History
The Mabel Dodge Luhan House stands at the end of Luhan Lane on the north edge of Taos, where the original Hispano grid gives way to the agricultural fields that run toward Taos Pueblo. The compound began with a small four-room adobe acquired by Mabel Dodge in 1918 and was enlarged through the 1920s into a sprawling, multi-room residence with detached guest houses, gardens, and outbuildings. Dodge collaborated with her husband Antonio Lujan, of Taos Pueblo, on the design and on the long program of additions.
The buildings are characteristic Taos vernacular adobes raised by local masons in the traditional manner. Their load-bearing walls are sun-dried mud brick laid on stone footings and finished in mud plaster, several feet thick at the base. Projecting vigas, deep-set window openings, hand-adzed wooden lintels, peeled-viga ceilings, flat roofs drained by canales, and an enclosed interior placita reproduce the form vocabulary of the surrounding pueblo and Hispano villages. The Big House includes a famous third-floor solarium with windows reportedly painted by D. H. Lawrence during his 1922-1923 residency on the property.
Mabel Dodge Luhan (1879-1962) used the compound as a salon and writing retreat that drew Lawrence, Georgia O'Keeffe, Willa Cather, Ansel Adams, Carl Jung, and many others into the orbit of the Taos art colony. Her hospitality and patronage helped establish Taos as a permanent destination for twentieth-century American modernism.
The compound was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 under reference 78001832 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991. It operates today as a conference center and inn open to overnight guests and is one of the principal anchors of the Taos adobe district, marking the northern end of the corridor that runs from Ledoux Street through Kit Carson Road to the foot of Taos Mountain.
Common questions
What is the Mabel Dodge Luhan House?
The Mabel Dodge Luhan House is a Pueblo Revival-style historic property in Taos, New Mexico. It is designated a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under reference number 78001832.
When was the Mabel Dodge Luhan House built?
Construction records for the Mabel Dodge Luhan House are incomplete in the available registry data. The property is recognized as a National Historic Landmark for its cultural significance, and tradition holds that it is associated with the early-20th-century Taos art and literary community.
Where is the Mabel Dodge Luhan House located?
The Mabel Dodge Luhan House is located on Luhan Lane in Taos, New Mexico. The property sits within the historic core of Taos, an area long associated with the town's artistic and literary communities.
Is the Mabel Dodge Luhan House open to the public?
This entry records the Mabel Dodge Luhan House under a residential classification. The property is a designated National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors should consult current Taos heritage and lodging resources for any available public-access programs.
Why is the Mabel Dodge Luhan House historically significant?
The Mabel Dodge Luhan House is designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest federal heritage recognition. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under reference 78001832 and represents the Pueblo Revival architectural tradition central to Taos's 20th-century cultural identity.
