Ranchos de Taos Plaza
On the south end of Taos, the Ranchos de Taos Plaza is the site of the oldest Spanish village in Taos Valley. Built as a fortified settlement for protection, it was finished in the late 1770s. The famous adobe San Francisco de Asis church sits in the center of the plaza, and around its perimeter are adobe buildings that once housed the earliest Spanish settlers of the area. Some of these historic residences have been converted into shops, galleries, and restaurants that can be visited by the public. Others are returning back to the earth from which they were formed. The Ranchos Plaza lies within a larger area that was designated as a Traditional Historic Community in 2022, under the official name "Las Comunidades del Valle de los Ranchos."
The area is made up of a 35-square-mile district encompassing the five historic agricultural communities of Ranchos de Taos, Talpa, La Cordillera, Los Cordovas, and Llano Quemado. This newly designated traditional historic community consists of parts of two Spanish land grants and several interconnected acequia systems. Acequia systems are made of hand-dug irrigation channels that route river water into agricultural fields, and they have been used in all five communities for centuries. However, acequia systems are not just physical irrigation ditches. They include important political and social components that dictate the intricate system of water-sharing that takes place among community members. Acequia systems are still in use today and are recognized in New Mexico law. This historic district has been utilized by many Native American communities, including Ute, Comanche, and Jicarilla Apache as well as nearby Taos and Picuris Pueblos. The Spanish who moved into the area mixed with these peoples, and their descendants are the Genízaro, the holders of unique traditions that are still alive and well in the Ranchos area today.
