The Barela–Bledsoe House is a historic house in the North Valley of

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

. It was built around 1870 by Juan Estevan Barela (1842–1886), a prosperous farmer and merchant. At the time of his death, he owned over of land and 13,000 sheep. The house was inherited by his widow Abundia García de Barela (c. 1849–1943), who owned the property until her death. With . In the twentieth century, it was the residence of Robert Dietz III (c. 1915–1991), whose previous home is also a listed historic property. The Barela–Bledsoe House was listed on the

New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties The New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties is a register of historic and prehistoric properties located in the state of New Mexico. It is maintained by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural ...

in 1976 and the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1979. The house is a one-story, L-shaped building wrapping around the north and east sides of a ''placita'' or courtyard; a former wing enclosing the west side of the courtyard is no longer extant. The two remaining wings are joined by a

zaguan Zaguan refers to a house plan configuration where a central passageway leads from a front door to a patio or a courtyard. This is found in historic houses in Mexico and in the southwestern U.S. Usually rooms are one deep, with each facing the str ...

, a covered passageway opening onto the placita. A ''portal'' or

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

is attached to the east side of the house. The walls are thick and are constructed from ''terrones'' (sod bricks) set on a stone foundation. The house has Territorial-style details including wooden door and window trim with

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

ed,

dentil A dentil (from Lat. ''dens'', a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice. Dentils are found in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and also in later styles such as Neoclassical, Federal, Georgian Reviv ...

-patterned

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...

s. The east wing contains seven rooms with ceilings supported by milled beams, an adaptation of the traditional viga and latilla roof using more modern construction methods. A second zaguan through the center of the east wing has been closed off to form a hallway. The north wing houses a separate apartment and a garage.

References

Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico National Register of Historic Places in Albuquerque, New Mexico Houses in Albuquerque, New Mexico New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties {{NewMexico-NRHP-stub