Santa Cruz Church Architecture

The Santa Cruz church probably was built in sections, with Juan Esteban García Noriega overseeing the construction of a rectangular building 33 varas long by 9 wide, or about 92.5' by 25'. The walls were a vara thick, or just under 3' and the height was 10 vara, or 28'. It’s not clear if these were internal or external dimensions.

It’s doors were on the eastern end, unlike cathedrals which normally have them at the west. This may have been a matter of practice. Traditionally, the priest faced east when he prayed, with his back to the congregation. In Santa Cruz, he may have faced the congregation.

There was one window over the door, facing east, and two in the gospel or south side. They all were filled with wooden bars. George Kubler suggested the placement of both the windows and door hinted at times of use. That is, eastern light was needed for morning activities and southern light for those later in the day. One on those of the side probably threw light on the altar at the western end.

Kubler noted that most church walls in Nuevo México were thicker and higher on the window side, with the roof tilted toward the other side. Windows were always a potential weakness, and directing water to the far side protected them against erosion.

Construction techniques also may have required the higher wall be thicker. He hypothesized the roof beams were raised by a team standing on top of the wall using ropes. Once a beam rested on the wooden tongues of the corbels, it had to be rotated and guided down to the other side.

Francisco Domínguez noted the roof had an unusual design, no doubt because of the extraordinary size of the building. Finding trees of an appropriate girth for more than 25', if they were external dimensions (or more than 33' in they were internal), and bringing them down from the highlands must have been a considerable undertaking.

García Noriega solved the engineering problem by making five cross beams, each from three trees. Domínguez doesn’t say, but he probably had one pointed in the opposite direction of the other two, to create similar widths that reinforced each other. They were wrought and had multiple corbels supporting them on the walls.

They would have been spaced a little over 8' apart. He then had twelve beams set across those beams, going the length of the church. They would have been less than 2' apart, and also were wrought.

The word the Franciscan Miguel de Menchero used to describe the church in 1744 that was translated as sumptuous probably referred to the massive size. The more disinterested obispbo de Durango described it as "rather large" but with "little adornment" in 1760.

García Noriega probably provided the wood himself from his land north of town. No mention is made of the men who did the actual work making and stacking the adobe bricks, hauling the timbers, or making the beams. He may have used his own captives, paid others for the use of theirs, or paid wages to man from the pueblos or local men who were available. It’s doubtful many contributed their time voluntarily, but as alcalde he may have some powers of persuasion.

José Villaseñor was told the church was being completed in 1748, which means six years after the church acquired rights to the land. The only times García Noriega would have needed large crews were when the roof beams were being set.

The floor most likely was dirt, and may have sloped from the entrance up to the altar end. It probably was used as a burial ground. Miguel Quintana was buried in the church by Antonio Galbadón in 1748. His daughter Lugarda specified in her will that she "be buried in the parish church of the Villa of Santa Cruz" the next year.

More interestingly, Juana García de los Reyes asked in her 1752 will to "be buried in the parish church of the villa in the Chapel of Our Lady of Carmen." That means that also had been built by then, probably by members of the confraternity established by Juan Mínguez.

Domínguez described it as a separate building, "outside the walls of the church" on the epistle or north side. In 1776, it was entered from the church by a "squared door in a strong wooden frame." The nave was 20 varas, or 56' long, and included 6 varas or 16' devoted to the altar. Twenty-six wrought beams supported the ceiling with corbels on the adobe walls. There were two windows on the east side with wood gratings.

She was the daughter of Francisco García and his wife María Montoya. Francisco probably was García Noriega’s brother. Her husband was Luis Martín Serrano II, the grandson of Hernán Martín Serrano.

There also was a convento for the friar, but its location at this time is not clear.

Notes: Vara to feet conversions have been rounded. The chapel and confraternity are for Our Lady of Carmel.

Chávez, Angélico. New Mexico Roots, Ltd, 1982.

Domínguez, Francisco Atanasio. A Description of New Mexico, 1776, translated by Eleanor B. Adams and Angélico Chávez as The Missions of New Mexico, 1776, 1956; has description of church, and quotation about Serna donation.

García de los Reyes, Juana. Will, 1752; published by Henrietta Martinez Christmas, 1598 New Mexico, blog entry for 1 March 2013.

Kubler, George. The Religious Architecture of New Mexico, 1990 edition.

Lomelí, Francisco A. and Clark A. Colahan. Defying the Inquisition in Colonial New Mexico, 2006; on Miguel de Quintana’s burial.

Menchero, Miguel de. Declaration, Santa Bárbara, 10 May 1744; translation in Bandelier, 1937.

Quintana, Gertrudis Lugarda de. Will, 12 May 1749; original in Ralph Emerson Twitchell, Spanish Archives of New Mexico, volume 1, 1914; English and Spanish versions in Lomelí.

Villaseñor y Sánchez, José Antonio. Theatro Americana, part 2, 1748; cited by Kubler.