In sharp contrast to the Old World Hispanic quality of Old Town and its surrounding neighborhoods, on the east side of the Gallinas River lies another Las Vegas, a refined example of Eastern United States turn-of-the-century urban planning sensibilities.(For nearly ninety years, from 1882 to 1970, Las Vegas was in fact two separate communities: the City of East Las Vegas, and the Town of West Las Vegas.) Upon the arrival of the Atchikson, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad in 1879, a logical grid-plan of streets and parks was designed for the new boom town on the east side of the Gallinas River. The new residents of a rapidly-expanding Las Vegas included a high percentage of European immigrants and Jewish merchant families who came West seeking economic opportunity.

The prosperous new citizens of Las Vegas yearned for the prestige and stability symbolized by brick and stone houses. As their fortunes grew, they seemingly outdid each other by building ever larger, more elaborate Victorian mansions. At the same time, in the 1890s, the City Beautiful movement encouraged cities throughout the country to build wide, tree lined boulevards and parks to provide civilized landscaping in urban settings. Las Vegas city fathers imported large lots of elms, maples, and elder trees near the turn of the century which today give parts of Las Vegas a "Midwestern" appearance. Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Street residential neighborhoods represent excellent examples of City Beautiful ideals.

The first houses constructed in New Town - the early northernmost part of East Las Vegas - were simple, single-story wood frame buildings. Their floorplans were quite different, however, from the traditional New Mexican vernacular residences in Old Town. Then, a variety of eastern folk house styles and new nationally popular styles began to appear. The free-standing, singl-family house became the primary dwelling type.

As eastern styles reached Las Vegas, they were often modified and simplified. Mass-produced wooden details were plentiful as a result of advancements in transportation and distribution. A variety of "new" materials such as brick, wood clapboard and shingles, turned posts and millwork and sandstone became available locally and diversified the exterior finishes intergral to Victorian architecture. Irregular massing of forms, bays, multiple gables, porches and verandas are characteristic of houses in New Town.

These homes were generally named for their first or most prominant owner, or sometimes for the buider.

This page is taken from the brochure "Historic Las Vegas, New Mexico: Along the Santa Fe Trail", a project of the Citizens' Committee for Historic Preservation, Las Vegas, New Mexico. The brochure was made possible in part by the New Mexico Department of Tourism, the Federal Highway Administration through a New Mexico Scenic Byways Grant, and City of Las Vegas Lodgers Tax with assistance from the Historic Preservation Division, Office of Cultural Affairs, State of New Mexico, 228 E. Palace, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. The brouchure was financed in part by federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Portions of it are from earlier CCHP publications and include the work of Chris Wilson, Ellen Threinen, Amy Caldwell, Elmo Baca, Scott Clark, Olivia Lovato, Robin Oldham, Katherine Slick, Adelita Medina, Stephen Whitmore, Mary Whitmore, and Raymundo Valdez.