2002 Most Endangered

Most Endangered Places in New Mexico 2002

• White Sands National Monument Visitor Center, Otero
  
• Carrizozo Woman's Club, Lincoln
  
• D.D. Monroe Civic Building, Union
  
• New Mexico Public Welfare Building (The Villagra Building), Santa Fe
  
• The Whittlesey House, Bernalillo
  
• Edgewood Schoolhouse, Santa Fe
  
• Glorieta Battlefield, Santa Fe
  
• Castaneda Hotel, San Miguel
  
• The Hondo Valley, Lincoln
  
• Las Cruces Downtown Main Street, Dona Ana
  

Glorieta Battlefield, Santa Fe

Significance: Glorieta Battlefield is the site of the most significant Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River on March 26 ? 28, 1862, and was the site of the last and decisive engagement of that war fought in New Mexico. Termed the "Gettysburg of the West" by some Civil War historians, the battle at Glorieta secured a Union victory in New Mexico.

Threat: Because State Highway 50 sits atop the Santa Fe Trail and bisects the Battlefield, posing a danger to park visitors, Pecos National Historical Park is unable to interpret these historic sites. The 1850 Pigeon?s Ranch, the only extant structure from the time of the battle, is less than three feet from the highway. Heavy vehicular traffic poses serious risk to this last surviving Ranch building. Relocation of NM 50 away from the Battlefield is needed to allow access to the sites and preserve Pigeon?s Ranch.

UPDATE: The Santa Fe County Commission passed a resolution in December 2001 that acknowledged the importance of Glorieta Battlefield and encouraged the State Highway & Transportation Department and National Park Service to resume its study of alternative alignments for New Mexico Road 50 through Pigeon's Ranch. In April 2002, Senator Bingaman issued a press release stating that he would seek federal funding for such a study. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter Congress was required to make major reductions across the board in transportation spending and the funding of a study at Glorieta did not materialize in the fiscal year 2003 budget package passed by the Senate. The State Highway & Transportation Department has remained ambivalent about such a study, choosing instead to focus its efforts on recently completed major construction projects and the backlog of maintenance needed for existing roadways.