05/25/2026
Built in 1610 by the Spanish, San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico is said to be the oldest standing church in the United States. Made from adobe (mud bricks), stucco was added in the middle 1900s that ended up damaging the original structure since Adobe needs to "breathe." After realizing the damage done by the stucco, in 2010, actions were made to correct the mistake by scraping off all the stucco, repairing the Adobe beneath, and recoating with traditional mud and earth plaster. Many battles were fought here over the years as well making this church rich with history.
Finally, next to the church also sits the oldest home in the United States. With the foundation built around the year 1200 by indigenous people, and the remaining structure added in 1646, this small pocket of Santa Fe holds the highest concentration of the oldest European built structures in the United States.