Statement of Significance (as of designation - December 19, 1960):
The Plaza has been the social, economic, and (in its early days) defensive center of the city established in the winter of 1609-10; traders and travelers knew it as the terminus of the Santa Fe Trail. The Palace of the Governors, on the Plaza, was the site of a flag-raising in 1846 establishing American rule.

Condition:
The Santa Fe Plaza is in Good to Fair condition. The City of Santa Fe is planning a capitol improvement program for the coming year to address: replacement of deteriorated concrete paving; replace flagstone with another paving surface; relocation and consolidation of electrical and irrigation control boxes on the NE corner of the Plaza; improvements to the irrigation system; tree and shrub replacement and planting; and repairs to the masonry bench or banco surrounding the Soldier’s Monument.

City of Santa Fe (City), National Park Service (NPS), NM Historic Preservation Division (HPD), and Morrow, Reardon, Wilkinson, Miller Landscape Architects completed a Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) for the Santa Fe Plaza and was adopted by the City of Santa Fe Mayor and City Council in March 2006. The CLR is a valuable planning document that will assist the City in its stewardship of the Plaza and in its consultation with HPD on any capital improvements on the Plaza. The Plaza Stage construction was completed in 2004 and is located on the north end of the Plaza across from the Palace of the Governors, National Historic Landmark.