCA Office of Archaeological Studies; Mark Mitchell, Former Governor, Pueblo of Tesuque; Paul Duran, Senior Planner & City Archaeologist; and Heather Lamboy, AICP, Planning & Land Use Department Director.
Santa Fe’s rich archaeological heritage spans over 11,000 years, encompassing Puebloan, Spanish Colonial, Territorial, and 20th-century layers. This talk delves into the city’s pioneering efforts to protect its subsurface history through three Archaeological Review Districts—Historic Downtown, River and Trails, and Suburban—each with distinct preservation protocols.

11:40 AM–12:40 PM | Lunch Break (off-site and on your own)

12:45–1:55 PM
State Historic Preservation Office’s (SHPO) Role in State and National Preservation
Panelists: SHPO staff Karla McWilliams, Steven Moffson, and Matt Saionz.|
This presentation will provide an introduction to the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division’s programs. The talk will discuss tax credits, funding options, and levels of historic designation. Karla McWilliams is the Deputy Director of the NMHPD and formerly served as CLG and Grants Coordinator. She will speak on grant funding and the Certified Local Government program. Steven Moffson is a historian with the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, and he will discuss the National and State Register. Matt Saionz is a historian with the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division. He will talk about how he manages the tax credit program and coordinates the state historic marker program.

2:05-3:20 PM
Architectural Design in Santa Fe with Santa Fe AIA
Panelists: Shawn Evans, AIA, Richard Martinez, AIA, Beverley Spears, FAIA, and Gayla Bechtol, AIA.
AIA Santa Fe is the local component of the American Institute of Architects, the national professional organization serving architects in the United States. Members must be registered architects; associate members must be working toward registration. This 15-minute presentation will be followed by discussion between panelists and the audience.

3:30–4:20 PM
The Future of Preservation in Santa Fe (A facilitated audience discussion)
Presented by: Anthony Guida, President of Friends of Architecture Santa Fe.
The City Different has taken many approaches to preservation over the last 120 years - revivalism, speculative restoration, design controls, and historic protections, to name a few. A facilitated audience discussion will imagine the future of preservation in Santa Fe, informed by our past successes, current challenges, and collective ambitions.

4:20 PM | Closing Remarks