Santa Clara lauded for preservation efforts

The village of Santa Clara was recently recognized for its efforts to preserve the history of the Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Bayard. On Friday, a representative from the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs visited the village to deliver the award.

Beverly Jordan, the office’s education outreach coordinator, presented Santa Clara Mayor Richard Bauch with the award, which reads: “Award presented for outstanding vision and commitment of excellence in the New Mexico African American community.”

The award is part of the African American Affairs Office’s pilot program “28 Days of Heroes,” which recognizes a different person or organization for each day in February. Jordan said this is just one of the awards her office has presented throughout the state as part of Black History Month.

“We appreciate the hard work they’re doing with the Buffalo Soldiers preservation,” she said.

Bauch said that the African American Affairs Office has been working on trying to establish a state museum to preserve the history of the Buffalo Soldiers and having one at Fort Bayard would be a boon to both their office and the village.

“It’s a perfect match,” he said. “Now we have a dialogue begun to start a museum with the state.”

Bauch said he hopes the award and recognition by the state African American Affairs Office will emphasize to the state just how historically significant Fort Bayard is and why it would be better managed locally by the village — which has put forth more effort to preserve it in recent history than the state has.

The Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society has been working for years on trying to preserve the history of the fort, including establishing the museum in the former Commanding Officer’s Quarters in 2010 with items donated from community members. The goal, at this point, for Santa Clara, would be to make the Commanding Officer’s Quarters into a permanent museum — even if that means the village would have to lease that building at first before the state relinquishes control of the property.

Village Clerk Sheila Hudman agreed that this history needs to be saved.

“If the fort goes away, so does their history,” Hudman said.

Sen. Howie Morales submitted a bill in the Legislature last week proposing that the state begin to relinquish control of the property. While this is just an initial effort, it puts the idea in the minds of state officials to consider the village’s proposal.

Bauch said he hopes that the recognition the village received Friday shows the state the support the village has in their proposal to manage the property.

“It’s exciting they even thought about us,” Bauch said.

Stewart McClintic may be reached at stew@sc  dailypress.com.