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Stabilization Project Begins On Ruins of Adobe Church One of its two mud-brick towers already has crumbled into a heap of rubble, and the remaining adobe walls of its nave and surviving tower are in danger of imminent collapse. But the ruins of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Church still exhibit the impressive arched doorways that inspire admirers of adobe construction to venture far off the beaten path to this tiny borderland hamlet 30 miles upstream along the Rio Grande from Presidio. A centur y or so after local parishioners erected the church – and decades after it was abandoned – work began in late March to shore up its walls, and distinctive arches, along with stabilizing the roof’s structure and replacing the adobe foundation. Funds for the project have accumulated over the past year after concern among preservationists coalesced in late 2004 with the awarding of grants from several public and private entities, including the Texas Historical Commission and the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation. Although the preservationists’ ultimate goal is a complete restoration (estimated to cost around $250,000), only enough money has been made available to fund 90 days of work. That scope of work is expected to accomplish a minimal amount of repairs to the rapidly deteriorating building. Additional funds are being sought to replace the roof, rebuild adobe walls, and install interpretive signage that would explain the historical
and architectural significance of one of West Texas’ dwindling stock of adobe construction. The church was in place in 1914; that much is known, yet preservationists think it may date to 1903. According to THC architect Lyman Labry, AIA, the church was abandoned in the late 1950s. The altar and bell were removed, he said, and these artifacts remain in Presidio County, but the building was otherwise left to decay. Deterioration of the structure accelerated within the last four years, Labry said, after its remaining cement-fiber roof shingles were removed because high winds were tearing them off. That minimized the danger of flying debris, but the removal of shingles left the church exposed to the elements. The condition of its adobe walls and milled lumber lintels quickly worsened. In May 2004, THC funded a study to determine the extent of damage and the potential for preservation. That initial conditions assessment was completed in June 2004 by Cornerstones Community Partnerships, a nonprofit organization based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The group specializes in preserving adobe structures and its staff has developed expertise by working with craftsmen of northern Mexico who practice traditional adobe construction techniques. Cornerstones recently assisted the restoration of the historic La Purisima mission in Socorro, just south of El Paso. Among Cornerstones’ con-
Photo by Richard Payne, FAIA, courtesy THC
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Abandoned since the 1950s, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Church in the tiny West Texas border town of Ruidosa remains one of the most distinctive adobe structures anywhere in the state. The church is about 100 years old.
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tributions to that successful project were brickmaking workshops, as well as a maintenance manual outlining how the mission’s caretakers can protect the adobe walls. As highlighted in Cornerstones’ assessment of the Ruidosa church, the ruin’s most distinctive features are its three arches—likely the largest extant round-structural adobe arches in the state. Two of the arches are located at front and back of the nave, with the third arch set adjacent to the nave at the base of the surviving tower. The assessment noted that the arch at the nave’s entrance measured 17-1/2 feet wide, while the arch at the rear elevation measured slightly wider than 14 feet and more than nine feet tall. Critical bricks in both arches were reported to be either missing or slipping. While the report did not include measurements of the surviving tower’s archway, recent photographs show it to be similar in size to the nave’s front doorway. Also clearly evident is severe damage to the bricks that comprise the tower’s arch. The report’s conclusion states: “The Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Church, once cherished, is today a public hazard. Bearing mute testimony to decades of neglect, the church is no longer safe to enter. Continued inaction will lead to further ruin and eventual loss… Immediate action on behalf of this historic Church is warranted to stabilize the remaining evidence of original design, traditional materials, and fine workmanship. Emergency shoring will ensure structural stability, and will allow interested visitors and worshippers to return. The installation of in-depth interpretive markers will enhance the tourist experience. A minimal expenditure of time, funding, and expertise will transform this historic building into the meaningful destination it once was.” On March 27, almost two years after that conditions assessment, a pre-construction meeting was held at the site with THC’s Labry, Cornerstones’ adobe preservation specialist Pat Taylor, Presidio contractor Rafael Carrera Jr., and local businessman Jim Blumberg in attendance. The team assembled to finalize plans for the initial phase of stabilization work that commenced the next day. For more information or to contribute donations, contact the Ruidosa Mission Project, P.O. Box 606, Marfa, Texas 79843. s t e p h e n
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