Built in 1650, Santa Fe estate once home to artist Frank Applegate lists for $9.9 million

A Santa Fe property with an artistic legacy and centuries of culture is on the market for $9.9 million.

The de la Peña estate, which spans 10,186 square feet on more than an acre of property in Santa Fe’s historic eastside, was listed for sale about a month ago, Sotheby’s International Realty broker Darlene Streit told the Journal Thursday.

“It’s a very large lot for the area,” Streit said, adding that the character and historical aspect of the property add to its uniqueness. “To be so well preserved and also built from such a long time ago, I mean, there just aren’t that many places left from then.”

The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom estate is located at 831 El Caminito, about a 10-minute drive from the Santa Fe Plaza. The property has a main house and a guest casita, centered around a placita courtyard.

The property was first constructed in 1650 — more than 100 years before the United States declared its independence and 262 years before New Mexico became a state. At the time, the region was at the center of years of conflict between Pueblo people and Spanish settlers as the latter sought to conquer Santa Fe and colonize the Indigenous population.

The property was acquired by Spanish officer Francisco de la Peña in 1845, and members of the de la Peña family resided in the home for 80 years, according to the Historic Santa Fe Foundation. In 1925, the property was purchased by Frank Applegate, a well-known multimedia artist who lived in Santa Fe for a decade and “took strides to live amongst the Pueblos to learn their customs and document their lives and stories” through his art, according to a writeup from Tia Collection, a global art collection organization based in Santa Fe.

In 1937, the home’s historical status was recognized by the National Park Service, which added the property to its Historic American Buildings Survey — “an honor reserved for the most important historic structures in the United States,” according to the Historic Santa Fe Foundation.

Since then, the estate has been “meticulously restored to honor its past while seamlessly integrating modern luxury,” the Sotheby’s listing says.

The Pueblo Revival-style property blends “artisanal craftsmanship” with modern amenities, such as a Control 4 Smart Home operating system, a custom wine cellar with refrigeration, two garages, a clay tennis court and a private well for irrigation, the listing says.

Streit said she has shown the property to a small number of people, primarily out-of-staters who she said have been impressed with the “stature” of the home.

“It really has a great presence when you come up to it,” Streit said.

She said it’s hard to predict if and when the home may sell, given the price, but she considers the ideal buyer someone who “appreciates Santa Fe.”