SAGAUCHE — The Town of Saguache Historic Preservation Commission is hosting a free adobe building workshop series this summer June 30-July 2, and Aug. 2-3. 

The workshops will be led by Cornerstones Community Partnerships from Santa Fe, N.M., and will teach adobe brick making, building repair, mud plastering, and wall building. The workshops are hands-on and for all ages. Adobe is a sun-dried, hand-formed brick made of water, sand, clay, and some binding fiber like straw. 

Adrienne Garbini, the Chair of the Town of Saguache Historic Preservation Commission, told the Valley Courier the commission was formed in 2009 with the goal, “of bringing resources into the area for the preservation of buildings.” 

Cornerstones is dedicated to preserving the architectural heritage and cultural traditions of New Mexico and the greater Southwest, using a hands-on approach to teach and reinforce these methods. 

According to Cornerstones, such involvement fosters a community's pride in its historic buildings and strengthens cultural values and traditions. Cornerstones has worked throughout the southwest and has done restoration work at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in New Mexico and Joshua Tree National Park in California. 

Garbini said a goal of having the workshops will be to foster best practices for adobe construction and restoration. 

“We had a lot of people reach out over the years expressing frustration trying to get help or contractors when they are encountering problems with their walls [adobe] and that was what we were hearing as community members. We thought adobe education should be a priority...people are really excited about adobe here,” Garbini said. 

The Saguache Library is an adobe building that was built in the 1950s and is the last large adobe constructed as a community endeavor, according to Garbini. Adobe structures are found throughout the Valley and include the Fort Garland Museum built in 1858. 

Many adobe structures exist in the Culebra River Villages in Costilla County and date back to about 1850. In Conejos County, adobe cabins were built along the Guadalupe irrigation ditch in 1855. 

In a 2016 interview with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Anita Mc Daniel from the Fort Garland Museum said, “Adobe preservation is a process, not a one-time thing.” 

Reservations are required and space is limited. To RSVP, email [email protected] or call 719-580-6145 by June 24. Workshops will include lunch; there is a travel support fund available for people attending from San Luis Valley communities outside of Saguache. Residents from the entire San Luis Valley are encouraged to attend. 

The Historic Preservation Commission is a board of the Town of Saguache dedicated to the protection and preservation of historic and cultural heritage. The Saguache adobe workshops are made possible by support from the State Historical Fund and a Saguache County Sales Tax Grant. 

Contact Town of Saguache HPC Chair Garbini at [email protected], with any questions.