History of the
Compiled by Corrales Historical Society
In 1710, Francisco
Montes Vigil petitioned the King of Spain for land and was given possession of
a tract of land (the Alameda Land Grant) which included Corrales. He was unable
to fulfill the conditions of ownership and in 1712 conveyed his land grant to
Captain Juan Gonzales. In about 1750, the first church in Corrales, L’Iglesia Jesus, Maria y Jose, was situated on the west
side of the Rio Grande about half a league (1 ½ miles) from an Indian Pueblo (Sandia). It was a long structure consisting of a nave. It
was a visita meaning that the Catholic priest from
After
1857, the church continued as a visita but was served
by the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Bernalillo.
Construction of the present Old San Ysidro Church began about 1868.
In 1868, a rampaging
Older parishioners have
told us that seven windows provided light. Monthly services were held during
the day. At night, candles and kerosene lamps might be used. (Corrales
did not have electricity until the mid 1930's.) Wooden steps led up to
the east door. At some time in the late 1800’s or early 1900's, a shallow
Victorian porch was added then later removed. A bell hung over the front
entrance. The rope was attached to the door frame but out of reach of children.
The sacristana (keeper of the church) would pull the
bell slowly and the solemn sound would announce the death of an adult. A faster
pealing bell would mean a child had died. A young person on horseback would
ride out and carry the news to the people of the village. Ancestors of many
current Corrales families are buried in the
In the old Church to the
left of the entrance, there was a small table holding a basin of holy water.
There was a small choir loft in the northeast corner of the nave. Precipitous
stairs led to the loft that held about eight choir members, a small organ and
organist. The choir sang for processionals and recessionals and during church
services. There were no hymnals.
When the parishioners
attended mass in the church, they sat on woven blankets on the packed earth
floor–Indian blankets or Hispanic weavings. Later, each family provided their
own bench, called a tarima which was a plank with
four legs. It was a low, movable bench with the family name printed on the
back. Four original pews stand in the church today; the smallest of these was
donated by the Emilio Lopez family. The sacristana
would start a fire in the large, potbellied wood burning stove 24 to 48 hours
before the service on cold winter days. Fourteen stations of
the cross hung on white washed walls. Today, ten of the original ones
have been cleaned and stabilized and now hang in the sacristy.
There was a large altar in
the apse and a side altar in each transept. The large altar was covered with
white linen and held the tabernacle. Candles on shelves flanked the tabernacle
with the statue of San Ysidro in the center above. San Ysidro is the patron
saint of the
In the south transept,
there was a side altar covered with white linen and the statues of the Holy
Family. There was a small table with candles next to it and benches against the
east wall. The north transept had a side altar covered with white linen which
held the statue of the Virgin Mary. (While being restored, it was found to be
St. Margaret originally. It was common practice to adapt the bultos to present needs.) A small table held candles. A
bench on the east wall next to the sacristy was used as a waiting bench for
confessionals.
In about 1905, the
sacristy was added to the church. The confessional booth was to the right of
the entrance. The long cabinet which is in the sacristy today
held the priest’s vestments and a supply of candles. It was made by
Carlos Sena of Bernallio.
There was an iron bedstead, a washstand and a stove. A visiting priest could
stay over to celebrate the fiesta of San Ysidro in May and other holy days.
Barbed wire enclosed the
plaza of the church. In about 1900, two cottonwood trees were planted to the
north. They furnished shade for the horses tied there during summer masses.
The
In the interior, a
stamped tin ceiling was added which covered the vigas
and corbels. Pine tongue-in-groove planks covered the packed earth floor.
Electric lighting replaced kerosene lanterns after the extension of rural
electrification in the mid 1930's. Two gas wall heaters eventually replaced the
wood burning stoves just prior to building the new church on
In the early 1960's, the
Old San Ysidro Church was deconsecrated and the congregation moved to the new
church on
In 1973-74, the Old San
Ysidro Church was sold by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe to the Corrales
Historical Society. The contract placed restrictions on the use of the building
having to do with respect for burials under the floor and for the history of
the building.
In 1976, the Corrales Historical Society deeded the ownership of the
In 1979 Old San Ysidro Church was
placed on the State Register of Cultural Properties. In 1980 Old San Ysidro
Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1981, the roof was
repaired and an adobe wall was built to create a small plaza. The stamped tin
ceiling was removed exposing the original vigas
(beams) and corbels. The ceiling decking was replaced.
In 1987-88, the lease
with the Adobe Theater was not renewed. The Corrales Historical Society began
extensive remodeling of the old building. Theater seats, risers and stage
surfaces were removed exposing the interior structure of the
In 1988, the Annex was
built to provide restrooms, kitchen and storage facilities.
During 1989-Jan 2004:
The wooden floors were replaced, as well as the sacristy door. More lighting
was added. The “apples” on the corbels are being restored. They were chopped
off to accommodate the stamped tin ceiling which was installed in the 1930's
and then removed during restoration in the 1980's. The south door has been
modified to facilitate handicapped access to the building. A memorial stained
glass window has been placed in the east window to honor one of the old
families, Dulce and Vincent Curtis.
Today the Old San Ysidro
Church is maintained, preserved and managed by volunteers of the Corrales
Historical Society using the monies earned from membership dues, fund raising
events, donations and leasing income.The Old Church
is used for many community activities which include: ~Fine art exhibitions and
craft shows ~A lecture series, classes and other programs ~Community
celebrations such as Harvest Festival, Christmas celebrations and Heritage Day
events ~Village Council meetings ~Musical programs –chamber groups, concert pianists,
choral groups, blue grass and folk music The Old Church may be rented for
private events such as weddings, parties and meetings.
Sources:
This History of the