Nancy Meem Wirth
Honored During Preservation Month
Photo by Maura Kintzer
During May’s Preservation Month celebrations, Cornerstones joined the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, the San Miguel Chapel, Christian Brothers, St. Michael’s High School, the City of Santa Fe, and the Old Santa Fe Association in honoring Nancy Meem Wirth, recipient of the Architectural Stewardship Award. The award recognizes an individual whose leadership has advanced preservation efforts, deepened historical understanding, and sustained the cultural traditions that define New Mexico.
Nancy's connection to preservation is both personal and profound. A founding member of Cornerstones Community Partnerships, she helped shape the organization from its earliest days. As Cornerstones Executive Director Jake Barrow reflects, “Nancy’s father, John Gaw Meem, designed all or part of twenty-two Pueblo mission churches, including Acoma and Laguna. This was something her father cared about, and Nancy inherited that care. I don’t think we’d be here without her.”
Nancy's steady guidance was instrumental in Cornerstones’ founding and growth—from securing the organization’s longtime home on Otero Street to her decades of service as a board member, mentor, and trusted advisor. For Nancy, preservation has always extended beyond adobe walls and timber beams. “Churches are crucibles that contain the history of families,” she observes. “[Cornerstones’ work] is as much cultural preservation as architectural preservation.”
Her lifelong commitment to community has inspired generations. As Mac Watson notes, “She inherited from both parents a graciousness that reminds you of past eras, especially during the contentious times we’re living in. She sees things that ought to be done and devotes herself to doing them.”
That spirit of stewardship continues to resonate throughout Santa Fe and beyond. Through her example, Nancy has passed on a deep respect for preservation, environmental responsibility, and community service to her children and grandchildren. The Meem-Wirth legacy endures not only in the historic places that have been safeguarded through her efforts, but also in the people she has inspired to care for the stories, traditions, and landscapes that connect us to one another.
GIS Course
Executive Director, Jake Barrow planned and coordinated a GIS class at Luna with the North Central New Mexico Economic Development Division (NCNMEDD) that occurred on July 14 and 15. Over 30 individuals signed up, most of whom attended the Tuesday introduction to GIS class. The class had 10 volunteers for the Wednesday field exercise class. They started the city survey of dormant water meters, accomplishing 28 completed surveys and notes on additional structures not identified in the water meter list.
Cornerstones is delighted to announce that we received over 15 Paul Bruhn Revitalization Grant applications from our 7 targeted counties (Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe (outside city limits), Taos, Torrance). Funding supports the preservation and revitalization of historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as contributing properties within a historic district. This program invests in rural communities by supporting preservation, adaptive reuse, accessibility improvements, and stabilization projects that enhance cultural identity, heritage tourism, and community well-being. The successful applicants will be announced in September.
Registration is open for the Historical Society of New Mexico conference, which will be held at Philmont Scout Ranch Sept. 17-19. (https://hsnm.org/history-conference/)
Torreon
In May and June Cornerstones partnered with the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and The Rocky Mountain Youth Corps to conduct preservation training workshops at the historic Lincoln Torreon, in Lincoln, NM. Participants were trained in mud plaster techniques and applied a shelter coat of earthen plaster to the historic stone defensive tower.
Photo by Ruidoso Today
Olive Rush Horno
In early June we completed building an horno at the Olive Rush Historic Artist Home and Garden! Done in a workshop format, this was a collaboration with our friends at Adobe In Action: https://www.adobeinaction.org/ who helped set up the program.
We built the horno in the historic garden on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, where Olive Rush used to host groups while cooking out of her horno. The staff at the Olive Rush Home will finish the plaster work in the coming weeks and begin firing the horno to make bread, cookies, and more!
