(Cimarron, NM) Casa del Gavilan Historic Inn has recently been named to the National Register of Historic Places. The Inn, located just outside of Cimarron, is now one of less than 30 properties in New Mexico listed on the Register operating as an inn, hotel or bed and breakfast. Its inclusion on the list signifies that the National Park Service deemed the home historically significant and worthy of preservation.
Nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Cimarron, New Mexico, is the historic inn, Casa del Gavilan, (House of the Hawk). This grand adobe villa was built between 1910-1912 for Jack and Gertrude Nairn, formerly of Hartford, Connecticut. When completed, artists and writers from far and wide came to enjoy the Nairns’ elegant hospitality and to capture the majestic beauty that is New Mexico. With twelve-foot high ceilings, vigas, and eighteen-inch thick walls, Casa del Gavilan is a showplace of early Pueblo-revival architecture featuring artwork and sculptures by Frederick Remington, Charles Russell, Robert Redbird, and others. Casa del Gavilan is located in a very remote, rural setting and guests treasure the peace and quiet of the location, and the sense of tranquility in and around the Casa and offers exceptional views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains and access to plentiful hiking trails.
Casa del Gavilan is one of the earliest Pueblo Revival homes in New Mexico and helped to usher in a uniquely American style of architecture based on the early indigenous culture of the Rio Grande Valley that is today well-known around the world as “Santa Fe Style”. The authentic architecture of the home qualified it for a place on the National Register, which requires that submitted properties should embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction.
“Casa del Gavilan is significant at the state level under National Register Criterion C in the area of architecture,” said Steven Moffson, State and National Register Coordinator for the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division. “The rural Colfax County house is among the earliest and most accomplished examples of a residence designed in the Pueblo Revival Style in New Mexico.”
Before its consideration for National Register status, Casa del Gavilan was first admitted to the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties by the Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. The State Historic Preservation Division typically approves around 10 nominations for the New Mexico Register and sends those to the National Park Service for National consideration.
In addition to the Inn’s inclusion on the National and State Registers, Casa del Gavilan was recently named as one of the Top 25 B&Bs of 2017 by BedandBreakfast.com. It is the only property from New Mexico included on the list.
For more information, visit Casa del Gavilan Historic Inn.
