In 1706, New Mexico Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdes founded the new Villa de Albuquerque, now spelled Albuquerque. Here, the Camino Real wound its way through a series of farming and ranching communities to a nearby ford, linking the road settlements on the west bank of the Rio Grande. Albuquerque retains its original plan with streets radiating from a central plaza. The 1793 San Felipe de Neri Church and Rectory remain from the Spanish Colonial period, and most historic buildings around the plaza date from c. 1870 to c. 1900. Albuquerque was the main commercial center for the Rio Grande valley until the 1880 arrival of the railroad, one-and-a-half miles east of the plaza. Growth and development centered on the railroad and New Albuquerque. Now known as Plaza Vieja or Old Town, the plaza, plan of narrow streets, and historic buildings are representative of a traditional Hispanic city.
