There Are 3 Must-See Historic Landmarks In The Charming Town Of Taos, New Mexico
By Carolyn Harmon|Published June 08, 2022
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Carolyn Harmon
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Under Brown Mountain Lights the Beast of Blandenboro wanders this magical land where lighthouses shine on kingdoms only accessible by ferries. A Lost Colony of legends and pirates revealed in historical sites and majestic mountains with views that make us weep. The home of handmade sculptures and scrumptious cuisine. North Carolina leaves this long-time writer and artist breathless with endless surprises, including the unlikely warmth a winter walk on the beach can bring.
Taos is a town in New Mexico with a community that’s rich in history and culture. The town was incorporated as a municipality on May 7, 1934. But this magical community started long before that, dating back to August 29, 1540, with the arrival of Capitan Hernando Alvarado. He was part of the expedition of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, who entered the Taos Valley for the first time. The name, Taos, was first used in writing in 1598, and by 1760 the town was named “Don Fernando de Taos” by the Spanish settlers.
While the road's condition is a little smoother on New Mexico State Road 240, in the early morning with the mist rising it is easy to imagine a different kind of road.
A time when horses, wagons, and stagecoaches ruled the dirt-lined roads of Taos, New Mexico.
This photo, taken around 1898, records an accident that is said to possibly have started the Taos Art Colony. American artist Ernest Leonard Blumenschein is a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists.
Here is one of the bedrooms in the Blumenschein House.
The Mabel Dodge Luhan House is named for its owner, Mabel Gansen Evans Dodge Sterne Luhan, who was a writer and art patroness, among many other important roles.
Mabel first rented a place in Taos, and after falling in love with Antonio Luhan, a Taos Pueblo Indian, he reportedly encouraged her to purchase 12 acres of beautiful land in May of 1918.
It is said that Mabel admired her views of the Taos Mountain from her third-story solarium.
The Kit Carson House and Museum is a self-guided living history interpretive tour, featuring a gift and book store, new exhibits, and an award-winning History Channel video.
It was love, it seems, that sent Carson from the Wild West frontier (where he was a trapper and guide) to Taos, where he married Josefa Jarmillo in 1843.
Taos's Bent Masonic Lodge #42 aquired the house in 1952, and the Kit Carson Memorial Foundation operates the museum.
Kit Carson Home and Museum, 113 Kit Carson Rd, Taos, NM 87571, USA
