List of county courthouses in New Mexico

This is a list of current and former county courthouses in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Many of the buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or other listings of historic places, as noted.

New Mexico's original nine counties were established in 1852, shortly after the organization of New Mexico Territory. The earliest county courthouses were generally small one- or two-story adobe buildings, often re-purposed homes or commercial buildings. Some counties did not even have a formal courthouse, with the district court (which was only in session a few days a year) renting rooms when necessary to conduct its business. A handful of early courthouses are still standing, including notable examples in Cimarron, Lincoln, and Mesilla.

New Mexico's public buildings began to grow in scale and ambition in the 1880s, spurred by the arrival of the railroad. With skilled workers, modern building materials, and more advanced construction techniques now available, larger and grander county courthouses emulating those in the eastern states were seen as points of civic pride. During the 1880s and 1890s, large brick or stone courthouses, many with elaborate Victorian architecture, were built in 13 counties. The only one of these still standing in its original form is the Old Colfax County Courthouse in Springer, though a few others exist in ruins.

The next wave of courthouse construction occurred between 1934 and 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs made large amounts of federal funding available for public works projects. Thirteen counties took advantage of New Deal programs to replace their aging railroad-era courthouses, and the Eddy County Courthouse was remodeled. Courthouses from this period often featured Art Deco or Pueblo style architecture, and the majority of them remain in use.

Historically, the county courthouse housed all the administrative and judicial functions of the county government. As county governments have expanded with growing populations, many counties now have much more decentralized facilities. This list includes only buildings currently or formerly used by the New Mexico District Court.

KEY

Courthouses with multiple historic designations are colored according to their highest designation within the following hierarchy.

# Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as a contributing property of a National Historic Landmark District
Listed individually on the NRHP
Listed as a contributing property of an NRHP Historic District
⁕ Listed individually on the State Register of Cultural Properties (SRCP)
⁑ Listed as a contributing property of an SRCP Historic District

Current
Courthouse Image Location Built Notes
Bernalillo Albuquerque
35°05′27″N 106°39′04″W		 2001
Catron Reserve
33°42′45″N 108°45′28″W		 1969[1]
Chaves⁕ Roswell
33°23′49″N 104°31′17″W		 1911 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000892)
Cibola Grants
35°09′46″N 107°49′53″W		 2016
Colfax⁕ Raton
36°54′15″N 104°26′26″W		 1936 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000882)
Curry⁕ Clovis
34°24′19″N 103°12′20″W		 1936 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000881)
De Baca⁕ Fort Sumner
34°28′20″N 104°14′36″W		 1930 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000896)
Doña Ana Las Cruces
32°18′57″N 106°46′58″W		 2006 Incorporates the 1927 Las Cruces Union High School building
Eddy⁕ Carlsbad
32°25′15″N 104°13′42″W		 1891 Remodeled 1937
Grant⁕ Silver City
32°46′13″N 108°16′51″W		 1930 Contributing property in Silver City Historic District
Guadalupe Santa Rosa
34°56′31″N 104°41′12″W		 1948
Harding⁕ Mosquero
35°46′31″N 103°57′26″W		 1922 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000895)
Hidalgo⁕ Lordsburg
32°20′53″N 108°42′29″W		 1926 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000897)
Lea⁕ Lovington
32°56′55″N 103°20′52″W		 1936 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000880)
Lincoln Carrizozo
33°38′39″N 105°52′30″W		 1965[2]
Los Alamos Los Alamos
35°52′52″N 106°18′16″W		 2010
Luna Deming
32°15′38″N 107°45′16″W		 2008
McKinley⁕ Gallup
35°31′30″N 108°44′32″W		 1939 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000879)
Mora† Mora
35°58′27″N 105°19′54″W		 c. 2009 Temporary facility
Otero Alamogordo
32°54′01″N 105°57′31″W		 1956
Quay⁕ Tucumcari
35°10′36″N 103°43′40″W		 1939
Rio Arriba⁕ Tierra Amarilla
36°41′54″N 106°33′07″W		 1918[3]
Roosevelt⁕ Portales
34°11′20″N 103°20′14″W		 1938 NRHP-listed (refnum 8001136)
San Juan Aztec
36°49′33″N 108°01′19″W		 1980
San Miguel Las Vegas
35°35′31″N 105°13′48″W		 2006
Sandoval Bernalillo
35°18′29″N 106°35′05″W		 2005
Santa Fe Santa Fe
35°41′06″N 105°56′37″W		 2013[4]
Sierra Truth or Consequences
33°08′01″N 107°15′00″W		 1936 Expanded in 1939
Socorro⁕ Socorro
34°03′20″N 106°53′36″W		 1940
Taos Taos
36°23′49″N 105°34′33″W		 2011
Torrance Estancia
34°45′35″N 106°03′45″W		 1967[5]
Union⁕ Clayton
36°26′58″N 103°11′16″W		 1909 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000891)
Valencia Los Lunas
34°47′11″N 106°44′31″W		 2008

†As of 2017, the new Mora County facility is partially completed but construction is on hold due to funding problems.

Former
Courthouse Image Location Built Notes
Bernalillo (1886–1926) Albuquerque
35°05′39″N 106°40′08″W		 1886[6] Later used by San Felipe School; demolished in 1959.[7]
Bernalillo (1926–2001) Albuquerque
35°05′14″N 106°39′06″W		 1926[6] Remodeled in modernist style in 1964. Still houses county offices.[6]
Catron (1921–1969) Reserve
33°42′44″N 108°45′28″W		 1916 Converted hotel;[1] no longer standing
Chaves (1890–1910) Roswell
33°23′49″N 104°31′17″W		 1890[8] Demolished in 1910[8]
Cibola (1987–2016) Grants
35°09′15″N 107°51′15″W		 School building converted to courthouse in 1987
Colfax (1872–1882)⁕ Cimarron
36°30′17″N 104°55′18″W		 1870 Contributing property in Cimarron Historic District
Colfax (1882–1897)⁕ Springer
36°21′50″N 104°35′43″W		 1882 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000883)
Colfax (1898–1937) Raton
36°54′13″N 104°26′33″W		 1898 No longer standing
Curry 1910–1936 Clovis
34°24′19″N 103°12′22″W		 1910 Demolished in 1954[9]
Doña Ana (1852–1855) Doña Ana
32°23′10″N 106°48′57″W		 c. 1840[10] One-story adobe building; contributing property in the Doña Ana Village Historic District.
Doña Ana (1855–1882)#⁕ Mesilla
32°16′27″N 106°47′42″W		 c. 1850 Contributing property in Mesilla Plaza Historic District
Doña Ana (1882–1883)⁕ Las Cruces
32°18′26″N 106°46′43″W		 1866 Later used as the Amador Hotel
Doña Ana (1883–1938) Las Cruces
32°18′42″N 106°47′02″W		 1883 Demolished c. 1940
Doña Ana (1938–2006)⁕ Las Cruces
32°18′23″N 106°46′46″W		 1938[11] PWA project; three-story Pueblo-style building designed by Percy McGee.[11] Currently vacant.
Grant (1883–1930) Silver City
32°46′13″N 108°16′50″W		 1883 No longer standing
Guadalupe (1893–1903)⁕ Puerto de Luna
34°49′51″N 104°37′16″W		 1893[12] In ruins
Guadalupe (1909–1948)⁕ Santa Rosa
34°56′30″N 104°41′11″W		 1909 NRHP-listed (refnum 87000890)
Lea (1917–1936) Lovington
 1917 No longer standing
Lincoln (1869–1880)# Lincoln
33°29′31″N 105°23′09″W		 c. 1869 Contributing property in the Lincoln Historic District
Lincoln (1880–1913)#⁕ Lincoln
33°29′37″N 105°23′27″W		 1874 Converted store. Contributing property in the Lincoln Historic District
Lincoln (1913–1965) Carrizozo
 1913[13] No longer standing
Los Alamos (1956–1967) Los Alamos
 c. 1943 Converted government building
Los Alamos (1967–2008) Los Alamos
35°52′53″N 106°18′14″W		 1967 Demolished in 2008
Luna (1910–2008)⁕ Deming
32°15′44″N 107°45′23″W		 1910 NRHP-listed (refnum 77000925). Still houses county administrative offices and probate court.
McKinley (1907–1939) Gallup
 1907 No longer standing
Mora (1861–1889) Mora
 1861
Mora (1889–1939) Mora
35°58′28″N 105°19′54″W		 1889 Burned in the 1950s[14]
Mora (1939) Mora
35°58′26″N 105°19′55″W		 1939 Demolished
Otero (1901–1956) Alamogordo
32°54′01″N 105°57′30″W		 1901 No longer standing
Quay (1908–1939) Tucumcari
35°10′36″N 103°43′41″W		 1908 No longer standing
Rio Arriba (1855–1860)⁕ Los Luceros
39°07′05″N 106°02′27″W		 1712[15] NRHP-listed (refnum 83004157)
Rio Arriba (1880–1918) Tierra Amarilla
 c. 1880 Converted one-story adobe house; remodeled and expanded to two stories in 1885.[3]
Roosevelt (1904–1937) Portales
 1904[16] Two-story concrete block building;[16] no longer standing
San Juan (1902–1951) Aztec
36°49′16″N 107°59′33″W		 1902 No longer standing
San Juan (1951–1980) Aztec
36°49′16″N 107°59′32″W		 1951 Demolished
San Miguel (1852–1864) San Miguel del Vado
35°21′52″N 105°27′06″W		 c. 1852 Some foundations still present
San Miguel (1864–1881) Las Vegas
35°35′38″N 105°13′38″W		 1864[17] One-story adobe building; no longer standing
San Miguel (1881–1885) Las Vegas
35°35′33″N 105°13′35″W		 1881 Contributing property in the Las Vegas Plaza Historic District
San Miguel (1885–1942) Las Vegas
 1885[18] Two-story sandstone building[19] designed by E. J. Jenison;[18] demolished.[19]
San Miguel (1942–2006) Las Vegas
35°35′30″N 105°13′49″W		 1942 Still houses county administrative offices and probate court.
Sandoval (1903–1905)⁕ Corrales
35°13′48″N 106°36′50″W		 c. 1850[20] Converted house
Sandoval (1905–1926) Bernalillo
 Converted two-story adobe house. Burned in 1926.[21]
Sandoval (1928–2005) Bernalillo
35°18′23″N 106°32′55″W		 1928 Frontal addition built in 1975. Still houses county offices.
Santa Fe (1886–1909) Santa Fe
35°41′15″N 105°56′09″W		 1886 Burned in 1909.[22] Parts of the walls and foundation were incorporated into the 1910 courthouse.
Santa Fe (1910–1939) Santa Fe
35°41′15″N 105°56′09″W		 1910[23] Two-story building designed by Isaac Hamilton Rapp. Remodeled in the Territorial style and converted to office use; now known as the Coronado Building.
Santa Fe (1939–1975)⁕ Santa Fe
35°41′19″N 105°56′27″W		 1939[24] Two-story building designed by John Gaw Meem. Still houses county administrative offices and probate court.
Santa Fe (1975–2013) Santa Fe
35°41′27″N 105°56′26″W		 1937[25] Converted school building
Sierra (1892–1936)⁑ Hillsboro
32°55′09″N 107°34′10″W		 1892 In ruins
Socorro (1884–1939) Socorro
34°03′20″N 106°53′36″W		 1884 Demolished in 1939[26]
Taos (1852–1934) Taos
36°24′27″N 105°34′28″W		 1839 Two-story adobe building; burned in 1934
Taos (1934–1970)⁕ Taos
36°24′27″N 105°34′28″W		 1934 Contributing property in Taos Downtown Historic District
Taos (1970–2011) Taos
36°23′49″N 105°34′33″W		 1970 Demolished
Torrance (1910–1967) Estancia
34°45′34″N 106°03′42″W		 1910[27] Demolished in 1967[5]
Union (1895–1908) Clayton
36°26′58″N 103°11′16″W		 1895 Destroyed by tornado in 1908[28]
Valencia (1852–1872) Tome
 c. 1850 One-story adobe building on north side of Tome plaza;[29] no longer standing
Valencia (1872–1874) Belen
 c. 1870 Converted church[30]
Valencia (1875) Tome
34°44′25″N 106°43′51″W		 1875[29] Two-story adobe building;[30] no longer standing. Adjacent jail was built of stone and is still intact.[29]
Valencia (1876–1912) Los Lunas
 1876[31] Two-story adobe building.[32] Burned in 1912.[31]
Valencia (1913–1960) Los Lunas
 1913[32] Two-story brick building with attached jail.[33] Demolished in 1962.[34]
Valencia (1960–2008) Los Lunas
34°48′08″N 106°44′02″W		 1960[35] Two-story Modernist style building designed by Lawrence Garcia. Still houses county administrative offices and probate court.

References
  1. "Dedication held in Reserve for county courthouse". Albuquerque Journal. May 18, 1969. p. D1. Retrieved May 1, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Skeen to dedicate Lincoln courthouse". Albuquerque Journal. May 7, 1965. p. A5. Retrieved April 26, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Torrez, Robert J.; Trapp, Robert (2010). Rio Arriba: A New Mexico County. Los Ranchos, NM: Rio Grande Books. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  4. Roesler, Nico (June 10, 2013). "New courthouse opens downtown". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  5. "Torrance builds courthouse". Albuquerque Journal. June 25, 1967. p. D12. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "History of Bernalillo County". Bernalillo County. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  7. "Landmark passing". Albuquerque Journal. June 8, 1959. p. A8. Retrieved April 28, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Work starts on razing the old court house". Roswell Daily Record. February 24, 1910. p. 4. Retrieved May 1, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  9. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form: Curry County Courthouse". National Park Service. 1987. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  10. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form – Doña Ana Village Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  11. "El Pasoans will attend dedication of Las Cruces courthouse". El Paso Herald-Post. February 12, 1938. p. 3. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Making progress". Santa Fe New Mexican. August 21, 1893. p. 4. Retrieved May 2, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  13. "Carrizozo to have two big field days". El Paso Herald. September 3, 1913. p. 13. Retrieved April 26, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Fort, Ruth (October 31, 2013). "Mora County Notebook: Old Mora Courthouse has interesting history". Las Vegas Optic. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  15. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form: Los Luceros Hacienda". National Park Service. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  16. "A handsome court house". Santa Fe New Mexican. June 10, 1905. p. 3. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  17. "From the old to the new". Las Vegas Gazette. December 29, 1885. p. 4. Retrieved May 3, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  18. "Accepted: The new court house and jail". Las Vegas Daily Gazette. December 23, 1885. p. 3. Retrieved May 3, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  19. Vivian, Delma (January 9, 1952). "San Miguel County's 100th birthday today". Las Vegas Daily Optic. p. 1. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. Ortiz, Christopher (October 17, 2016). "$1 million Corrales house on market boasts a touch of Disney (and ghost stories)". Albuquerque Business First. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  21. "County records at Bernalillo may be saved". Albuquerque Journal. March 30, 1926. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Voracious flames make lurid the heavens above Santa Fe". Santa Fe New Mexican. February 8, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  23. "New county court house is an ideal structure and credit to Santa Fe". Santa Fe New Mexican. May 4, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  24. "Santa Fe County Courthouse (Former) – Santa Fe NM". The Living New Deal. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  25. Hay, Kiera (November 12, 2013). "Santa Fe County contemplates new life for judicial complex". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  26. "Elfego Baca to get relics from old Socorro courthouse". Albuquerque Journal. November 26, 1939. p. 13. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. "Jurors for December term District Court". Estancia News. December 9, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  28. "Clayton badly damaged by tornado yesterday". Albuquerque Citizen. October 19, 1908. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  29. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Tome Jail". National Park Service. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  30. Pope, John W. "Dance Josefita Dance: A Short History of Valencia County Courthouses" (PDF). New Mexico Lawyer. p. 5. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  31. "Valencia County Courthouse is destroyed". Albuquerque Journal. August 17, 1912. p. 5. Retrieved April 28, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  32. "Courthouse dedication next Monday". Belen News. August 28, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2017 – via Library of Congress.
  33. "Valencia County Courthouse". Belen News. June 12, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. "Proposal to convert site to park goes to Valencia board". Albuquerque Journal. October 4, 1962. p. B10. Retrieved April 28, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. "New Valencia County Courthouse". Albuquerque Journal. August 12, 1960. p. A1. Retrieved April 28, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
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