Scheduled for completion in October, 2004, the new McKinley County
Courthouse, Civic Plaza and Veterans Memorial are the heralds of a
revitalization process that began with community planning sessions. The
Courthouse Committee, headed by District Court Judge Grant Foutz, conducted
a needs assessment and determined that county government had outgrown the
original court house built in 1938. They would need more space beyond
remodeling the existing building.
The first vital decision was to keep the project downtown as part of
Gallup's revitalization plans. State representatives Lidio Rainaldi and
Patricia Lundstrom drafted legislation enabling counties to impose a local
tax for public infrastructure. In a special election, the citizens voted in
the tax. "Only three counties so far have imposed the tax," says Harry
Mendoza, County Commissioner. The City Council agreed to construct the
Civic Plaza.
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"I really like the fact that the architect decided to complement the
historic courthouse."
-- Doug Decker, County Attorney
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The historic McKinley County Courthouse
at 201 West Hill Avenue was designed and built in 1938 by the architectural
firm of Trost and Trost of El Paso, Texas, in the "picturesque" Spanish
Pueblo Revival Style with typical stepped-back Pueblo massing. The bell
tower has battered walls and vigas. Upper stories contain wooden caged
projecting bays and stylized vigas, with vertical indentations allowing for
windows. Posts, wood beams and corbels define the main entry flanked by
incised stucco Indian-motif reliefs.
Inside the lobby, Indian motifs are featured in the tile wainscoting,
lettered signs, pendant lighting fixtures, and Pueblo-style paintings on the
plaster walls, all set off by hand-made wooden furniture and oil paintings
by New Mexican artists.
The second-floor court room has ten-foot murals depicting the history of
McKinley County which were completed by Lloyd Moylan in 1940 and restored in
1991.
Outside, the twelve-foot steel Saltillo Rug sculpture was made in 1993 by
Carolyn Milligan, Bill Mitchell and Jacques C. Tixier. The sculpture
represents a loom and Saltillo rug with the Saltillo pattern created by
design elements cut out of the flat surface. The Saltillo pattern
represents the Hispanic influence in weaving that was introduced into the
area in the 19th century.
