Silver City MainStreet Project has just been named the co-winner of the Historical Society of New Mexico’s L. Bradford Prince Award. This award is given annually to recognize significant work in the field of historic preservation in New Mexico. The awards committee was very impressed with the many remarkable achievements of Silver City MainStreet during the past 35 years. The project serves as a model for other communities around the state to follow in pursuing historic preservation. The Silver City MainStreet Project has ensured that Silver City’s cultural heritage plays a relevant and vibrant role in the everyday lives of its residents, and also has shown the economic viability of historic preservation efforts.
An attorney, author, and politician, L. Bradford Prince was one of New Mexico’s preeminent citizens of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A New Yorker, he first came to the territory in 1879 to serve as chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court. An ardent student of history, Prince was elected president of the Historical Society of New Mexico in 1883, and he remained active in the organization for many years. In 1889 President Benjamin Harrison appointed Prince Governor of New Mexico. During his four-year term, Prince resided in the Palace of the Governor’s on the Santa Fe Plaza, and he subsequently initiated efforts for its preservation. He also worked tirelessly for the preservation of Spanish colonial mission churches and wrote concerning their history.
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this important award, states Patrick Hoskins, board president of Silver City MainStreet/ACD. Downtown Silver City’s unique historic buildings are the reason downtown is an interesting place to be, work and live. By preserving our buildings, we also preserve our culture and the history of our community.”
The mission of Silver City MainStreet is "To encourage a vibrant, historic downtown Silver City which is recognized as the heart of our diverse community." Please visit our website, www.silvercitymainstreet.com to learn more.