Making A Difference: Fiscal Year Partnerships Advance Historic Sites

More visitors than ever visited New Mexico Historic Sites in fiscal year 2023-24 (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024), eager to explore and experience exhibitions and education programs supported by $40,090 in private gifts via the Museum of New Mexico Foundation.

As Foundation-funded projects were completed—including the opening of the Diane Schuler Educational Pavilion at Coronado Historic Site and the installation of Maurice Turetsky sculptures at Lincoln Historic Site and Bosque Redondo Memorial—other initiatives got underway. Private funds via the Foundation facilitated the training of certified interpretive guides at Fort Selden Historic Site while a series of public outreach programs—including educational talks, walking tours and hard hat tours—laid the groundwork for the future opening of the state’s newest historic site: Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site.

The Taylor family of Mesilla is deeply rooted in the state’s history, tracing their ancestry to the 1540s in New Mexico. The story of the
Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site began in 2004 when J. Paul and Mary Daniels Taylor donated the historic Mesilla Plaza home where they raised six children to the state. Their son, Mike Taylor, who served as deputy director of New Mexico Historic Sites from 1995 to 2001, recalls,
"We were normal kids, taking for granted our Spanish colonial furniture, art, Native pottery and more. When school friends visited, their amazement told us how special our home was."

The donation was inspired by his parents’ passion for the history of their small southern New Mexico town. “We wanted to share the story of the Mesilleros,” Taylor says, adding that his mother’s research in Mexico was crucial to the project. “The millions of pages of documents she microfilmed and archived at New Mexico State University are used by Department of Cultural Affairs staff for exhibitions and research on the home and the Mesilla Valley."

Thanks to advocacy efforts by the Foundation led by government affairs director Lorin Abbey, in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and impassioned Friends groups, the state legislature allocated $3.1 million in capital outlay funding this fiscal year to support HVAC, safety measures, accessibility, collections care and more at all of the sites.

"The Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site received a significant boost this year, thanks to the generous support of 18 legislators—an unprecedented
$2,125,000,” says Abbey. “This includes a substantial contribution of $1 million from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Everyone had strong personal connections with J. Paul Taylor, recognized the importance of preserving his legacy and the invaluable gift he and Mary Taylor bestowed upon New Mexico.”

In preparing the Taylor family’s home for public use, the state has “ensured that Mom and Dad’s spirit is preserved,” Taylor says. Part of the property is the Reynolds Center, a historic and newly refurbished storefront that will serve as a community center. Already, staff is preparing for the community-focused activities to be held there, gathering feedback on public programs, partnering with the town to host events like Día de Muertos, as well as collaborating on community-curated exhibitions with New Mexico State University.

“The goal,” according to site manager Wendi Laws,” is to activate the site until the house opens in fall 2025."

Taylor says he is pleased that the public-private funding partnership between the state and the Foundation has "allowed staff to plan exhibits, tours and programs with our family's values and legacy." Laws adds that she is grateful for “the joint efforts of our Friends group, private donations through the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and the advocacy of both organizations with the state legislature."

All historic sites benefited from state capital outlay funds totaling $3,930,000 in the fiscal year, while Foundation funds supported dynamic site programming across the state. Over 750 students took part in educational tours at Fort Stanton Historic Site, while over 1,000 students toured Lincoln Historic Site. Los Luceros Historic Site attracted more than 11,000 visitors from around the world, and Jemez Historic Site hosted 2,000 visitors—in one night—who came to view the annual Lights of Giusewa holiday display.

“All of this would not be possible without generous Museum of New Mexico Foundation donations,” says Matthew Barbour, interim executive director of New Mexico Historic Sites. “In short, your contributions make a difference! They have allowed us to grow our collective
impact across the state, and this success has spurred others, such as our state legislators, to get involved.”

This article and images are from the Museum of New Mexico Foundation’s Member News Magazine.