Empty churches, deserted mansions: An exploration of New Mexico’s abandoned places
The abandoned houses of New Mexico are not well known. There is little information about abandoned places on our state’s eastern flank.
However, when residents are not willing to live with or near the places that give them a sense of home, they might eventually abandon them. In the long run, they may even be worth more than the buildings themselves.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates almost 19,500 abandoned houses are scattered throughout New Mexico.
While this number is significant, it says only a small part of the state’s population uses buildings as personal shelter. So it doesn’t really reflect the scope of this problem.
To better understand the scope of the deserted places problem in New Mexico, we’re exploring abandoned places in the state at great personal risk to me.
It was a long weekend to work at the time I visited the four abandoned places listed below. We had to travel back to the town I grew up in because I had to attend a wedding at my cousin’s house. I arrived for the event around noon and returned early on Sunday night, after an exhausting week of exploring abandoned places.
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New Mexico’s desert is vast and vast at the same time. It is one of the most biodiverse regions in the country. The soil is diverse and rich, providing both ideal conditions for agriculture and excellent habitat for wildlife.
One of the most prominent wildlife species in New Mexico is the desert tortoise. The tortoise likes to build nests in the crevices of rocks, creating their own home. However, they are often hunted for their shell. In New Mexico, the shells are commonly made into jewelry.
People in towns and cities tend to hunt the desert tortoise due to its small size (about the length of two humans). While hunters collect shells, some people use the shells to make jewelry.
The desert tortoise