Philip Hesch House

Canadian-born master craftsman Philip Hesch (1828–1914) built a home for his large family in a bustling part of town near the state capitol and new railyard district in 1888. The home, which remained in the Hesch family until 1912, is a rare example of the French Second Empire Style in Santa Fe, influenced by the powerful presence of archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy. Philip Hesch, originally from Preston, Ontario, Canada, moved to Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1865 and settled in Santa Fe in 1876, where he established a successful contracting firm. Multiple public, educational, and commercial projects are attributed to Hesch including the Catron Block (see Catron Block); St. Catherine’s Industrial Indian School (see St. Catherine’s Industrial Indian School); buildings at the Santa Fe Indian School; the original St. Vincent Sanatorium (1882), which burned down in 1896; and multiple storefronts on Santa Fe’s main commercial thoroughfare, San Francisco Street.

From Old Santa Fe Today, 5th edition by Audra Bellmore with photographs by Simone Frances.