J. Paul Taylor home opens as historic site in true Mesilla style

MESILLA — New Mexico’s newest state historic site will open to the public Saturday in full Mesilla style, which entails ballet folklórico and mariachi performances on the town’s historic plaza and bandstand.

The new Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site comprises two historic storefronts and the large, mostly hidden adobe buildings that for decades were the home of former state Rep. J. Paul Taylor and scholar and writer Mary Daniels Taylor, where they raised seven children and accumulated an enormous collection of furniture, textiles and art.

Taylor represented New Mexico’s 33rd House District from 1987 until his retirement in 2005.

The Taylors had lived in their Mesilla home for 50 years when they donated it, along with collection, to the state of New Mexico in 2003 for eventual use as a historic site.

Mary Daniels Taylor died in 2007 at age 84. The retired lawmaker, educator and community leader J. Paul Taylor continued living in the residence until his passing, at age 102, in 2023.

The remaining permanent residents are a community of turtles that occupy a courtyard within the property and are cared for by New Mexico Historic Sites staff.

Besides the collection of art and artifacts reflecting the Taylors’ careers in education and government as well as their support for the arts and Mesilla’s history, the historic buildings, reflecting traditional architecture and construction with subsequent renovations, embody the origins of the historic plaza, where town settlers built homes behind commercial spaces.

Guided tours for groups in small numbers proceed carefully through the home, where rooms and other spaces are tight and hundreds of art works, religious statuary and historical items are on display.

When the Taylors acquired the property, now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, in 1953, it had no indoor plumbing or electricity, according to the historic site, writing, “The Taylors updated the buildings but retained many of the elements. They repaired the adobe walls and the original ceilings. They added to the house as their family grew. The Taylors preserved the home as a celebration of New Mexico architecture and a family gathering place.”

The commercial space now functions as a visitor center and gift shop operating from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

Saturday’s opening fiesta will begin with a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m., with the party on the plaza and tours of the Taylor home as festivities continue through 4 p.m. The entrance to the historic site, the Reynolds Store, is located at 2350 Calle Principal in Mesilla.