Doña Ana Village Historic Preservation Committee

11/03/2026

Today we remember our loved ones who are no longer with us and Mary Jane loved Dia de los Mu***os in Doña Ana. She would start planning months in advance and wanted to make sure she had pictures of all her family for her ofrenda. Seeing the young performers would always put a big smile on her face and she would talk about all the family and friends she got to visit with during the event for months afterwards. She is no longer with us but we know her spirit lives on in her beloved village.

11/02/2026

We look forward to seeing all the wonderful performers every year during our Dia de los Mu***os celebration in the historic heart of Doña Ana. These performers put their all into into their craft and we are so grateful for them.

11/01/2026

Remembering our loved ones throughout the years at Dia de los Mu***os in the historic heart of Doña Ana. Sadly, we will not be able to celebrate the memories of our loved ones as usual in Doña Ana, but we will be back next year, bigger and better than ever.

10/31/2026

We want to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Arlene Barncastle-Kisiel. Arlene was one of our Committee members for several years and a strong supporter of the restoration of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. Arlene shared an iconic photo of herself with her grandfather, Herman "Jeronimo" Wertheim that was featured in two of our calendars.

Arlene Barncastle Waskiewicz Kisiel, 91, of Dona Ana, New Mexico, passed away peacefully the morning of September 22, 2026, at her home in Las...

10/30/2026

Over approximately a 60-year period, the exterior of Nuestra Señora changed quite a bit. The earliest photo of the church is from 1909 and was taken before a major remodeling project began the following year. A 1918 photo shows the church after the remodeling project and it shows a large adobe bell tower was added to the church. A picture from 1955 shows the current bell tower which we believe was added sometime in the late 1920s. The 1969 photo shows the church as we know it today with the stone arch and wall that was added in 1968. During the planning phase of the church restoration that took place in the 1990s, there was discussions over if the the church should be restored to its original form. The church remodeling that took place circa 1910 completely changed the exterior and interior appearances of the church. The changes were pushed by the parish priest at the time, Father Eschollier, who was French and felt the church should have more of a European look. Many of the French priests that were sent to New Mexico after the Mexican-American war did not appreciate the beauty of New Mexico's adobe churches and felt they were not worthy of being houses of worship. Under the direction of French priests, several of New Mexico's historic adobes churches were remodeled and sadly, some were razed and new churches were built. Fortunately, our beloved Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria was only remodeled.

10/29/2026

On October 29, 1852, U.S. Army Sargent James W. Graves and his wife Antonia Serna-Graves were murdered at their ranch in Doña Ana by their ranch hand. The murdered couple's infant daughter, Nicanora, was not harmed and would be raised by her maternal grandparents after the murder of her parents. The Graves were murdered by a Texan they had hired to help around their ranch. The murderer was captured near Chihuahua City, Mexico, where he was accused of murdering another family. On December 7, 1852, the murderer arrived at Fort Fillmore as he was being taken back to Doña Ana to stand trial. When he was captured he had James Graves' r***e, overcoat, horse, and trousers and he could not provide an explanation as to how he came into possession of Graves' belongings. On December 17, 1852, he is tried in Doña Ana for the murders of James and Antonia and is quickly found guilty. After he is convicted, Doñaneros take him to a large cottonwood tree near the village where he is hung and his body is left hanging overnight. In less than two months of the murder, the accused is captured, tried, and executed. The image is a daguerreotype of U.S. soldiers in Saltillo, Mexico, during the Mexican-American War.

10/29/2026

The Socorro, Texas, mission church is fundraising for a major restoration project. Cornerstones Community Partnerships oversaw the restoration of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria and upon its completion in 2000, they moved on to the Socorro mission. You can learn more about the restoration project and history of Socorro, Texas, by clicking on the link and watching the video on the website.

Help Us Restore the Socorro Mission For over three centuries, the Socorro Mission – La Purísima Concepción has stood as a beacon of resilience, faith, and unity along the historic El Paso Mission Trail. Founded in 1680, it is one of the oldest missions in the United States, representing the endu...

10/27/2026

Doña Ana would look very different today if the Doña Ana Townsite company was successful in their venture to create a new townsite in the area of what is now the intersection of Doña Ana and Thorpe roads. An El Paso Herald Post article from May 1908 describes the plans the company had for their new town. The article also mentions improvements being made to the American (Methodist) church and other businesses in the village's business district (which includes the businesses once located in what today is the De La O Visitors Center complex).