“Preservation 50: 1966-2016 Our Legacy Our Future.”
Honoring the fiftieth anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act.
El Paso’s Preservation Month Schedule
Celebrating Preservation on The Mission Trail
May 2016
April 30th- (Saturday)
El Paso History Radio Show
Guests will be Providencia Velázquez, Historic Preservation Officer, Economic and International Development, City of El Paso and Gary Williams, Senior Program Officer, El Paso Community Foundation. The discussion will include the importance of preservation, purpose and work of the local city preservation office and information about Preservation Month activities.
Radio station: KTSM- AM 690
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Hosted by Jackson Polk and Melissa Sargent.
May 1st (Sunday)
Opening Ceremonies and Reception
You are invited! The celebration begins with a presentation by Nestor Valencia entitled, El Paso Landmarks of Historic Preservation: A visual presentation of projects of major historical significance of our area. Refreshments will be served and guests can visit the new History of the Mission Trail Exhibit created by Nick Houser. Also available in the gallery is an exhibit of Zarzuela Posters by local artist Alberto Escamilla.
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cost: free
Location: 9065 Alameda at the Mission Valley Visitor’s Center (a part of the Sun Metro Transit Station).
Information: 915.790.0661 (Tuesday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
Hosted by the City of El Paso, Destination El Paso and the Mission Trail Association.
ALL MONTH on Monday through Thursday
Tour: San Elizario City Hall
The City of San Elizario will host tours of City Hall. The building is part of the original Presidio built in 1789. City Hall is located in what was the barracks for the soldiers who were there to protect Spanish interests in the Paso del Norte Region. Visitors will learn about the history of the area and how the modern city is using the preserved building.
Location: 12710 Church Street, San Elizario. Meet at the reception desk.
Cost: Free
Times: Tours will run continuously starting at 9:30 am. The last tour will begin at 12:30 pm. Tours will last from ten to twenty minutes.
Information: (915) 794-7037
Hosted by the City of San Elizario.
EACH SATURDAY DURING MAY
Tours of the Two Missions & Presidio Chapel – May 7, 14, 21, and 28.
El Paso County is blessed with four of the oldest missions in the United States. Three of the four can be visited on tours offered by the Mission Trail Association. The Ysleta Mission is the oldest continuously active parish in the State of Texas. The Socorro Mission is the second oldest mission in Texas. It was founded by Piro Indians following the Pueblo Revolt in 1680. The third mission, in San Elizario, is a Presidio (military fort) Chapel completed in 1882.
The missions & the Presidio Chapel are active parishes and may be in use at any time for special events. Tours will not enter the church while services are taking place. Free!
Locations: Presidio Chapel – San Elizario San Elceario Parish – 1556 San Elizario Rd., San Elizario, Texas
Mission Socorro – La Purisima Parish – 328 S. Nevarez Street, Socorro, Texas
Mission Ysleta – Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish – 131 S Zaragoza Rd, El Paso, Texas (The Ysleta Mission is undergoing some renovation and tours inside the mission may be limited).
Tour Times: The tours will begin in the morning at 9 a.m., 9:45, 10:15, 11:00, 11:45, and the last tour will be at 12:30 p.m. Each tour is about 30 minutes. Please meet the guide near the front door of the Mission/Presidio Chapel.
Information: 915.790.0661 (office hours are Tuesday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) Hosted by the El Paso Mission Trail Association. Donations to the El Paso Mission Trail will be accepted.
EACH SATURDAY DURING MAY
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo: Tigua Indian Cultural Center – May 7, 14, 21, and 28.
The Cultural Center offers a glimpse into five centuries of rich Pueblo history and tradition. Enjoy Native American Pueblo dances and Tigua bread baking done in the 350 year old tradition.
Location: 305 Yaya Lane, El Paso
Cost: Free
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Information: Call for Dance times 915.859.7700 www.ysletadelsurpueblo.org
Hosted by the Tigua Indian Cultural Center.
May 6th (Friday)
San Elizario First Friday ArtWalk:
There are over 50 studios and seven galleries to visit. See Sinuous Dimensions – A Group Exhibition, which is the work of ten local artists that will be featured at the Golden Eagle Gallery through mid-June. This exhibit is funded in part with a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
Bring the family, some snacks and drinks and watch a free outdoor movie. Listen to a ghost talk and take a ghost tour.
Movie: Young Guns II, stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. What could be more fun than watching a movie about Billy the Kid shown on the wall of the Old Jail. Bring your own chair, too. The movie begins at sundown.
Special event: Join a “Ghost Talk” at 9 p.m. and then take the ghost tour at 10p.m. There is a fee for the ghost tours.
Location: All the activities take place along Main Street in San Elizario.
Cost: All activities are free except there is a fee for the ghost tours.
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Information: 915-851-0093 / 915-851-1682 and www.SanElizarioHistoricDistrict.org.
Hosted by the San Elizario Historic District.
May 7th (Saturday)
El Paso History Radio Show
Ron Lieman and other members of the Ysleta Historic District Committee will discuss a series of upcoming programs about area history with a focus on historic schools along the Alameda Corridor. The first two panel discussions take place at Cadwallader School on May 12th and at Ascarate School on May 26th. This program is a collaborative effort and will include information about Preservation Month activities.
Radio station: KTSM- AM 690
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Hosted by Jackson Polk and Melissa Sargent.
May 12th (Thursday)
Cadwallader School Panel Discussion: Cadwallader 1940-1980
Join us for a panel discussion followed by a question and answer period with former students and teachers from Cadwallader School. Hear personal stories about life between 1940 -1980 at Cadwallader. The panel discussion will be preceded by a presentation titled, The Ysleta Schools on the Alameda Corridor. Exhibits will feature the history of the campus (1924) and its future as a repurposed campus including an archival center. Please note that Cadwallader is a Henry Trost building.
Time: 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 7988 Alameda Ave, El Paso, TX
Information: 915.212.1567
Hosted by the Ysleta ISD, District 19 Retired Teachers, the El Paso County Historical Commission’s Outreach Committee and the Ysleta Historic District Committee (YHDC).
May 13th (Friday)
Open House & Tour: Casa Ortiz (The Bookery)
Tradition says that this adobe home was built by 1800. The structure is an example of late eighteenth or early nineteenth century Spanish Colonial architecture, along with more recent additions. The host, Diego Vazquez, will provide a free tour discussing the history of the property and explain plans for the future. The dream is that Casa Ortiz will serve as a tourist attraction with a restaurant including an exhibit detailing the history of the building and the surrounding area. Restored, the structure will serve as a visual reminder of just how long the Mission Valley has been continuously inhabited.
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location 10167 Socorro Road, Socorro, Texas
Information: 915.212.1567
Hosted by the El Paso County Historical Commission.
May 14th (Saturday)
Tour: Rio Bosque Wetlands & Birds
Meet John Sproul at 7:00 a.m. at the bridge that crosses the Riverside Canal at the entrance to the Jonathan Rogers and Roberto Bustamante water-treatment plants. Rio Bosque Wetlands Park is a wildlife refuge in the Mission Valley that abounds with bird life: 242 different species have been recorded to date. By mid-May, some areas at the park should be flooded, and a nice mix of permanent-resident, summer-resident and migratory birds should be present. We’ll look for them on an easy two mile walk over level terrain suitable for all ages and levels of outdoor experience. Bring water, binoculars, sunscreen and insect repellent.
Location: A map and directions are on the Rio Bosque website -http://research.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=67249. From the meeting place, there will be a caravan to the park. The tour is free.
Time: 7:00 a.m.
Cost: Free
Information: John Sproul, 915-747-8663, www.riobosque.org
Hosted by the Center for Environmental Resource Management, UTEP.
Special Presentation: “Adobe Preservation and Conservation.”
Join us at Rio Vista Farms for a fascinating look at the site through the eyes of Pat Taylor, a national expert on adobe buildings. His talk will focus on traditional adobe preservation techniques and how they can be utilized to preserve and protect adobe buildings in our area.
Time: 10:00 a.m. – noon
Location: Rio Vista Farms
800 Rio Vista Rd.
Cost: Free
Hosted by the El Paso Preservation Alliance.
May 15th (Sunday)
San Elizario Art Market
Enjoy the work of local artists (over 50 studios and galleries). You will also have the opportunity to visit the newly opened “Little Town Pastry Shop and Museum.” The museum will include an era mail sorting table exhibit and informational displays featuring the four post mistresses of San Elizario. The museum will also include a telephone company switch board and telegraph company display. There will also be a display of letters, documents and correspondence related to the city.
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Art Market
Cost: Free
Location: 1556 San Elizario Rd., San Elizario
Information: 915. 851.0093 or 915.851.1682
Special Events during the Art Market: The Pistoleros de San Elizario & Music & Dance
The Pistoleros are re-enactors who will perform two shows depicting the Billy the Kid Breakout of 1876, at the Old County Jail Museum. The shows are at 1:00 & 3:00 p.m.
At 3:30 p.m., San Elizario presents Culture on Display, with dances by Danza Matachin San Judas Tadeo and Mariachi singer Legna Villalobos. Live music continues in the historic district until 8:00 p.m. For additional information: 915-851-0093 / 915-851-1682 or see www.SanElizarioHistoricDistrict.org.
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Cost: free
Location: 1556 San Elizario Rd., San Elizario
Information: 915. 851.0093 or 915.851.1682
Hosted by the San Elizario Historic District.
May 19th (Thursday)
Lecture: The Walls of History: The Home of Moritz Loewenstein: The Merchant Prince of Ysleta
Nick Houser, historian/anthropologist, will provide a talk on the history of the building that houses the Mission Valley Visitors Center. It was the home of the Lowenstein family from the late 1800s. Some of the descendants will participate in his presentation.
Time: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 9065 Alameda, the Mission Valley Visitor’s Center
Information: Call the Mission Trail Office for information. (915) 790-0661
(Office hours are Tuesday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Hosted by the Mission Trail Association.
Lecture: Camino Real, Trails, and Roads at the Pass of the North in the 19th Century
Join us for a special presentation by Troy Ainsworth, the former Executive Director of the El Camino Real De Tierra Adentro Association (CARTA). The route traveled by Spaniards beginning in the late sixteenth century from central Mexico to the far northern frontier along Rio del Norte crossed the river near present-day San Elizario, Texas. These colonizers re-traced in part footpaths traversed by native peoples who journeyed across an expansive region bounded by northern New Mexico, the Gulf of California, and the Gulf of Mexico for sundry purposes including trade, war, alliances, and exploration. Portions of this trail network became highly used in the vicinity of Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, and El Paso, Texas, which demonstrates that the Camino Real was actually a series of routes rather than a single entity akin to a modern paved highway.
Time: 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: Magoffin Home Visitor Center
1117 Magoffin Ave., El Paso, TX
Information: (915) 533-5147
Hosted by the Magoffin Home State Historic Site
May 20th (Friday)
Tour: La Cueva (Old Theater and Dance Hall)
Visit the Andres Chavez Theater and Home and learn more about the property that dates from 1904 and 1910, and the current restoration of the property by a local businessman. The theater is being prepared to once again become a center of social activity and will be open to host a variety of performances and events. The home will also be used to present local art and history.
Time: 4:00 p.m. – to 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 10180 Socorro Road, Socorro, TX.
Information: 915.212.1567
Hosted by the El Paso County Historical Commission.
May 20th continued…
Lecture: Camino Real, Trails, and Roads at the Pass of the North in the 19th Century
Join us for a special presentation by Troy Ainsworth, the former Executive Director of the El Camino Real De Tierra Adentro Association (CARTA). The route traveled by Spaniards beginning in the late sixteenth century from central Mexico to the far northern frontier along Rio del Norte crossed the river near present-day San Elizario, Texas. These colonizers re-traced in part footpaths traversed by native peoples who journeyed across an expansive region bounded by northern New Mexico, the Gulf of California, and the Gulf of Mexico for sundry purposes including trade, war, alliances, and exploration. Portions of this trail network became highly used in the vicinity of Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, and El Paso, Texas, which demonstrates that the Camino Real was actually a series of routes rather than a single entity akin to a modern paved highway.
Time: 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: Mission Valley Visitor Center (9065 Alameda)
Information: Call the Mission Trail Association office (915) 790.0661 (office hours are Tuesday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Hosted by CARTA (El Camino Real Trail Association).
May 22 (Sunday)
Tour: Introduction to Rio Bosque Wetlands Park
This tour will introduce participants to historic environmental conditions in the Mission Valley, to the work to restore native ecosystems at Rio Bosque Wetlands Park, to the plant and animal communities of the park, and to the challenges associated with providing water to the park. We’ll walk approximately two miles over level terrain. Bring water, binoculars, sunscreen and insect repellent.
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Location: Meet at the bridge that crosses the Riverside Canal at the entrance to the Jonathan Rogers and Roberto Bustamante water-treatment plants. A map and directions are on the Rio Bosque website http://research.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=67249.
From the meeting place, there will be a caravan to the park.
Cost: The tour is free.
Information: John Sproul, 915-747-8663, www.riobosque.org
Hosted by the Center for Environmental Resource Management, UTEP.
Guided Tours: San Elizario Historic District
Enjoy a free guided tour of the historic district! The tour covers 417 years of history and is an easy walk suitable for all ages. Tour highlights include the history of seventeen buildings, the Salt War, the legend of Billy the Kid and much more.
Time: The tours begin at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: Meet at the Main Street Mercantile a few minutes prior to each tour. 1556 San Elizario Rd., San Elizario
Information: 915-851-0093 / 915-851-1682 and www.SanElizarioHistoricDistrict.org.
Hosted by the San Elizario Genealogy & Historical Society.
May 26th (Thursday)
Ascarate School Panel Discussion: Life in Ysleta, at Ascarate and along Alameda 1940 to the present.
Join us for a celebrity panel discussion followed by a question and answer period with former students and teachers from Ascarate School. The panel discussion will be preceded by a presentation titled the Ysleta Schools on the Alameda Corridor. Exhibits will feature the history of the campus (1934) and the new Brio Bus Service and Artwork coming to the Alameda Corridor. Ascarate School was designed by Trost in 1929. Free.
Time: 6:00- 8:00 p.m.
Location: 7090 Alameda Ave, El Paso, TX 79915
Information: 915.212. 1567
Hosted by the Ysleta ISD, District 19 Retired Teachers, the El Paso County Historical Commission’s Outreach Committee and the Ysleta Historic District Committee (YHDC).
May 28th (Saturday)
Tour of the Two Missions & Presidio Chapel- see details above.
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo: Tigua Indian Cultural Center – see details above.