Walking Tour: Mesquite Historic District: Part II March 13, 2010

Las Cruces, NM –The Branigan Cultural Center will host a walking tour of the northern part of the Mesquite Street and Original Town Site Historic District on Saturday, March 13, 2010. The tour will start at 10 a.m. at the historic Phillips Chapel, 638 N. Tornillo Street.

Phillips Chapel is in the midst of a restoration project utilizing students from Doña Ana Community College. Ron Taylor, lead instructor in the Building and Construction Technology Program at DACC, and Pat Taylor, adobe preservation specialist, are supervising the students’ work. The instructors will be on site during the tour to explain the process.

The tour will be led by Branigan Cultural Center staff, with architectural information provided by Greg Smith. Representatives of Las Esparanzas Inc., the neighborhood preservation organization, will be on hand. In addition to Phillips Chapel, the tour will include the Jardin de Mesquite, the Unsettled Gallery and numerous historic homes in the district.

The program is free and no registration is required. Participants should plan for a two-hour walk on city streets and wear sturdy walking shoes.

The Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main Street, is located at the north end of the Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. All programs are free and open to the public. Galleries are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information contact the Branigan Cultural Center at (575) 541-2154 or visit the Center’s web site at las-cruces.org/museums