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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

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