Story by Paul Ratje

Long before the 2003 donation of the Taylor-Barela-Reynolds-Mesilla State Monument, better known as the J. Paul and Mary Taylor Home, the Taylor family had been thinking about the future of the home where the couple raised seven children and had lived  for about 60 years.

Home with a history (see Taylor home slideshow)

The home dates back to the 1850s and was originally occupied by the Barela family, a prominent merchant family in the early days of Mesilla. Later on, it was owned by the Reynolds family who made many additions to the home. In 1913, parish priest Juan Grange, who built San Albino Church on the plaza, used the property as his rectory until his death. Perla Aladib inherited the property in 1937 and sold it to the Taylors in 1953.

J. Paul Taylor, talks about his gift to the state in the family room of his Mesilla home last month. (Photo by Paul Ratje)

A photograph of Mary Daniels Taylor graces the living room of the Taylor home. (Photo by Paul Ratje)

When J. Paul Taylor and his wife, Mary Daniels Taylor, purchased the property, they came upon a dilapidated adobe structure, without electricity or plumbing and badly in need of restoration. The Taylors worked hard to get the house up to a good “conservation mode” while preserving its true character. This work has carried on during the past 60 years in the form of new additions to everyday maintenance.

Throughout the years, the Taylors have collected countless artifacts, paintings, textiles and antique furniture, and they also accumulated a mass of historical text and documents from the area. The home also houses many photographs taken by Mary Taylor.

The decision to donate the home

The Taylors met with their seven children (Robert, Dolores, Mike, Mary Helen, John, Pat, Rosie) and their spouses, to discuss what they thought the house should become.

“We felt that it should be a decision which should be made by all the children, and we felt that they had an equal decision to make as Mary and I,” Taylor said.

They considered donating the home to the Town of Mesilla, New Mexico State University and San Albino Church, but came to the conclusion that these organizations would not be the proper fit for such a donation. The decision to donate the home to New Mexico State Monuments came partly because their son, Mike, had worked with the organization and because it seemed to be the right organization for such an undertaking.

In September of 2003, the Taylors signed the agreements to donate their property, and in 2004 the site was proclaimed a state monument by the governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson. It was formally dedicated as a monument in a ceremony on the Mesilla plaza in September of 2006.

The message

The front of the the Taylor home faces the Mesilla Plaza. (Photo by Paul Ratje)

The Taylors put a strong emphasis on importance of history. They want the home and two adjoining shops, which will serve as a learning center on the plaza for the museum, to help people get to know the culture and way of life of past and present Mesilla Valley generations.

Taking a walk through the corridors of the home with J. Paul reveals a wealth of knowledge of history and art of the border region. He regularly tours school groups, friends, distant relations as well as his own family through the rambling adobe.

“I would hope that the home will bring an understanding about how people lived from the early 1850s to the present time. This encompasses a number of values: the culture of the individuals who owned the house, its architectural style and the importance of the people who occupied the properties over those years- merchants, priests, families,” Taylor said.

“It is also hoped that it will inspire children who visit the property of the cultural value of the important ethnic ethnicities who occupy the region,” Taylor said.

Lifetimes of preserving history & serving the community

J. Paul Taylor worked most of his life in different educational positions in Las Cruces Public Schools where he became the assistant superintendent of LCPS. He is best known for his role as a state representative in the New Mexico State Legislature.

Mary Taylor was an avid historian and photographer whose main focus was the border region and Mexico. In 2004, her book “A Place as Wild as the West Ever Was, Mesilla, New Mexico: 1848-1872″ was published. She died three years later at the age of 85.