The large mounds, restored kivas and stone and adobe ruins of Pecos National Historical Park mark the location of Pecos Pueblo and an adjacent Spanish mission complex. The pueblo was an important center for trade between Pueblo farmers and nomadic Plains Indians. The first mission complex, built in 1621, included the largest of New Mexico's mission churches. This church was destroyed during the 1680 Great Pueblo Revolt. A smaller church with a larger convento (mission quarters) was built after the Spanish reconquest in 1692. The mission declined in the 18th century, and the remaining Pecos Indians emigrated to Jemez Pueblo, where their descendents live today.

Pecos National Historical Park, administered by the National Park Service, is two miles south of Pecos, New Mexico, on NM 63. Open daily from 8:00am to 6:00pm (Summer) and 8:00am to 5:00pm (Winter). Please call 505-757-6414, or visit the park's website for further information.

Credits and Sources:

National Park Service. "Discover Our Shared Heritage American Southwest, A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary: List of Sites." http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/amsw/sitelist.htm.

National Park Service photo by F. Bell