National Register Listing

Las Trampas Historic District

On NM 76, Las Trampas, NM

Founded in 1751 by twelve Spanish families from Santa Fe; known for the church of San José de Gracia. The outstanding architectural example in the United States of a Spanish-Mexican village built on the traditional plaza plan is probably San Juan Bautista in California. This town's plaza is still surrounded by structures that were erected between 1813 and 1868. The San Juan Bautista buildings have been carefully restored and there are absolutely no modern intrusions.

Of all the Spanish Colonial settlements in New Mexico, Las Trampas is one of the few retaining its original distinct plaza plan. Unfortunately, however, all traces of the original defensive wall and of the Spanish colonial buildings that once stood around the plaza, except for the Church of San Jose de Gracia (1760-76), have disappeared. First settled in 1751 "by 12 Spanish families from Santa Fe, the walled village flourished despite Comanche and Apache raids. In 1776, 63 ' families numbering 278 people lived in houses defensively clustered around the central plaza at Las Trampas. Not until Indian raids were controlled "by the establishment of Fort Burgwin in 1853 did people build houses far away from the plaza compound. Though frequented by travelers on the mountain road between Santa Fe and Taos, Las Trampas remained essentially a village unto itself, neither influencing or influenced by the outside world. This was true throughout the Spanish, Mexican, and American Periods, until the 1920's. While a plaza plan has remained intact at Las Trampas, the nondescript collection of 12 or 13 adobe and log dwellings and outbuildings now surrounding the plaza exhibit very few Spanish colonial features. All appear to date from 1850 or later, and all include many late 19th century features.

Local significance of the district:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1967.