17 Aug The Historic Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria of Doña Ana

Part of who we are is based on our history. Another part is based on how we treat that history.

The Village of Doña Ana was the original county seat of Doña Ana County. It was this thriving community that took on the challenges of settling in Southern New Mexico. The heart of the community was Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, the church in the middle of town.

In the years since it’s establishment, the village has slowly lost its prominence. After the Gadsden Purchase Mesilla became the county seat followed later by Las Cruces.

Click here to learn more about the historic district.

I recently had the chance to tour the old church and talk with DeAngelo Nieves from the Doña Ana Village Historic Preservation Committee. Here are some of the photos I took. You will see that repairs have started on the exterior. Their plan is to complete those repairs soon.