ABSTRACT
Beginning around 1912, historic preservation and the promotion of a regional architecture have been parallel efforts to maintain and encourage a unique appearance to the City. Although an architectural review ordinance was proposed by the Planning Board in 1912, no ordinance was adopted until 1957, when the City Council adopted Historical District Regulations. A Historical Styles Committee was created with authority to approve or deny all applications for new construction, exterior alteration and demolition within historical districts. As the concepts of historic preservation and contextual design expanded, it became evident that not all concerns for design and preservation in Santa Fe were being addressed. For example, buildings constructed in "imported" styles were not protected against demolition. Also, the integrity of certain townscapes which had developed during the American Territorial and early Statehood periods was being threatened. Studies, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and carried out by the Planning Department, focused on the structure of the city as it had developed over time. Standards characteristic of each townscape subdistrict were subsequently adopted. Also, three new historic districts were created in recognition of areas worthy of protection but which included a wider range of architectural styles than were recognized by the original ordinance.
