Martinez Hacienda
HeyTaos · Free Guide
Martinez Hacienda
One of the last Spanish Colonial "Great Houses" still standing in the American Southwest. Built in 1804 by trader and Taos alcalde Severino Martinez, its windowless, two-foot-thick adobe walls and twenty-one rooms once anchored the northern terminus of the Camino Real.
In 1804, Antonio Severino Martinez moved his family from Abiquiú to Taos and bought land along the Rio Pueblo, about two miles from the plaza. What started as a four-room dwelling grew, room by room, into a 21-room hacienda built around two enclosed courtyards by the time of his death in 1827. The thick adobe walls had no exterior windows, built to serve as a refuge for family, neighbors, and livestock during raids.
Severino served as alcalde, or mayor, of Taos, and ran the hacienda as the headquarters for an extensive trading, ranching, and farming operation, the final terminus of the Camino Real connecting northern New Mexico to Mexico City. His son, Padre Antonio José Martínez, grew up in this house and went on to become one of Taos' most significant historical figures.
A Frontier Trading Post
- 1804. Severino Martinez relocates his family from Abiquiú and begins building, starting with four rooms.
- 1804–1827. The hacienda grows to 21 rooms around two placitas (courtyards) as Severino's trading and ranching operation expands.
- 1827. Severino Martinez dies, having served as Taos alcalde and built one of the most important trade centers on the northern edge of the Spanish Empire.
- 1827–1882. The property passes through further alterations under the Martinez family.
- 1973. Martinez Hacienda is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1974–1983. A major restoration returns the hacienda to its historic form.
What to Expect
21 Rooms, Two Courtyards
Thick adobe walls with no exterior windows, built for defense as much as for living.
Living History Demonstrations
Regularly scheduled demonstrations depicting frontier life in northern New Mexico during the early 1800s.
Old Taos Trade Fair
An annual fall fair recreating the historic trade gatherings once held near Taos Pueblo, where trappers, traders, and locals bartered goods.
Hours and Admission
Hours
10 AM–4 PM, Monday through Saturday. 12 PM–4 PM on Sundays. Weather permitting.
Admission
$12 Adults, $8 Seniors, $5 Children. Membership includes free admission to both Taos Historic Museums properties for a year.
Visit the Hacienda
Free Guide. Martinez Hacienda is featured editorially by HeyTaos because it's one of the last surviving Spanish Colonial Great Houses in the Southwest, not because of any paid relationship. Confirm current hours, admission, and event dates directly with taoshistoricmuseums.org before visiting.