The History of
The Old Santa Fe
Association
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"...to sacrifice as little as possible
of that unique charm,
born of age, tradition and environment
which are the priceless assets
and heritage of Old Santa Fe..."
excerpt from 1926 mission
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| Mary Austin by Ansel Adams |
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| 1926 OSFA FOUNDED: New group, led by Mary Austin, John Gaw Meem, Carlos Vierra, Gustave Baumann, Alice Corbin and William Penhallow Henderson among others, successfully fights City Council to save 3,000 acres around the present-day location of St. John's College from becoming an elitist seasonal colony. OSFA ensures that Zozobra festivities at Fiesta be open to all the citizens of Santa Fe. Read our first official letter here.
1945 OSFA successfully fights proposed highway through the heart of downtown, thereby helping protect the Santuario de Guadalupe and other historic buildings.
1948 OSFA lobbies for and partially funds the city’s first Master Plan which by completed by Harland Bartholemew in 1950.
| 1956 OSFA and National Park Service helps protect the Barrio de Analco from destruction by the State by ensuring it would be placed on the National Registry of Historic Places
1957 OSFA members author Historic Styles Ordinance, which defines a large and old part of the city in which visible architecture has to conform to traditional guidelines.
1960 Daughter organization, the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, founded.
1966 OSFA saves 19th-century Padre Gallegos House. OSFA stages major campaign against aggressive destruction under the Federal Urban Renewal Program. Read account here.
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1970 OSFA assists the Acequia Madre to be listed on the State and National Registry of Historic Places
1972 OSFA gets Historical Zone extended to the museum area
1973 OSFA aids the Historic Santa Fe Foundation in purchase of Tully House
1974 OSFA forms Santa Fe Federation of twenty-two neighborhood organizations to intervene in planning issues
1980 OSFA advocates for a city bus service
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| Barrio de Analco, west portion, lost to Urban Renewal. OSFA helped save east portion. |
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| 1980 OSFA advocates for a city bus service.
1983 OSFA initiates extension of historic regulations to five additional areas. OSFA instrumental in obtaining General Plan recognition of neighborhood organizations.
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1984 OSFA receives two permanent seats on the city’s seven-member Historical Styles Review Board; review body becomes independent of the Planning Commission. OSFA hosts first community forum on the Railyard. Eldorado Hotel plan is
approved by Council; sole dissenting vote is cast by OSFA representative on the Historic Design Review Board, Richard Hubbell.
| 1984 OSFA celebrates 60th anniversary at La Fonda. Honors the builder of Zozobra, Gustave Baumann; fire-dancer Jacques Cartier, the voice of Zozobra, Harold Gans; and pyrotechnician John Conron. Gives awards to leaders in historic preservation: the Paloheimos, Myrtle Stedman and Jack Watson. OSFA lobbies for plan to get water back in the downtown Santa Fe River.
| 1992 OSFA hosts forums and lobbies for human-scale downtown buildings and coherent streetscapes.
1994 OSFA supports City acquisition of the Railyard for development for the community.
1997 OSFA lobbies for: professional staff for the Historic Design Review Board, public transportation, and appropriate right of way for the Westside Relief Route.
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1999 OSFA holds a Community Forum with national experts on the need and economics of a new community, conference and convention center.
2001 OSFA joins community discussions on water and growth
2003 OSFA mounts public forum with Charleston, S.C., Mayor Joseph Riley on need for Downtown Master Plan.
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2004 OSFA sponsors Historic Preservation Week with the Historic
Santa Fe Foundation and the City of Santa Fe. OSFA petitions City Council in support of the Historic Design Review Board decision to preserve the historic fabric of Plaza Chamisal. OSFA board members encourage City Council to purchase rather than lease water rights for the city. OSFA prevents "hotel" intrusions in city residential and historic districts. OSFA supports modification of the Historical Museum to better reflect Santa Fe’s historic standards. OSFA helps save portion of John Gaw Meem’s Villagra Building.
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2005 OSFA initiates Santa Fe’s first-ever Downtown Master Plan. OSFA hosts forum on archaeology at the proposed civic center; evidence of an 800-year old prehistoric village near Sweeney Center. OSFA continues to support a living Santa Fe River. OSFA contests the city’s interpretation of the Ridgetop Ordinance. OSFA protects the Borrego House with a written agreement. OSFA promotes landmark status for St. Catherine’s Indian School, the New Mexico School for the Deaf.
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2006 OSFA lobbies the mayor, City Council, staff and steering committee members to maintain historic zoning and streetscape ordinances in the Downtown Master Plan. OSFA joins South Capitol neighbors in supporting ordinance prohibiting intrusion of second-story addition on West Houghton Street.
| 2006 OSFA supports denial of East Buena Vista Street lot-split appeal to the City Planning Commission. OSFA opposes the Old Taos Highway General Plan Amendment and Rezoning request that would change the plan from “very low density” to “residential high density" and would directly contravene the City’s stated goal and policy of preserving the character and integrity of its neighborhoods.
| 2006 OSFA requests that the City enforce the standard approval process for projects in the historic area, including the proposed Cathedral Project. OSFA promotes an alternative to the St. Francis overpass. OSFA promotes adoption of Historic Building Codes and Earthen Building Codes. OSFA hosts 80th Anniversary Celebration at La Fonda!
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2007 OSFA helps to protect Manderfield School and the existing fabric of numerous districts. OSFA along with the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, Historic Design Review Board and the city’s Historic Preservation Division host celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Historic Ordinance. Read more here.
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