The oldest capital city in the United States, Santa Fe was founded c. 1610 as the site of the provincial capital for the northern frontier of the Viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico). The original settlement consisted of low adobe buildings creating a defensive wall ringing the main plaza. This plaza remains essentially intact and is the heart of the historic district. The district includes numerous buildings in the Spanish-Pueblo, Territorial and 19th-century non-indigenous architectural styles.

Santa Fe Historic District is roughly bounded by Camino Cabra, Camino de las Animas, W. Manhattan Ave., S. St. Francis Dr. and Griffin St. in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Palace of the Governors hosts tours of historic downtown Santa Fe at 10:15 a.m., Monday-Saturday, May-October; there is a fee. Visit their website for more 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.

Photo by Chester Liebs