San José de Gracia Church
Encyclopedia
The San Jose de Gracia Church, also known as Church of Santo Tomas Del Rio de Las Trampas, is a church built between 1760 and 1776 in Las Trampas, New Mexico
. Originally named Santo Tomas del Rio de las Trampas, the church is of adobe
construction with a mud-plaster exterior, which is renewed periodically by parishioners. The church was reroofed and repaired in 1932 by the Society for the Preservation of New Mexico Mission Churches, led by renowned architect John Gaw Meem
.
The church ceiling is painted with 18th and 19th century designs, and the interior is decorated with notable artworks of 18th and 19th century santero
s. The annual feast day is March 19.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1970.
It is included in the Las Trampas Historic District.
Las Trampas, New Mexico
Las Trampas or Trampas is a small unincorporated town in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. Located on the scenic High Road to Taos , it is approximately halfway between Santa Fe to the south and Taos to the north.Founded in 1751 by twelve Spanish families from Santa Fe, it is known for the...
. Originally named Santo Tomas del Rio de las Trampas, the church is of adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
construction with a mud-plaster exterior, which is renewed periodically by parishioners. The church was reroofed and repaired in 1932 by the Society for the Preservation of New Mexico Mission Churches, led by renowned architect John Gaw Meem
John Gaw Meem
John Gaw Meem IV was an American architect based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is best known for his instrumental role in the development and popularization of the Pueblo Revival style...
.
The church ceiling is painted with 18th and 19th century designs, and the interior is decorated with notable artworks of 18th and 19th century santero
Santero
A santero may refer to either:*a practictioner of Santería*an artisan who creates santos and other Spanish-style religious art...
s. The annual feast day is March 19.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1970.
It is included in the Las Trampas Historic District.
External links
- San Jose de Gracia Church, Trampas, Taos County, NM: 1 color and 13 b&w photos, 5 drawings, 6 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey
- Las Trampas photos at Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...