Roque Tudesqui House - Historic Santa Fe Foundation
Roque Tudesqui House - Historic Santa Fe Foundation
Roque Tudesqui House - Historic Santa Fe Foundation
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<strong>Santa</strong> <strong>Fe</strong> with single-story, flat-roofed, adobe buildings lying close to a<br />
narrow, curving street.<br />
The "<strong>Tudesqui</strong>" <strong>House</strong> is on the north side of the block that runs<br />
between the Old <strong>Santa</strong> <strong>Fe</strong> Trail and Don Gaspar Avenue. The San Miguel<br />
Chapel faces west down De Vargas Street from across the Old <strong>Santa</strong> <strong>Fe</strong><br />
Trail. The only building on the property lies at the south end of the tract,<br />
close to the street on a long, narrow lot that slopes sharply down toward<br />
the <strong>Santa</strong> <strong>Fe</strong> River. The property once included the entire lot north from<br />
the road down to the river.<br />
There was surely a building on this property before the American<br />
occupation of New Mexico in 1846; by 1850 it was a substantial fiveroom<br />
house. Although the connection between the HSFF property and<br />
the Italian trader <strong>Roque</strong> <strong>Tudesqui</strong> is not established, the story of its verifiable<br />
owners is equally compelling. This very old neighborhood of substantial<br />
homes attracted an interesting array of characters in the early years<br />
ofthe New Mexico territory that was organized in 1850. The "<strong>Tudesqui</strong>"<br />
<strong>House</strong> attracted a succession of owners, drawn from the ranks of the<br />
leading military and business leaders ofthe day, both Hispanic andAnglo.4<br />
In 1850-1851, the property was owned by Major Lafayette Head.<br />
A Missourian, Head had come to New Mexico in 1846 with Colonel<br />
Stirling W. Price's Second Missouri<br />
Volunteers. He married a local<br />
woman, Martina Martinez, and<br />
remained in the Southwest to engage<br />
extensively in trade and politics.<br />
He served as an Indian agent,<br />
deputy U.S. Marshall fornorthem<br />
New Mexico, and Rio Arriba<br />
County sheriff. Elected to both<br />
houses ofthe New Mexico territoriallegislature,<br />
he was chosen<br />
}resident of the council (senate).<br />
East De Vargas Street ca. 1882<br />
5