SALON EL ZAGUÁN
The History and Architecture of the Bataan Memorial Building
A presentation by Karla McWilliams
Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 3 pm MT at El Zaguán, 545 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Free and open to the public. Advance registration encouraged. To register email Hanna Churchwell at hanna@historicsantafe.org.
BATAAN MEMORIAL BUILDING
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SALON OR ISSUES REGISTERING? - Contact: Hanna Churchwell at hanna@historicsantafe.org or call 505.983.2567 for more information.
WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER - Find out more about membership or become a member of Historic Santa Fe Foundation, visit the Join & Give page or , email Giulia Caporuscio at giulia@historicsantafe.org, or call 505-983-2567.
The Historic Santa Fe Foundation is pleased to present a lecture by historian Karla McWilliams on the history of the Bataan Memorial Building. The talk is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at 3 pm in the sala at El Zaguán, 545 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM. The talk is free and open to the public. Advance registration is encouraged.
ABOUT THE TALK:
The Bataan Memorial Building is among the most important civic buildings in Santa Fe. Located next to the Roundhouse and recognizable by its gold cupola, the Bataan Building served as the third of four territorial and state capitol buildings. Built in 1900 in the Neoclassical Revival style, the capitol appeared like many state capitols, clothed in classicism with an asymmetrical portico and surmounted by a dome. It served as the territorial capital for twelve years until statehood was proclaimed in 1912. The building received additions in 1912, 1922, and 1950 to keep pace with the growing state. In 1950, an effort to unify capital complex buildings resulted in the redesign of the Bataan Building in the Territorial Revival style. This new design included a new, front courtyard and a 105-foot-tall belfry tower. The classical portico was removed, and the dome was hidden from public view. After serving as the seat of government in New Mexico for more than six decades, the Bataan Building was made into an office building following the completion of the Roundhouse in 1966. In her presentation, Karla McWilliams uses historic photographs, maps, and physical evidence to explore the architecture and history of the Bataan Building, including the little-known places where the earliest periods of the building’s history can be found. In her close examination of this central building in the history of state government, Karla will expand on how its many iterations have reflected the growth of state government and local attitudes toward historic preservation.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Karla McWilliams is the manager for the grant program and the Certified Local Governments program for the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division in Santa Fe. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Beloit College and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She interned with the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust at Wright’s masterpiece, the Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago, then served as the Preservation Assistant. She later held an internship with ICOMOS in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where she witnessed ethnic Hungarians struggling to preserve their cultural patrimony. In her work with local governments in the US, she provided expertise in historic preservation planning in the cities of Geneva, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; and Kalamazoo, Michigan. She created a roadmap to preserve historic downtown Geneva and worked to preserve historic schools in Cleveland. In her current position at the Historic Preservation Division, Ms. Williams manages two million dollars in state and federal grants and coordinates the Certified Local Governments program. She works closely with communities throughout the state to support local preservation programs. In her off hours, Karla enjoys hiking in the mountains around Santa Fe with her husband and her two dogs.
KARLA MCWILLIAMS
Contact: Hanna Churchwell at hanna@historicsantafe.org or call 505.983.2567 for more information.
Sponsored by New Mexico Bank & Trust, a division of HTLF Bank
