#ThursdayDoors to Enchantment — San Miguel Mission

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Doors to Enchantment

San Miguel Mission Santa Fe NM Wikimedia
San Miguel Mission, Santa Fe, NM, Wikimedia

Welcome to my sanctuary.  It’s the first week of January in southern New Mexico, and I’ve already started the backbreaking chore of weed-pulling.  That awful “artic blast” only touched the north and east of the state, but temperatures were still very low.  This week has been rather mild for January and we’ve had some marvelous rain. The weeds will love that.

2022 Thursday Doors badge by Teagan R. Geneviene

This is my first 2023 post for Thursday Doors.  Last year my image won the 2022 contest for the official badge for the Thursday Doors blog challenge, hosted by Dan Antion.  He made a good rule that the same person can’t win for two consecutive years. This post marks the beginning of this year’s badge, an image submitted by Teresa of the “My Camera & I” blog. You’ll see it at the end of this post.  Congrats, Teresa!

Today I’m back to featuring doors from New Mexico, the “Land of Enchantment.”  The wonderful old building you saw at the top of this page is the San Miguel Mission Chapel, is a Spanish colonial mission church in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Originally built around 1610, it is often referred to as the oldest church in the United States (excluding Puerto Rico).  Read more about it here. 

1885 watercolor Mary King Longfellow San Miguel Chapel Santa Fe Wikimedia
1885 watercolor by Mary King Longfellow, San Miguel Chapel Santa Fe, NM, Wikimedia

As you might guess, being that old, it has been rebuilt a couple of times. Above is an 1885 watercolor sketch.  You can see the that the small adobe brick chapel structure with large wooden door, window above, and fragment of a bell tower is a tad different from the modern photo. Oh, and that rough outline at left is a sketch of a donkey. In 1885, you didn’t waste paper.  It is from Mary King Longfellow’s sketchbook with charcoal and watercolor drawings of Western and Southwestern United States and Mexico in 1885.

Inside San Miguel Mission, Santa Fe, NM, Wikimedia
Inside San Miguel Mission, Santa Fe, NM, Wikimedia

While the third image doesn’t have a significant door, if you look closely, there is a doorway in the lower right. That of course, is inside the chapel.  Besides, I always like to see inside.

I hope you enjoyed this little armchair tour.

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Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. It’s hosted by Dan Antion.  Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).

2023 Badge Thurs doors teresa-my-camera-and-i

 

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Thanks for opening this door.  I love to hear from you, so friendly comments are encouraged. Happy New Year!

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Speak Chuckaboo, Slang of the Victorian and Steam Eras

It’s a fun slang dictionary. 

Speak Chuckaboo, Slang of the Victorian and Steam Eras, by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Universal Purchase Links

Kindle:  relinks.me/B0B9W38LDJ

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This is a work of fiction.  Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2023 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved. 

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

 

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74 thoughts on “#ThursdayDoors to Enchantment — San Miguel Mission”

  2. Wow! What a beautiful piece of history!

    Also, I can relate to the weeding. My dad had a marvelous garden in the backyard, and every weekend when I was growing up, guess who had to do the weeding? 😂😅I hope your 2023 is off to a good start, and thank you for sharing!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Hi, David. I hope you’re doing well. The first morning that I woke up in New Mexico (the first time I moved here), when I stepped outside there was “just something in the air”, an indescribable vibe about the place. With my “stuff” I have not traveled much of my adopted state, but everywhere I’ve been, I feel that same sense of… something unique. Have a beautiful week. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. I’m going to be in Santa Fe in September, Teagan, and I’ll make a point of stopping by the San Miguel Mission. I love Southwestern architecture and New Mexico is beautiful. Sorry about the weeds though. And congrats to Teresa on the pretty door for 2023!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. That would be an amazing “mission” Deborah! I visited a California one somewhere not too far from La Jolla. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten most of it (that was during one of the most difficult times of my life, so I don’t remember much) — except that it was beautiful and peaceful. I think it had become a monastary… Anyhow, thanks for opening this door. Hugs.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    1. Ugh… the weeds. At least they aren’t as “pollen heavy” as they’ll be in a couple of months. I wish I could find a landscaping company what wouldn’t rip me off just because I’m female… (After I bought this house, I learned the gravel in back didn’t have any liner to prevent the monster weeds. In front there actually was a liner, but it was old and easily cracked — then the kid next door drove his big pickup truck back and forth across it, doing more damage — and now the weeds are there too.) It feels like the landscaping costs more than the house. An exaggeration I know, but not by all that much.
      Anyhow, I’m happy you enjoyed this. Thanks for opening this door. Hugs.

      Liked by 3 people

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  15. Absolutely gorgeous, Teagan. Years ago, I took my kids to Santa Fe and spent time in San Miguel Mission. Thank you for the memories. ❤️ I love your doors, the sketch, and the photograph of the beautiful interior of the Mission. Having grown up in California, I’ve traveled to most of the Missions in the state.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. It was so long ago when I went there. If I recall correctly, the mission wasn’t in the same place as the outdoor jewelry market and the art galleries. Unhappily, I don’t remember it well because I only got to visit it for a moment. Anyhow, I’m happy you enjoyed this little tour. Hugs.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  19. I love the San Miguel Mission Chapel. It is gorgeous in its simplicity on the outside and beautiful on the inside. Thanks for sharing it with us, Teagan, and enjoy the rest of the week. ♥

    Liked by 2 people

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  21. I enjoyed your tour of the mission. The sketch was great, and the interior shot was spectacular. Thanks for sharing this mission. Our daughter went to grade school in California, and part of the curriculum was the study of missions. We lived in Sonoma where one of the missions is located but that would be too easy. We went on a family trip and visited the Mission San Juan Bautista near Carmel by the Sea. We also did pencil sketches of the mission. It was a memorable trip.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. I went to this one way back when I lived outside Albuquerque, but didn’t get to go inside. That sounds like a marvelous trip, John. Thanks for sharing about it. There is a San Miguel mission in California too, so I had to be careful about “where” I was while collecting all this. Thanks for opening this door. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  26. This is a delightful post, Teagan. I enjoy learning the history of these buildings, and I love looking inside. Doors or not, behind-the-door images are always welcome.

    We’ve been unusually warm and wet for January. If we don’t cool off soon, we’re going to have weeds and tulips popping up.

    Liked by 3 people

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