Old Town History

Founded in 1706 as the villa of Alburquerque by Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, governor of the Spanish province of New Mexico, Old Town stood on the Camino Real between Mexico City and Santa Fe and became the regional seat of government for the Rio Abajo as well as the area's agricultural center. After Mexico declared independence from Spain in 1821, New Mexico joined the new nation to the south and Alburquerque became a major stop on the Chihuahua Trail. In 1846, General Kearny raised the flag of the United States of America over the Plaza, and the Plaza area became the site of a major military outpost. In 1862, Albuquerque was the site of a Civil War skirmish and, for 36 days, the Confederate capital of the Territory of New Mexico. When the railroad arrived in 1880, it located 1.5 miles to the east in New Town, bringing new settlers and new building materials. By the turn of the century, Old Town had ceased to be the hub of downtown Albuquerque but continued as a vital local center. From 1900 to the present, Old Town has continued as an active commercial, residential, and community center, with San Felipe de Neri Church and Old Town Plaza at its heart.

Albuquerque, New Mexico · United States