KarunaNews Story

The historic Peñasco High School and St. Anthony Parochial School has long been an unofficial landmark along the scenic High Road to Taos. The single-story adobe building — recently recognized on the National Register of Historic Places — has been empty and maintenance deferred since the late 1980s. But the old schoolhouse will soon take on a new life as the Peñasco Valley Heritage Plaza. “Our end goal isn’t just seeing the building restored,” says Jose López, executive director of the Peñasco Valley Historic Preservation Society (PVHPS), the nonprofit organization leading the restoration efforts. The new community center will host a museum, classroom space, a gift shop selling local wares, and a commercial kitchen with a pop-up restaurant. Outside, landscaped grounds will boast walking paths, a stage, and community garden plots. An outdoor seasonal farmers’ and crafters’ market has been running on-site since 2022, as a first peek at what’s to come. Saving the schoolhouse has been a labor of love for many. “The building itself means a lot to people. It has a lot of memories, and we want to preserve those memories,” says Alfredo Romero, who attended St. Anthony when it was a parochial school in the 1950s. Romero now serves as PVHPS president.