Statement of Significance (as of designation - October 9, 1960):
Erected (1610-12) as the fortress of the royal presidio of Santa Fe, the Palacio Real is the oldest public building built by European settlers in the continental United States. It served as the residence of the Spanish, Mexican, and American governors of New Mexico until 1907. Architecturally, the structure combined Pueblo Indian and Spanish methods of construction and design, producing a new type of building that was widely used throughout the Southwest.

Condition:
Prior to 2004, a team of historians, archeologists, and architects under the direction of Conron and Woods Architects completed a comprehensive Historic Structures Report (HSR) for the Palace of the Governors. The draft manuscript reporting room by room conditions was completed in July 2004. The report included the first detailed inventory of historic fabric, finishes and room by room condition report for the Palace. In general, the building was and continues to be in satisfactory condition, given its lengthy occupational history. The 2004 HSR contained recommendations for site work (drainage corrections in the courtyard; up-grades to the HVAC system to handle museum requirements; up-grades for ADA compliance in restrooms) and offered suggestions for public interpretation of the complex site occupation. The response to recommendations is outlined in the section: Changes. The historical descriptions in the HSR were augmented by additional archaeological investigations on the lot to the north of the Palace, where the New Mexico History Museum* is under construction. *In Fiscal Year 2002 the Department of the Interior provided the State of New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs with funding ($5M and $9,997,000) for construction of the New Mexico History Museum at one time referred to as the Palace of the Governor’s Annex. The contemporary design of the new addition has proved controversial, but has been reviewed and approved by the local design review commission as well as the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Officer. The facility is slated to open in 2007 and once open it will allow the Palace of the Governors to dedicate more space to telling its own story. The Palace currently draws approximately 150,000 visitors per year.

The North wall of the Patio Offices was stabilized in 2003. The plan of work was contained in a Memorandum of Agreement among the NPS, the Museum of New Mexico (MNM) and the NM SHPO executed in the Fall of 2002. Consultations with the NM SHPO also occurred regarding the systematic archaeological recover efforts on the lot to the north of the Palace. An EA and FONSI concerning this work was also executed by the MNM and NPS in April 2003.

Recommendation/Change since last report:
Based on recommendations formulated in the 2004 HSR report, the following has been accomplished to up-grade our preservation initiatives: 1) In 2005, the storm drainage system in the courtyard of the Palace of the Governors was replaced with a new system which would accommodate item 2: 2) The public restrooms have been totally renovated for ADA compliance: 3) The heating system within the Palace has been replaced. All work was conducted under the consultation process of the MOA with the NPS and NMHPD: 4) As stated previously, there has been total replacement of water systems which should ameliorate corrosion in the pipes: 5) Rotten vigas were replaced in two areas (under the east portal in the Palace courtyard and near the main entrance under the portal on the south side of the Palace). All work was completed under archaeological monitoring in addition to consultation with NMHPD, and: 6) As part of the exhibition plans for both the new history museum as well as the Palace of the Governors, there are tentative plans for installation of new exhibits that combine the results of the archaeological studies and the HSR recently completed. The public interpretation of the Palace has the potential to raise public awareness of the great antiquity of Hispanic settlement in the American Southwest.