One of Santa Fe's legendary figures is Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, near the Plaza in Santa Fe is one of its most famous landmarks. The structure was the decades-long obsession and struggle of one man, the archbishop. He had a vision of replacing the existing church with a magnificent French Romanesque cathedral made from sandstone instead of adobe mud. Architectural plans from France were drawn up. French and Italian stonemasons were brought over. Construction began in 1869. Masses continued to be held in the original adobe mud church while this grand cathedral was being built around and above it. Once completed, the original church was dismantled and hauled out the front door one piece at a time. Easier said than done. Construction was a constant battle, both technically and financially. The facade stones change color as you approach the top. Each color change indicates where Archbishop Lamy ran out of money and construction halted. When more money was raised and construction renewed, new stone was sourced. The lack of color consistency is part of the cathedral's charm.
Lamy, NM is where you get off the Southwest Chief if you are taking the train to Santa Fe. From the station, in Lamy's namesake town, you notice a flat-topped mountain. Stone was cut from the mountaintop, then slid down its side to the base. You can still see the chutes. The stone was transported by mules 15 miles to the building site. The Basilica was completed in 1887 and Lamy died in 1888.
As you walk around both inside and out, you cannot help but stand in awe. The statue of Archbishop Lamy outside near the entry lets you know who was primarily responsible. The fact that Will Cather used Lamy as the basis of her book Death Comes for the Archbishop adds to the luster of his legend.
Clearly Lamy was an impressive man. However, his arrival in Santa Fe in 1851 was most controversial. For thousands of years the native Puebloan people had occupied this beautiful section of northern New Mexico. Spanish explorers arrived in 1540, bringing "civilization and religion" to the thriving pre-existing cultures. As with nearly all contact between indigenous people and European colonialists, death and destruction followed for the indigenous people. Control of Santa Fe ebbed and flowed over the next 300 years. A pueblo revolt for a time expelled the Spanish. Mexico subsequently gained independence from Spain. In 1846, the United States went to war with Mexico to gain more territory. Mexico's and thereby the church's control of Santa Fe, was tenuous at best. The local priests had adapted to their isolated environment. Many priests had mistresses and had fathered children. Because the United States now controlled the New Mexico Territory, it was decided in Rome to send a French priest. French priest Lamy was sent from his mission work in Kentucky to oversee the Santa Fe church. People in Santa Fe were happy with how things were. They loved their priests. Lamy was appalled upon his arrival, fired the priests, and took control. Lamy was not only unpopular, he was also French. People are resilient. Over time they adapt and assimilate. The once-hated Archbishop Lamy is now revered.
Interesting fact: The Basilica's two front towers were supposed to have magnificent steeples which soared 165 feet toward the heavens. Archbishop Lamy hired from France, by way of Chicago, an architect named Mallet. The young architect socialized with Lamy's nephew and his wife in Santa Fe. Soon a relationship between the wife and the architect developed, threatening the marriage. One day Mallet was in the doorway of a bar across from the Basilica, where the La Fonda hotel is now located. Lamy's nephew approached the architect from behind and shot him dead in the back of the head. It was scandalous news all over the territory. However, the court acquitted Lamy's nephew by reason of insanity. Lamy's nephew remained free and reconciled with his wife. The steeples, however, were never built.
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
