MetroABQ Blog

From Wiki: Territorial Style was an architectural style of building developed and used in the New Mexico Territory from the time of the American occupation in 1846 until 1912,[1] at which time New Mexico stopped being a territory & became a state. A vernacular subgroup, from 1860-1935, of the Territorial Style is known as the Folk Territorial, Folk Carpenter, & Spanish Folk Territorial. The style was found "particularly in Northern New Mexico", & consisted of applied wood Greek Revival & Gothic details, added to the building styles of the Pueblos & the Spanish missions in New Mexico, the Northern New Mexico adobe building construction style.[2] Following the increase of its popularity in the 1930s & 1940s, it became referred to as the Territorial Revival style, which became another popular building style alongside New Mexico's Pueblo Revival style.

John Gaw Meem is perhaps the original Architect of the Santa Fe Style, which includes classic Spanish Pueblo Revival & Territorial Revival styles. In the MetroABQ, one of Meem's most prominent groupings of Territorial style buildings is at Los Poblanos Inn & Farm, below, in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, along the Rio Grande in the North Valley. I've spent some time at Los Poblanos (one memorable experience was the Art + Architecture Tour), & have learned some good stuff: Zaguan Doors & Roof Copings?

Jump across the city to the Nob Hill Neighborhoods, a group of evolving neighborhoods that mostly started developing around 1920, & peaked into the 1950's. All of Nob Hill includes dozens of Territorial Revival residences. The newly-minted Monte Vista & College View Historic District stretches across two of the Nob Hill Neighborhoods & has great examples of well-kept Territorial style single-family homes, duplexes & triplexes. 

A simple Territorial style home in the Broadmoor Addition, below, which is the last Nob Hill Neighborhood to be developed, after WWII. Below that is an original Broadmoor duplex.