Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-04-13
ANTIQUITY IS ITS
GREATEST ASSET
Chicago Financiers Said of
Santa Ee, Deploring
Changes
PRINCE SCORES DUKE CITY
Urges A Preservation Commis
sion Be Established
Here.

That Chicago and other financiers
who have been thinking of investing
money in Santa Fe have repeatedly
declared that the citys antiquity in
appearance is its greatest asset and
that certain styles of architecture Of
new buildings put up in Santa Fe are
monstrosities as far as blending with
the old Spanish or Mission architec-
ture is concerned, We're declarations
of John P. Wagner, vice president of
the Santa Fe Board of Trade in a dis
cussion held at the boards meeting
last night. That it took fifteen years
after Santa Fe got railroad for its
people to realize that this is not to
| be commercial but a tourist and
| home city was the declaration of for
mer Governor L. Bradford Prince who
| delivered an eloquent speech follow
| ing Doctor Wagner, advocating the
setting to work of preservation COM
mittee to protect Santa Fe antiquity
as seen in its ruins and general style
of architecture.
! The discussion was started by Vice
President Wagner referring to the at
ltempts of certain architects to put up
beautiful buildings and yet neglect
the cardinal principle of art to have
the building harmonic with its sur
roundings.
Doctor Wagner also referred to GER
tain new buildings on Palace avenue
and again deplored the tendency of
architects to modernize Santa Fe
whose greatest charm is being an
cient. He said that cities like Wash
| ington, Buffalo and Chicago are now
protecting the big expensive buildings
from being ruined in appearance by
| the building of shacks around them
and urged that Santa Fe also have a
committee that shall have power to
! make builders show their plans and
=, not mar the appearance of magnificent
, structures by building unsightly
, houses or stores near them. Mr.
| Wagner said that he had studied ar
chitecture and he knew that Santa Fe
could have its new buildings erected
in Spanish or Mission style without
losing comfort and without spelling
the looks of the town. He said that
experience had shown what kind of
a house is best suited to this climate
and that prospective builders would
be wise If they regarded this expert
ence covering hundreds of years.
Governor Princes Talk.
| ThaD forn1or D.;-a.
and said that We need more a preserv-
alton committee than anything else
right now in New Mexico. He con-
tlnued: i was in Albuquerque a day
or two ago and | made efforts to have
one organized there. I spoke to at
least four prominent men and every
one OF them answered practically the
: same thing and in almost the same
language: Not a man in the city of
Albuquerque would give a minute of
, his time to anything except the max
ing of money daughter
gentlemen, we have the most i'm
i portant ruins in the United States.
And yet some of our great ruins are
: belng destroyed by the lack of a few
dollars and a little mortar. Some of
the ruins have disappeared for this
neglect and thousands and millions OF
dollars now spent will not restore
them"
Further discussion ensued and il
I was decided to make additions to the
present architectural committee OF
the board OF trade or to appoint or Sc
lect new one to make efforts to pre-
serve Santa Fe's historic treasures