The Lobato-Morley House is one of the oldest and most distinguished residences in Santa Fe. Born into a humble, landless family in the 1730s, Roque Lobato eventually rose to the position of armorer of the Santa Fe Presidial Company. In recognition of his endeavors on behalf of Spain, Lobato received this property as a Spanish land grant. The home he built is an archetypal Spanish Colonial residence of the period, a flat-roofed, one-story, U-shaped adobe structure containing six rooms opening onto a sixteen-foot-deep portal. The Lobato-Morley House also significantly reflects the influence of pioneering archaeologist Sylvanus Morley (1883–1948), an internationally recognized Mayan archaeologist who lived and worked in Santa Fe from 1908 until his death in 1948. Morley purchased and substantially renovated the Lobato House between 1910 and 1912, installing many Arts and Crafts Movement decorative additions. Today the Lobato-Morley House remains a private home.
From Old Santa Fe Today, 5th edition by Audra Bellmore with photographs by Simone Frances.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF SIMONE FRANCES