Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701
505-425-8803

The city of Las Vegas, New Mexico has 918 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A database of these buildings is searchable from this site. Established by land grant in 1835, Las Vegas was originally called Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de Las Vegas Grandes (Our Lady of the Sorrows of the Great Meadows). The history of Las Vegas is influenced not only by many different cultures, but also by two major forms of transportation. As a major trading point on the Santa Fe Trail, Las Vegas became a prosperous Spanish town with a wide variety of adobe structures. As trade on the trail increased, so did the variety of settlers and architecture in the town. When the Atchikson, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad bypassed the town by about a mile, the city of East Las Vegas was established near the railroad depot and both towns saw a brief period of major growth. During this time an amazing number of Victorian homes, public buildings, and commercial structures were built, representing a wide variety of architectural styles. Over 918 of these structures, both Victorian and adobe, still survive today. The Las Vegas Citizens' Committee for Historic Preservation (CCHP) was organized to promote the preservation of these buildings, educate the public regarding the rich cultural heritage these buildings represent, and to investigate and implement ways in which these buildings can continue to play a vital role in the infrastructure, culture, and future of Las Vegas. In 1977, the CCHP was formed by a handful of individuals to encourage the preservation and appreciation of our community's historic resources for the benefit of the community, aesthetically and economically. With the help of a steadily growing membership, we've accomplished a lot. Self-guided walking tour brochures on historic districts and various other historic sites, which have proven extremely popular with visitors and residents alike. These have been turned into virtual tours on this site. The CCHP helped the City of Las Vegas achieve Certified Local Government (CLG) status in 1985 to receive funds earmarked for preservation. Since 1990 the Places With a Past historic buildings tour has been sponsored by the CCHP. Over 100 volunteers stage each annual tour for hundreds of visitors who come to our community for the event. The CCHP publishes a quarterly newsletter, People and Places Past, which includes current information regarding historic preservation in Las Vegas, as well as updates on CCHP activities. Our newsletter has been used as a model project by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division. The CCHP maintains over 3,300 photographic images of early Las Vegas. The sale of postcards with these images helps fund preservation projects while promoting historic Las Vegas worldwide. The CCHP holds periodic seminars and workshops to teach residents about aspects of history and preservation. The CCHP is also involved in several preservation projects. CCHP consultants recently completed a period of collaboration with the city government and with the Las Vegas Design Review Board to revise the city ordinances concerning historic properties. A brochure outlining these ordinances and the procedures building owners should follow for working with the DRB has been published. CCHP consultants worked with the Las Vegas city government Master Plan committee to insure the appropriate inclusion of historic preservation into the city's long term planning. There are also several current projects going on at CCHP. Please take some time and check them out! If you would like to learn more about any of these projects, or would like to become a CCHP member, please e-mail us at cchp@worldplaces.com.