Los Pinos Ranch Added to HSFF's Register
Los Pinos Ranch
At the August 25, 2022 Board of Directors meeting, the Education, Research, and Archives Committee recommended to the Board that Los Pinos Ranch be added to the HSFF Register of Properties Worthy of Preservation. The ranch was approved, adding another property with a fascinating history to the Register. Many of the guest ranches that once checkered northern New Mexico have now disappeared, as have many of the Spanish Log construction buildings in the region. Still operational and with great architectural integrity, Los Pinos Ranch is an enduring emblem of the economic activity and architectural typology that characterized the region during the early to mid 1900s.
Founded in 1912 by Amado Chaves, Los Pinos Ranch has served as a guest ranch for over a century. It became part of a phenomenon in which affluent and educated individuals from the East Coast sought outdoor adventure in a rustic yet cultivated setting. Over the years, Los Pinos Ranch has welcomed many historically significant guests, including Charles Lummis, Marc Simmons, Paul Horgan, and Robert J. Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer, in particular, visited the ranch multiple times over several decades, beginning in his teenage years. His horseback rides with Amado’s daughter Kia Chaves, a lifelong friend, eventually led Oppenheimer to the area that would become the site of the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos.
Alan “Mac” Watson researched and wrote the nomination for the property on behalf of the ranch’s owners Alice M. McSweeney and William J. McSweeney. The McSweeney family is one of two families who owned and operated the ranch. The McSweeney and Chaves families both meticulously maintained guest registers, diaries, letters, photographs, and videos which provided Mac with a wealth of details on the ranch’s history. The property and its facilities, its history of use up to the present day, and the significance of the individuals associated with Los Pinos Ranch over the past century all contribute to making Los Pinos Ranch a property worthy of preservation and recognition. It is an honor to include such a remarkable property on the HSFF Register
