Datebook: November 2025

WHEN ASKED ABOUT what makes their town special, Mesilleros are quick to point to the historic plaza, the culture, the ties to Billy the Kid, and even the Confederate takeover during the Civil War. Now, with the grand reopening of the Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site on November 8, people can experience some of this history and art for themselves. Located on the Historic Mesilla Plaza, two of the site’s three 1850s adobe buildings have been closed for structural renovations and improvements since November 2023. They include the home of late educator and state lawmaker J. Paul Taylor and his writer and photographer wife, Mary Daniels Taylor, as well as the Reynolds and Barela mercantile and dry goods stores. “We’re not just talking about a historic structure,” says Emily Wilson, site manager. “We are an art museum that ties to the borderlands.” Here are a few things not to miss on your visit.

See how they lived. The residential quarters connected to storefronts and outbuildings are well-preserved examples of how Mesilleros constructed houses. Look for the covered passages, latilla ceilings, and multiple courtyards, including one that’s home to about a dozen turtles. 

Enjoy the art. The Taylors amassed an impressive collection of Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and New Mexican paintings, photographs, pottery, and other artwork. Wilson loves what she fondly calls the Folk Art Room, with its vibrant colors and depictions of various birds. “I can just imagine sitting on a daybed in front of the window, reading and enjoying all of the artwork,” she says.

Celebrate the season. The Taylors owned more than 200 nativity sets, or nacimientos, that they displayed around Christmastime each year. That tradition will continue after Thanksgiving, Wilson says, when the public can view the collection during several open houses or on the self-guided site tour.