Like all great places, Las Vegas, New Mexico, exists in the landscape of the heart and mind and imagination as well as in a geographical place. Nestled on the banks of the Gallinas River, Las Vegas is a real and virtual and storied town all at once, a potent source of memory, reflection, and expectation.

Many architects have told me (enthusiastically, usually) that Las Vegas is their favorite town in New Mexico, a community they often bring out-of-state visitors to, perhaps to marvel at the city’s many anomalies and contradictions, and certainly to study the town’s wonderful ensemble of historic buildings.

Las Vegas’ Beginnings
Las Vegas emerged on the high plains of northeastern New Mexico during the short-lived Mexican era (1821–1846), after the Santa Fe Trail commerce attracted enough military protection to risk a permanent settlement in hostile Comanche territory. A plaza was laid out by the two dozen or so founding families (from San Miguel del Vado) soon after 1835. The need to shelter and protect the occasional wagon caravan likely explains the generous dimensions of the square, probably the largest plaza in New Mexico.