THEN — PALACE OF THE GOVERNORS,
ca. 1868 (inset ca. 1881)

The Palace of the Governors was originally constructed between 1610-1612 under the first governor of Santa Fe, Don Pedro de Peralta. It has undergone continuous renovation and repair since that time. The reason was its adobe construction. Adobe is a fragile building material subject to weathering. Without a protective outer surface, it gradually disintegrates into mud, whether it is adobe bricks such as the Spanish introduced or "puddled" walls (successive hand-formed layers) such as the Pueblo Indians built.

The Palace was never a palace. The very name is a misnomer. It is only one of many contra-

dictions throughout New Mexico's history. It was called "Casa Real" or Royal House because it was the seat of government and the governor's residence. In the 1600s and 1700s it was part of the Spanish Presidio, which included several other buildings and cultivated fields. It was originally larger than it is today, having a chapel on the east end and dungeons on the west end. Descriptions given in early manuscripts indicated the doors were small and low and there were few windows. The roof was made of peeled logs (vigas) placed side by side with a layer of brush and hard-packed earth on top. Until 1877, when a tin roof was added, the Palace roof always leaked in a rain-storm. The only solution, one visitor noted, was to use an umbrella when inside! The floors