TERRA Scholarship Awardees | Fort Bowie

Presenting Scholarship Awardees For TERRA 2022 Conference

Cornerstones has had the great honor of facilitating a scholarship program for Indigenous people from the Southwest to participate in TERRA 2022, the international conference that gathers together the earthen architecture community. TERRA 2022, the 13th World Congress on Earthen Architectural Heritage, is the 13th gathering since its inaugural meeting in 1972, and this year the conference will take place here in Santa Fe. We're delighted to be a local partner in this international event that hosts the latest groundbreaking research and work in the study and conservation of earthen architecture.

Tribes and Pueblos in the United States and Northern Mexico will be represented by people traveling from New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Missouri, and Massachusetts, as well as Sonora, Mexico. The professional backgrounds of the awardees varied greatly, reflecting the diversity of people working with earthen building materials. Graduate students, artists, educators, tribal officials, preservation officers for Pueblos, National Park preservationists, nonprofit founders, and community organizers were among those who accepted scholarships.

This scholarship is made possible through financial support from the Getty Foundation and Chamiza Foundation.

We’re grateful to feature a few of the awardees in this Mud Blast. Eric Calvert is an Adobe Preservationist with Avanyu General Contracting (who formerly worked for Cornerstones). During the first phase of the Ohkay Owingeh Owe’neh Bupingeh Project, Eric gained extensive training and mentoring in all aspects of Historic Adobe Preservation. That project preserved the homes that form the core of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, providing him invaluable hands-on experience. He now works as a foreman, supervising crews of masons and Plasterers for Avanyu across New Mexico, Texas, and California.

Eric works with Liana “Joy” Sanchez, an enrolled tribal member of Pueblo de San Ildefonso. She is co-owner of Avanyu General Contracting. Ms. Sanchez has been responsible for Avanyu LLC’s office management, support, and financial operations for the past 18 years.

Another awardee is Daryl Lucero, a member of the Pueblo of Isleta, who spent his formative years as he described it, "a HUD house, private schools, rez schools, and out on his great-grandfather's field." Those spaces gave Daryl a framework for understanding the needs of his community. Much of Daryl’s time today is spent growing food and creating spaces that foster inter-generational knowledge and kinship reflective of D’ai relationality, by taking a harm reduction approach to moving spaces from extractive and violent to supportive and sustainable systems. Building with earth has allowed him to expand his space-making work.

Daryl in a greenhouse

Eric in the field

Liana, at an event by the New Mexico Small Business Development Center

Adobe Ruins Preservation at Fort Bowie National Historic Site

Our crew and a team of volunteers recently returned from a two week intensive workshop at Fort Bowie, near Wilcox, AZ. Working alongside NPS staff, we removed failing plasters, carefully identified stable adobes, and replaced the plaster system. To preserve the 1860s adobe walls, we are using both earthen and lime plasters as shelter coats. These materials are highly compatible with adobe walls, allowing for the adobe to “breathe,” meaning water vapor can pass through the plasters to keep the walls dry.

The strategy at the park is preservation–we are not rebuilding or restoring, but preserving the adobe walls in their current state as ruins. These walls have no roof and are very exposed to the elements. Over time they have weathered into interpretive features on the landscape, rather than functional buildings.

A huge thank you to our volunteers–Lea, Rachel, Kateri, and Ruben–and lime plaster maestro Larry Limon.

Brickmaking Season Again | Mam A Gah Picnic Area

It is brickmaking season again

Last week, I spent an invigorating day at Plaza del Cerro, Chimayo. There students from Wellesley, Massachusetts’ Village Church volunteered during their spring break. Cornerstones has been honored to host them for 9 of the last 11 years.

Photo of the students from Wellesley by Tracey Enright.

Tons of Logs Lifted to Rebuild Mam A Gah Picnic Area

The Mam A Gah workshop concluded on Friday, April 22. Mam A Gah is a picnic shelter Ramada built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in Saguaro National Park during the Great Depression. In a designated wilderness area, the picnic area is considered “backcountry” by some as it requires a hike in.

Tons of materials were hauled in and out by hand to accomplish the repairs to the structure. Hoisting 500lb log beams into place on top of concrete columns was a unique challenge. But that task was made easy thanks to the Park Trail crew who joined Stephen Calles and Alan Ash in putting the shelter back together.

Santa Fe roofer Edgar Salcido helped throughout but mainly contributed his expertise in installing the roofing membrane. Training included concrete repair and strengthening, log assembly, and membrane roofing application. The final result is truly impressive and provides needed shelter to the many visitors who hike the trail in that wilderness area of the National Park.

Photo of the Mam A Gah rebuilt picnic area by Cornerstones staff.

Archival Photo of the Picnic Area.

Adobe Downtown | The 304th Opening of the Rael Acequia

Celebrate Historic Preservation Month By Making Adobes in Santa Fe

Cornerstones will host an adobe brickmaking event at San Miguel Chapel on Saturday, May 28th. Adobe Downtown will be an opportunity to participate in brickmaking and enjoy historic Santa Fe.

May is Historic Preservation Month, and the bricks we make together will be used to restore historic community buildings in Chimayo and Mora! We will have staff and volunteers ready to teach and supervise all who attend the event. All ages are welcome. We will supply all materials. Brickmaking will start at 9 am and run through 2 pm.

Returning to the grounds of San Miguel is always special for Cornerstones. Alongside hundreds of volunteers, we made bricks, plastered walls, and shored up portions of the country's oldest church between 2010 and 2014. We continue preserving San Miguel and will have more projects there, including a solar installation on the roof this summer.

Mark your calendars and invite a friend to Adobe Downtown. We're excited to see so many of Cornerstones' friends and supporters there!

McCune Charitable Foundation Highlights Cornerstones

We are honored that the McCune Charitable Foundation spotlighted Cornerstones as a Featured Grantee this year. The McCune Foundation is dedicated to enriching the health, education, environment, cultural, and spiritual life of New Mexicans. The Foundation memorializes its benefactors through proactive grantmaking that seeks to foster positive social change. With the Foundation's support, we carry on our support for communities, our work around renewable energy, and our efforts to keep New Mexico culturally vibrant.

The 304th Opening of the Rael Acequia

For the 304th consecutive year, the Rael Ranch acequia was reopened this past Monday. The acequia flows to a field of fruit trees and provides water for wildlife throughout the property. As households, farms, and communities across New Mexico begin to plant, trim, prune, and plow, Cornerstones and our volunteers joined in the work that comes with spring's full arrival.

After five weeks of rebuilding parts of the acequia and the annual limpia, we joined the neighbors to celebrate our collective hard work and the continual life of the acequia. A couple of volunteers played traditional New Mexican music; one of our staff members served posole. We are grateful to take part in work so close to New Mexico's history and heritage.

Joan Brooks Baker Guest Column | We're Hiring

In Celebration of Women's History Month

Joan Brooks Baker, a Santa Fe-local, award-winning memoirist and a member of our Advisory Council, took a recent trip to Abiquiu, New Mexico, and wrote about the Women's Morada there.

In honor of Women's History Month, Joan interviewed Theresa Jaramillo. Joan writes, "I had heard that the Abiquiu women had taken over the MoqueMorada. If this was true, I wanted to understand the new role of women. 'Are women now included in the Brotherhood, in some way?' I asked Theresa."

Above photos by Joan Brooks Baker

Cornerstones is Hiring

We are hiring! Cornerstones is seeking a motivated and detailed-oriented Development Manager to manage and advance a fundraising program that encompasses individual, foundation, corporate, and government income sources. This is a full-time position that reports to the Executive Director.

A full description of the job and instructions for applying is available at: https://www.cstones.org/dev-manager

Las Trampas Revisited | Volunteer Days at Rael Ranch

Notes from the Field: Las Trampas Revisited

Driving north on the scenic High Road to Taos with spectacular views of Truchas peaks as a backdrop, one passes through the Village of Las Trampas. On the right-hand side of the road, you can’t miss the National Landmark San Jose de Gracia Mission Church that sits prominently in the Village of Las Trampas, itself a National Landmark District. The patina of age radiates from this Church. The adobe walls are weathered. But its prominent size, design, and location along this mountainous highway arrest any passersby. Travelers often stop, take pictures, and go to the locked door, wishing to enter.

In times past, Jose Lopez—a frequent Mayordomo and elder who lived just opposite from the Church—would often come out to open the door. He graciously entertained visitors and responded to their questions and comments. The north windows in his house lookout at San Jose, and he had a habit of glancing that way anytime he passed those windows. Jose’s connection to San Jose was about as deep as a connection to a building could be. It was in his blood. He was and is not the only one.

Volunteers Needed: Rael Ranch Acequia Cleaning and Repairs

As spring inches closer, we are planning work on the Rael Acequia near La Cienega, NM yet again. Before the irrigation season, we will be back to clean the acequia by cutting back brush, shoveling out silt, and clearing an overflow pond. This spring we are also doing major bank repairs using stone and clay from on-site.

We have plenty of opportunities for volunteers to participate in cleaning days and on acequia bank repairs. Please email issac@cstones.org if you would like to join us for this project.

Earthbuilders Guild Tour | Lime Kilns of Saguaro

Adobe Construction: A Tour of the Past, Present, and Future with The Earthbuilders’ Guild

Cornerstones is part of a community of practice that is passionate about earth construction. On a sunny Saturday last month, I attended a tour organized by The Earthbuilders’ Guild. The Earthbuilders’ Guild preserves and promotes the age-old building methods of adobe, rammed earth, and compressed earth block construction. This group joins examinations of history with innovative applications of earthen architecture.

The two projects on the tour wonderfully compare and contrast passions common in the earthbuilding community—the restoration of an important part of a community’s heritage and the realization of a nearly life-long dream with a newly built private home. Follow along on the Earthbuilders Guild Tour!

Photo of the Corrales Old Schoolhouse by Tracey Enright.

Repairing Lime Kilns that built Tucson in Saguaro

Saguaro National Park—outside Tucson, AZ—has six historic lime kilns within its boundaries. Communities around the world once used large stone structures like these to burn limestone, transforming it into a reactive state. Limestone, after it was burned, was hydrated and crushed into quicklime, a material useful for masonry work. As a National Park Service Resource Brief by Saguaro National Park notes, “The earliest use of lime dates to present-day Turkey between 7,000 and 14,000 years ago, and many ancient civilizations used it to create mortar to hold stones together.”

The kilns in Saguaro only date back to the late nineteenth century. They provided essential lime for whitewashing, plastering, and mortaring the then up-and-coming City of Tucson, first built as a military fort by the Spanish in 1775, later acquired by the US in 1853. As was the case around Tucson, stonemasons constructed kilns near limestone deposits, often into hillsides. Each kiln bottom contains a hearth that would heat an above, enclosed vault lined with adobe bricks or stone. The vault contained the limestone “charges.” Charges would be fired for four days and four nights, using up to 15 cords of wood, all to produce a single batch of usable lime.

Our field project manager and stonemason Alan Ash led efforts to repair the Saguaro kilns in workshops occurring last year and this January. For the Wyss Lime Kiln, one of the six that needed skillful attention, the first task for rebuilding was gathering stones that had fallen out of the kiln walls. These stones and others that matched the originals reconstructed the stone kiln’s walls. Rebuilding also involved excavating stones and walls, resetting stones in their original locations, repointing the joints, and finally setting capstones. Alan and his team used natural hydraulic lime to repair mortars.

Our team carried out these training workshops to provide additional longevity to the kilns, once crucial to the burgeoning settler community of Tuscon. Many visitors hike to the kilns to imagine the technological challenges of the past - challenges so far removed from our times, where home improvement stores readily supply many mortars for construction. We’re grateful for all of Alan’s efforts, the assistance and ongoing work of Saguaro National Park, and our volunteers. We also appreciate those who marvel with us at the preservation of historic building technologies, such as these kilns, and all they can teach us about the past.

View fullsize

Photos of the Wyss Lime Kiln by Alan Ash.

View fullsize

Death Valley and Back Again | Our New Podcast Miniseries

An Adventure to Death Valley

In the last months of 2021, Cornerstones staff hit the road to three National Park sites in Southern Arizona and California to complete adobe and stone masonry projects. We spent time training Interns in the Traditional Trades Apprenticeship Program at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, working with staff and volunteers at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and running an adobe workshop at Death Valley National Park. Here we want to highlight the work we accomplished in Death Valley.

Cornerstones held a three-week workshop at Death Valley National Park, which focused on making over 2000 adobes! To reach our goal, we partnered with the Arizona Conservation Corps’ Tohono O’odham crew. We exceeded our goal, making 2091 adobes. Weighing in at 35 pounds each, that meant 70,000 pounds of earth were mixed, formed into bricks, flipped, and stacked. The Park will use these adobes in an upcoming restoration project in the park.

As adobe production was in full swing, we also restored a nearby 1930s entrance sign to the Cow Creek Administrative area. The sign had been in disrepair since the late 1980s. Volunteers and park staff were trained on how to lay adobes, stitch adobes into an existing wall, and carry out earthen plastering.

The first two pictures below show us restoring the 1930s Cow Creek Entrance Sign, and the second two are of AZCC and NPS staff making adobes and standing in our adobe field.

Photos by Issac Logsdon

A New Podcast by Cornerstones and Adobe In Action

Adobe In Action, a New Mexican nonprofit that supports owner-builders with their adobe homes, collaborated with Cornerstones on a podcast series, Mud Talks: Preserving Earthen Architecture. The podcast miniseries, hosted by AIA’s Executive Director Kurt Gardella, explores practical step-by-step breakdowns of essential aspects of earthen preservation. These explorations range from engineering principles through standards for historic preservation, introductory adobe-brickmaking through maintenance plans for adobe buildings.  

The podcast series was made possible through a generous grant from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training and the National Park Service. Cornerstones' Program Director Jake Barrow served as the Principal Investigator for the Grant Agreement.

The first episode dives into the Department of Interior's standards for historic properties. Each standard exemplifies how historic preservationists balance history, aesthetics, and the use of buildings. Rehabilitation, for example, allows for additions, repairs, and modifications but protects portions and features that convey historic, cultural, and architectural values. Preservation, on the other hand, sustains existing forms and the overall integrity of structures as they were once built. Notions of historicity lace both concepts, and each deeply informs how Cornerstones goes about maintaining and rebuilding Southwestern historic and cultural centers.

In the first episode, Jake Barrow, our Program Director, discusses the restoration projects at the historic core of the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. Members of the pueblo inhabited many of the old adobe homes there, but most were deteriorating, and some had been lost to time. Using HUD funds in a new and innovative way, many homes have been rehabilitated back to livability using traditional adobe technology, keeping families in the core pueblo. Bringing historic preservation practices to housing development in this case allowed for greater environmental sustainability by not relying on new construction. It also built social sustainability by preventing displacement. This project enters its fifth phase in 2022.   

We’re very grateful for Kurt’s excellent work on this project, and we hope that the Mud Talks: Preserving Earthen Architecture informs and tantalizes a wide audience, from experts to curious members of the public. We will be sharing more of what the episodes cover in future Mud Blasts. You can listen to the podcast's inaugural on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Spreaker. Subscribe to the Mud Talks channel to catch future episodes.

Scholarship to Terra 2022 | Completeing Work at Keys Ranch,

Happy New Year!

When I launched this column a year ago, it was an opportunity to look back through the history of Cornerstones and give you a moment to learn or reminisce as I read up on the organization. This year, I am broadening the scope of my column to provide more information about what we are doing today. I will continue to publish columns about our history - there are still a lot of fascinating stories to share - but I want to highlight some of the new initiatives that the Cornerstones team is working on now.

One of the pillars of Cornerstones' mission is supporting individuals and communities continuing the architectural traditions of the Southwest. Educational and professional development opportunities are among the ways that we do this. Right now, with funding from the Getty Foundation and the Chamiza Foundation, we are providing scholarships to Terra 2022, the 13th World Congress on Earthen Architectural Heritage, the largest international gathering of earthen building practitioners and professionals. I was delighted that the Getty Conservation Institute approached us last year to partner with them on this scholarship.

The scholarship is for professionals and students from the 19 Native American pueblos and tribes in New Mexico, tribes and pueblos from Southwestern states and Northern Mexico, to attend the Terra.  It is important not only that those communities are included in further skill-sharing around earthen architectural practices, but also that their knowledge, experience, and traditions are highlighted to other parts of the professional community.

Terra 2022 will take place in Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 7-10, 2022, as a hybrid event with both in-person and virtual options. Hundreds of specialists in the fields of conservation, anthropology, archaeology, architecture and engineering, scientific research, site management, and sustainable development of earthen architectural heritage will attend. Workshops, presentations, posters, and digital media will illuminate current research and teach best practices in conserving earthen heritage across the world. Up to 600 attendants are expected to participate either in-person or virtually. 

We are accepting applications now. The scholarship will substantially or fully cover attendance, accommodation, and travel costs to Santa Fe to attend Terra 2022. 

The full scholarship application and more information is available here: https://www.cstones.org/terra-2022 If you know someone who might want to apply, please forward this email to them or share this link. 

Completing Work at Keys Ranch, History-Filled Vista of Joshua Tree

From top left to bottom right: a view of the schoolhouse; the guest house; interior of the schoolhouse; and a picture of our volunteers and NPS staff.

Keys Ranch is an iconic site within Joshua Tree National Park that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It is an extensive complex of buildings that demonstrate the tenacity and trials faced by ranchers in California around the turn of the twentieth century. Bill Keys and his family built the small structures between 1910, when the Keys settled there, and 1969, the year of Bill Key's death. The complex includes a ranch house, schoolhouse, store, workshop, guest house, and ten other buildings, all viewable on tours through the Park Service. Stories of Bill Keys and the domestic vista he left behind stand to remind us of another moment in American history, times filled with more toil and isolation as well as cattle rustlers, Western-style shootouts, and the bounties and pains of early-industrial homesteading.

Joshua Tree as a larger area that surrounded the original ranch was declared a national monument in 1936; and Joshua Tree was redesignated as a national park in 1994 when Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act. As a preservation study for the Park Service reported, it was "in the fall of 1964, at the age of 85, Keys sold his ranch, by then a total of 240 acres, to Henry E. Tubman of Los Angeles for a sum reportedly in excess of $131,000. He retained the right of life tenancy on the ranch, and adjoining orchard. At that time, Tubman announced plans to trade this Ranch, within Joshua Tree."

Cornerstones conducted multiple training workshops in historic preservation maintenance at Keys Ranch over the last five years through our partnership with the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit, the regional chapter of CESU we're part of. Our work stabilized ranch buildings that require maintenance against the harsh conditions of Joshua Tree. "Intense sun/ UV light, strong winds, blowing sand, extreme heat, cold, and humidity/ precipitation ranging from very arid conditions much of the year, to wind-driven rain and humid summer monsoons with torrential rains, and winter snow, take their toll on the old structures at Keys Ranch," wrote our very own Nicholas Holmes who resides in the town of Joshua Tree and took over from Jean Fulton early in the project.

To combat the elements, Nicholas, after Jean, assisted community volunteers, interns, and NPS staff to reconstruct the historic arrastra*, reattach building corners, batten down roofs, jack up walls, reglaze windows, and remove rodents’ access to many of the buildings. Their work will help keep the Keys Ranch standing and open to the public for years to come, a perpetual reminder of part of our national history, how life was in the old wild west, and how quickly times change.

* "The arrastra was a primitive crusher/mill used in old time mining operations. It was horse/mule powered and used the action of grindstones to process the rock extracted from gold mining." That useful definition comes from a USDA exhibit site on Gila National Forest.

From the Field | Getty Grant for Terra Scholarships

From the Field: A Reflection

BY Jake Barrow, Program Director

Working on a Cornerstones project often presents surprises. Sometimes these are of another category, like being astonished or awed. For me an occurrence during the late summer of 2011 at San Miguel Chapel put me into another dimension. Our focus was San Miguel adobe wall repair and plastering of the north and east side of the nave which was part of our continuing project to preserve the entire exterior of the Chapel started in 2010. A Save Americas Treasures Grant and other donations funded the project. In 2011 the National Park Service, Vanishing Treasures Program (VT) provided special funding for training Pueblo youth in adobe conservation skills as a “hands on” “learn by doing” project. At the time we had Pat Taylor on our team who is a recognized expert in stitching adobe and all things adobe. We launched this workshop training with five youth, mostly Okay Owingeh trainees. One Navajo youth participated. The Okay Owingeh center village rehabilitation project was just beginning to take off, so the coincidence of our training program was precipitous. In that project the Pueblo has embarked on a multi-year strategy to rehabilitate the historic center village back into use as a contemporary living place. The center village is built entirely of adobe. The youth being supported by VT funds were also some of the same youth employed on the pueblo project.

Cornerstones Receives Major Grant from the Getty Foundation, Partners with Getty Conservation Institute

With financial support from the Getty Foundation and Chamiza Foundation, Cornerstones Community Partnerships and the Getty Conservation Institute will provide scholarships to support speakers and participants from the 19 Native American pueblos and tribes in New Mexico, representatives from tribes and pueblos from other Southwestern states, and representatives from Northern Mexico to attend the Terra 2022 13th World Congress on Earthen Architectural Heritage.

The Congress will take place in Santa Fe in June, 2022, and will be an educational opportunity for those working with or studying earthen architecture. Hundreds of specialists from many fields will attend, including building and construction, site management, conservation, anthropology, architecture, and sustainable development. Workshops, presentations, posters, and digital media will illuminate contemporary research and teach best practices in conserving earthen heritage across the world: terra2022.org

The scholarship application portal is now open. Please visit cstones.org/terra-2022 to apply or learn more. The application deadline is January 16, 2022. Please spread the word by sharing our Terra page with anyone who may want to apply or may know people who might.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Burdick, Special Projects Manager
lburdick@cstones.org

Cornerstones' Work in National Heritage Network

Cornerstones’ heritage preservation work falls into two tracts. The first is what we call core mission projects. These are the preservation projects central to why we were founded 35 years ago: projects that are direct collaborations with community members to preserve their heritage. Recent examples of this work are Plaza del Cerro in Chimayo, churches in Mora County, and the Women’s Morada in Abiquiu. We fund these projects through generous gifts from individuals and companies as well as grants from foundations. 

The other tract is projects that take place under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network. This is a nationwide group of organizations that collaborate with the federal government to steward many of our country’s natural and cultural resources. I love that we are part of this effort because it signals to me that Cornerstones is not only a “go-to” organization to care for some of our national heritage, but we are also seen as qualified to train others. An important part of these projects is conducting “hands-on” historic preservation training workshops on public lands for federal employees and volunteers. The federal government funds these projects. 

We are currently working on CESU projects in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. In this column, I am focusing on one of them. Ryan Ranch in Joshua Tree National Park has an interesting story that illustrates one of the key periods in the recent history of the American West. But honestly, the motivation for this column came when I was preparing a slide show for a presentation. Many gorgeous photos of Ryan Ranch grabbed my attention.  

Planning Your Year-End Giving

As you consider your year-end charitable contributions, please remember Cornerstones' work and contributions to preservation of the Southwest's cultures and iconic landscape.

Our year-end appeal letter and remit envelope will arrive in mailboxes shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Or, you may choose to donate online. Or, perhaps you're considering a gift of stock, a distribution from you IRA, or payment from a donor advised fund. We can receive payments from all these options.

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a transfer of funds, please contact Mary Madigan, Director of External Relations, at mmadigan@cstones.org or (505) 982-9521, x 301. Many thanks for considering Cornerstones Community Partnerships.

Board Announcements

Celebrating Wilson K. Mason

As we welcome new board leadership, the entire Cornerstones team thanks Wilson K. Mason for his service as Chair of the Board of Directors for the past three years. Wilson exemplifies outstanding leadership, service, passion, and hard work. Among his many accomplishments was his commitment to keeping Cornerstones a resilient organization by maintaining a strong financial position. He implemented strategic policies on Cornerstones’ endowment. We are grateful that Wilson will stay on in a leadership role as Board Chair Emeritus.

New Slate of Board Officers

A new slate of officers was elected in September at the Annual Meeting of our Board of Directors. All are seasoned Cornerstones Board Directors bringing a wealth of experience to the organization’s governance. We are delighted to move into the coming year partnering with the leadership of: 

Monie Blum, Chair 
Boni Armijo, Vice Chair 
Lynne Spivey, Secretary 
Angelo Gaziano, Treasurer 
Wilson K. Mason, Chair Emeritus 

As the new Chair of the Board of Directors, Monie Blum states, “Preservation of New Mexico’s rich history is important to me, and it is an honor to serve on the board of Cornerstones Community Partnerships. I am proud of the work we do to train youth and community volunteers on how to restore and preserve historic structures. The Solar Heritage Preservation initiative is the next big step to combine renewable energy while preserving historic integrity.” 

Monie Blum is a native New Mexican and has been a resident of Santa Fe for the last 15 years. Monie was Senior Vice President of Operations at Los Alamos National Bank and had a 35-year career in banking. In retirement she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and granddaughter. Community service is in her heart; she sits on the board of Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity in addition to serving as Cornerstones’ Chair, Board of Directors. 

Vice Chair Boni Armijo is a native Santa Fean who has worked in the construction industry for four decades. In 2000, Boni founded Building Adventures Unlimited, a general contracting, remodeling, and building business in Santa Fe. A longtime Director of Cornerstones, Boni is an active community member, having served the Special Olympics, the New Mexico School for the Deaf, Santa Fe’s Planning Commission and Historic Review Board, the Regional Juvenile Justice Board, and the Community College Foundation.  

For over 40 years, Treasurer Angelo Gaziano worked for the Burke family, the former owner-operator of Santa Fe-based Outside Integrated Media, the parent company of Outside Magazine and Outside TV.  There he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, having previously worked in publishing and business management for companies owned by the Burke family. Angelo received his M.A. in Accounting from Roosevelt University, Chicago, and a B.S. in Marketing from Southern Illinois University. 

Secretary Lynne Spivey has lived in Santa Fe off and on since 1974. Lynne worked at The Original Trading Post in the 1970s. She volunteers at the Wheelwright Museum, is active with the Folk Arts Alliance, the library at the School for Advanced Research, and the Laboratory of Anthropology Library at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Lynne is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she volunteered in the Southwest Department of what is now Penn Museum. 

Chair Emeritus Wilson K. Mason has more than 30 years’ experience in commercial and investment real estate. As a designated MAI, CRE, and head of his own firm in Dallas, he led a team specializing in major commercial properties and provided counseling, court testimony, and mediation/arbitration services. Wilson was active on local, regional, and national real estate boards and an instructor while also serving professional, civic, and community-based organizations. He and his wife have been residents of Santa Fe and Dallas for more than 25 years. Wilson speaks to his experience with Cornerstones, “Service on Cornerstones Board of Directors and as Chair has been a rewarding experience which enables a connection beyond oneself to the rich cultural history, landmarks, and people of Northern New Mexico.” 

Left to right: Monie Blum, Boni Armijo, Angelo Gaziano, Lynne Spivey

Welcoming New Board Director Garron Yepa

Garron Yepa (Diné/Walatowa) is an architectural design professional working with Atkin Olshin Schade Architects in Santa Fe. He has worked in tribal communities for much of his career with the intent of including culturally relevant design in his architectural practice. Garron is a board member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and continues to promote increased Native enrollment in architecture, planning, and preservation programs. Garron has a B.A. in Engineering and Native American Studies from Dartmouth College and a Master of Architecture from the University of New Mexico.

Welcome aboard, Garron!

Call for Volunteers at Historic Preservation Sites in Arizona and California

Call for Volunteers

The Cornerstones crew is active this fall at sites in Arizona and California where we need a few great volunteers to assist with projects. Volunteers do hands-on work alongside Cornerstones leaders, interns, and other volunteers. Projects involve making adobe bricks and repairing stone structures, working with traditional tools and methods. Volunteer opportunities vary in level of commitment, from one day to a week, and sometimes longer. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Lucas Burdick at the Cornerstones office at (505) 982-9521 x100 or lburdick@cstones.org

On-site volunteer participation is the heart and soul of the Cornerstones experience. Thank you for considering joining us and for spreading the word to your friends in Arizona and California.
 

FALL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES

November 15-23: Mojave National Preserve, California

Main Tasks

• Stabilizing stone ruins in the ghost town of Providence

• Working on stone walls using traditional tools and methods

November 28-December 9: Saguaro National Park, Arizona 

Main Tasks

• Assisting in preservation of a Civilian Conservation Corps-era ramada

• Assisting with stabilization of historic lime kilns

November 29-December 10: Death Valley National Park, California 

Main Tasks

• Making 2,000 adobes alongside the Native American Conservation Corps crew

• Restoring an adobe entrance sign by re-laying adobes, stitching in new adobes

December 12-24: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona 

Main Tasks

• Stabilizing a stone ruin using lime-based mortars

• Resetting fallen stones, repointing, capping

• Stabilizing a low-fired brick structure; site grading

Below are snapshots of our previous work at Death Valley, Saguaro, and Mojave, in that order.

View fullsize

Click to zoom.

View fullsize

View fullsize

The Challenge Grant for Solar Heritage Preservation

We're 25% along to our goal! | Double Your Gift through November 1

The new Solar Heritage Preservation program will closely intertwine renewable energy with the preservation of historic buildings and local cultures. Please join us to support a sustainable heritage.

Donate now and your gift will be matched 1:1 by Cornerstones' Directors and Advisors.

For more information, click here.

Throwback Thursday: 1990 San Rafael | Young Journalists on Local Solar Projects

Throwback Thursday: 1990 San Rafael Church, La Cueva

View fullsize

San Rafael before restoration. Click to zoom.

View fullsize

San Rafael during restoration.

One of the gems of Cornerstones’ body of work is the restoration of San Rafael Church in La Cueva, New Mexico. The Gothic-style adobe church, defined by its windows, doors, and high ceiling, was built between 1862 and 1870 on the Vicente Romero family hacienda. The church was in service to the family and surrounding community until 1952 when it was abandoned. Community member Jose Gurule became San Rafael’s mayordomo in the late 1980s in order to care for the church. He activated community support, and in 1990 restoration work began. 

We treasure the long relationships we have with the communities of Mora County. Here’s what collaboration can do: on the right, San Rafael before Cornerstones and the community came together to restore the church.

View fullsize

San Rafael today.

Young Journalists to Report on Local Solar Projects

Photo from True Kids 1 website: https://truekids1.org

The Solar Initiative is pleased to announce its most recent grant to True Kids 1 in Taos for its innovative and comprehensive Emerging Journalists Program and Customized Classroom Initiative in Media/Journalism Education. Participating students, ages 8 to 18, will research and report on solar use and issues in Taos County. 

Students from three high schools and one middle school will learn about journalism and will work towards a paid end-of-the year storytelling project. Specifically, the youth will develop a sharp focus on solar activity in Taos County. This focus will see both Emerging Journalists and select Taos classrooms cover solar topics for local or online publications, including social media. Students will respond to current events in the local solar industry or launch long-form analyses of Taos County and solar power. A partnership with Kit Carson Electric Cooperative offers a field trip to the utility’s new solar project. Some of the students will receive dual credit for their work, which can be applied to a degree at UNM-Taos. 

The Solar Initiative is a collaboration of Cornerstones Community Partnerships and Remy’s Good Day Fund.

Wall Rescue in Buena Vista | Solar for Pueblo of Jemez

Wall Rescue in Buena Vista

In August we responded to a “church emergency.” A section of a large wall holding up the Santo Nino del Atocha Mission Church in Buena Vista, New Mexico, was in danger of collapsing! A bulge on the interior side of the wall was cause for concern. Crack gauges set on the bulging section indicated over several weeks that the wall was moving. Constructed from dry laid stone, the wall area in jeopardy measures about 24-foot-wide, 13-foot-high, 48-inch-thick, and could weigh up to 85 tons.  

The Mayordoma was notified of the discovery made by the Cornerstones team members on site who have been restoring windows. Cornerstones quickly responded by bracing the interior ceiling and roof. Together, Cornerstones and the parish are taking emergency action to set up exterior and interior shoring braces to prevent wall collapse. Our team is investigating the causes and will develop a recommended plan.   

Mora County is home to 16 historic mission churches. Cornerstones has worked on most of these sites since its founding over 30 years ago. The close partnership with Mora communities is ongoing. 

View fullsize

Left: Santo Nino del Atocha Mission Church. Right: Our Alexandra Ward Fellows Issac Logsdon and Stephen Calles bracing the wall. Photos by Cornerstones Community Partnerships Staff.

A Life-Changing Project in Pueblo of Jemez

In June of 2020, the Pueblo of Jemez Tribal Council approved funding “for establishing and operating Public Telemedicine capabilities and for establishing technology capacity to facilitate Distance Learning.” That act led to the design, construction, and deployment of the Jemez Pueblo Tribal Network (JPTN). Drawing from a variety of state and federal funding resources, the Pueblo of Jemez approved a $3.5 million investment to create broadband connectivity to all Tribal Government Departments, Programs & Enterprises, and to 500 homes. Additional funds subsequently augmented the project. 

The JPTN was officially brought online in March of 2021. After much celebration, some minor issues were identified, and refinements made to the system. A few homes were not in the direct line of sight to current radio towers. Some were situated amid two-story homes and, in other cases, natural obstacles such as hills, arroyos, and dense tree lines obscured connectivity. Three additional connection points were needed to support better access for all areas throughout the Pueblo village. 

The Solar Initiative granted funds to support an important component of the additional connection points by providing for the purchase of solar equipment and its installation to immediately power the three new connection points. 

The JPTN project employs Tribal members wherever appropriate and is planning to develop a training and certification program for students at two local high schools. An additional goal is to become an internet provider and telecommunications carrier for surrounding communities. 

The Solar Initiative is a collaboration between Cornerstones Community Partnerships and Remy’s Good Day Fund.

Photos by Pueblo of Jemez.

Did you see us in the Santa Fe New Mexican?

Dotted with humble homes and trailer houses, the village of Agua Fría hides a rich past.

A new feature along the community’s main road honors the town’s extensive history. The 12-foot-high stone structure on Agua Fría Street near its intersection with Skeeter Lane represents a torreón, a tower Spanish colonists and Native Americans used most likely for crop storage and as lookout posts throughout the Southwest.

Journalist Rick Ruggles joined our Program Director, Jake Barrow, in Agua Fría. Read the full article here.

2020 Annual Report

2020 Annual Report

In 2020 Cornerstones mobilized resources to provide aide to New Mexico communities hard hit by the effects of the pandemic. The "Supporting Community" Covid-emergency program is documented in the 2020 Annual Report along with reports on core Cornerstones historic preservation and solar programs. Read about all of Cornerstones' work in 2020 by clicking here.

Solar Addresses Food Insecurity | Rael Acequia

The Solar Initiative Addresses Food Insecurity

The Cornerstones Solar Initiative now supports solar solutions for food insecurity. The Solar Initiative recently made a grant to the Taos Land Trust for greenhouse solarization at the Rio Fernando Park.

In 2015 the Taos Land Trust (TLT) acquired the 20-acre property now known as the Rio Fernando Park. The once fertile land went fallow in the 1980s after it was severed from the acequia. TLT restored the acequia that feeds the property and the agricultural lands and wetlands that make up the Park. Now, TLT grows food for the community. Over the last year they increased food production by 500%.

TLT’s Emerging Young Farmers Program, established in 2019, provides agricultural and technical education to local youth who produce food for local food banks and students’ families in need. As part of this program, TLT built two greenhouses at Rio Fernando. These are the greenhouses solarized with support from Cornerstones. One greenhouse is the site for a collaboration with the Vista Grande High School, which primarily grows food for student-family and community consumption. The second greenhouse was built in partnership with the Taos Chapter of the Native Plant Society to be used as plant starter space before seedlings go into the ground.

Cornerstones is honored to participate in this essential program.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Photos courtesy of the Taos Land Trust. Click to zoom.

Rael Acequia Repair

Cornerstones is making an emergency mobilization to repair destroyed sections of the more than 300-year-old Rael Acequia. Recently, nearby cattle damaged a major section of the acequia, so the water was shut off. The Cornerstones team of Alan Ash, Issac Logdson, new intern Luna Galassini, and volunteers are spending two weeks doing a major repair using local on-site stone and clay mortar following very traditional methods. This pilot project will be a model for future structural repairs of the acequia. A large brown bear has been visiting the area keeping everyone on their toes!

Clockwise from top left: Acequia bank damaged by hooves. Rock work complete. Repair finished. Applying sod to top of the bank. All photos by Barb O'Dell.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Alexandra Ward Fellows | Agua Fria Torreón

Alexandra Ward Fellows Accomplishments

One of the greatest pleasures of my job as Cornerstones Program Director is working with our interns. In the last two to three years we have been fortunate to have three exceptional individuals join the Cornerstones team. All three put their hearts into the work, learn by doing, are dedicated to the skills they practice, participate collaboratively, encourage our volunteers and trainees, and unstintingly contribute their skills and talents to preserving the unique heritage and culture of New Mexico. Each came into Cornerstones by first volunteering, then moved into paid internships as the first Alexandra Ward Fellows. As a result of their skills and dedication, all have advanced and earned new titles.

- Jake Barrow, Program Director

Photo by Barb Odell

Angela Francis, Lead Plasterer

Angela Francis is a master plaster/finisher. She came to us with these skills but has continued learning on the job and always holds herself to the highest standards of the craft. In my view she represents a model of the 21st-century enjarradora or adobe plasterer who relishes working in natural materials.

Stephen Calles,
Project Manager

Stephen Calles, a New Mexico native, has demonstrated his advanced skills in woodworking, carpentry, sash and door, design, drafting, welding, and other hands-on talents. Stephen is very creative in designing solutions to solve challenging preservation tasks.

Barb Odell

Isaac Logsdon,
Assistant Program Director

Isaac Logsdon came to Cornerstones with a great desire to deepen his connections to the region. From the start he embraced learning every new skill. He took on administrative responsibilities including heading up our volunteer program and educating the public about Cornerstones projects.

Agua Fria Torreón

Cornerstones completed building the Agua Fria stone torreón on July 9th. Planned years ago and started in March of this year, the solid dry-laid stone structure referencing pre-contact and historic torreóns (towers) reaches over 11 feet at its highest point. It tapers up from an eight-foot diameter base to the high point which resembles a ruin. Prickly pear cacti donated by Plants of the Southwest adorn the multi-level upper section and serve to deter climbing up the stone. Each stone of the monument is hand shaped by the master mason Alan Ash, his assistant Isaac Logsdon, and the many volunteers who participated in construction. Besides being a beautiful piece of stonework, it’s likely to be the tallest cactus planter in the world. We’ll check with the Guinness Book of World Records.

View fullsize

Master stone mason Alan Ash places the final stone. Photos by Barb Odell.

Welcoming Our New Board

Welcoming Our New Board Members

The Cornerstones Board of Directors is a wonderful and growing assortment of long-time Northern New Mexican community members and people who have loved this area of the Southwest for many years. In this edition of the Mud Blast, we want to introduce our newest members! We continue to find ever-more talented and passionate volunteers willing to assist our staff in the work that makes historic preservation possible. We are excited to welcome Gary, Shelley, Lori, and Tracy, our newest Board cohort, and we are thrilled to share some of what they are bringing to the Cornerstones community.

Gary Newgent

Gary Newgent grew up in Oklahoma City and attended Oklahoma City University graduating with a BS in Business and JD degrees. During his career he worked in the real estate departments of several national retail chains specializing in new store development and design, utilizing his accounting and construction background along with his New Mexico and Oklahoma law licenses. His volunteer activities include founding and serving as the President of the Site Steward Foundation and Vice President of the Archaeological Society of New Mexico. Gary and his wife Shelley Thompson have two daughters and have resided in Santa Fe since 2005.

Shelley Thompson

Shelley Thompson is from Fort Worth, Texas, and holds a BBA in Marketing from Texas Christian University. Shelley and her husband Gary have lived in New Mexico since 2000. Recently retired, Shelley spent the last 15 years of her career as Director of Marketing and Outreach and Publisher of El Palacio magazine for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. Shelley has been a volunteer archeological Site Steward in New Mexico for more than 20 years. She enjoys cooking, gardening, research, and her new puppy, Mavis.

Loretta Valencia

My name is Loretta Valencia. My husband is Harold Valencia, and we have two grown sons, Phillip and Marcus Valencia. I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My family then lived in Taos for a few years and eventually settled here in Santa Fe. I was 7 at that time. I was educated at St. Francis Catholic Elementary, Nava Elementary, and St. Catherine’s Indian High School. I went on to New Mexico State University and majored in Accounting. I have worked as an accountant since 1984.

Although my profession is Public Accounting, I have an affinity for New Mexico’s history, cultures, environment, and citizens. St. Catherine’s provided a lifelong appreciation of Native American culture and traditions. I am currently the Treasurer of the Santa Fe Watershed Association.

Cornerstones Community Partnerships restores, rebuilds, and revives Santa Fe and the surrounding areas. I’m particularly impressed with how Cornerstones is looking forward by incorporating solar energy. Sunshine is definitely abundant here. Emphasis on ‘hands-on’ restoration brings a true-to-life approach and appreciation for how our ancestors built and lived. I also believe this approach establishes healthy relationships in our present community.

Tracy Lattin

I lived in Los Alamos, New Mexico, for thirty years before moving to Santa Fe in November 2020. I received my Bachelor of Accountancy at New Mexico State University, and I am a Certified Public Accountant. I retired in March 2020 and spent the majority of my career as an accountant and financial manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory. I am married and have two children, a daughter and a son. In addition, I became a grandmother two years ago and my grandson is my pride and joy. My husband and I love to travel when we can. We have been to various countries in Europe, and we love going to Mexico. I am an exercise enthusiast and like to hike and play pickle ball.

We Shall Miss Jim Gautier

Remembering Jim Gautier

This week our close friend and one of Cornerstones’ longest-serving and most dedicated volunteers, Jim Gautier, passed away. In the weeks before his untimely death, Jim was out in the field doing what he loved best - photographing the old mission churches of Northern New Mexico. He routinely called the office to ask what projects were planned or underway so he could document the buildings. He was an extraordinarily talented photographer and encaustic artist. His work has been exhibited in numerous venues including, lately, a show benefiting Cornerstones and Historic Santa Fe Foundation held at El Zaguán on Canyon Road.

In the past few weeks, Jim headed to Mora and San Miguel Counties with several Cornerstones staff to meet Mayordomos and photograph several churches. He was also documenting any damage, cracks in the walls, roof problems, drainage issues, etc. 

He was very careful about getting permission for any photographs of old buildings. If we didn’t have a contact, he would stop at a nearby residence and ask permission. He was rarely turned down because of his gentle, direct and sincere personality. And he always shared his work with the owners or people in the parish or community. His photos represent an enormously valuable archive of Cornerstones efforts all over the state.

In recent years Jim began experiments with his photos using encaustic techniques and he became so skilled at this art from, he began offering workshops. He was also an avid student of the human form. Jim was one of the most generous individuals I’ve ever known.  Along with his wife Peggy who was also a dedicated volunteer, Cornerstones Community Partnerships has never had a more devoted friend and contributor. We shall miss him greatly.

More Solar Success!

The Solar Initiative, a collaboration of Cornerstones Community Partnerships and Remy’s Good Day Fund, is pleased to announce its support of The Energy Sovereignty PhD.

Funding has been awarded for a joint project of The Energy Sovereignty Institute (Santa Fe) and Rochester Institute of Technology to support a PhD student to research energy sovereignty-related topics with field work expected to include the southwest, and specifically New Mexico.  Research will include both quantitative and qualitative approaches to understanding what energy sovereignty means to various Native communities, challenges and opportunities, and recommendations for policies and technologies. The work will be utilized to understand the New Mexico stakeholder ecosystem and current state of tribal energy development.

Sherralyn Sneezer (Navajo/Dine) has been selected from a highly competitive field of applicants as the first PhD student in energy sovereignty research topics via the Energy Sovereignty Institute and Rochester Institute of Technology.  Her credentials are outstanding: BA degree with a Major in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College, where she conducted thesis research on “Solar Energy Development on the Navajo Nation”. She also studied renewable energy and sustainability at Reykjavik University School of Science and Engineering and is now completing her MS in Energy at Texas A&M University, studying Energy Systems Engineering.

Congratulations, Sherralyn, we look forward to your findings to guide the Solar Initiative toward substantive goals!

Build History at the Aqua Fria Torreon

EMAIL ISSAC LOGSDON AT ISSAC@CSTONES.ORG FOR DETAILS AND TO SIGN UP.

Preservation of Villanueva Tapestry Is Complete

Email Issac Logsdon at issac@cstones.org for details and to sign up.