Las Vegas NM 24 June 2019:
New Mexico Highlands University
Rogers Hall: "Designed by John Gaw Meem and
constructed by
the WPA, Rogers Hall was completed in 1937. The wall bases of the
Spanish Colonial Revival building are of rusticated ashlar sandstone capped
with a finished molding; the upper walls are of stuccoed brick and framed by
sandstone quoins and a frieze below the eaves. Stone scroll brackets join
the overhanging eaves and the walls; the sloped roof is covered with clay
tiles. The walls of the main staircase and the second floor foyer are
covered with murals by Lloyd Moylan. Originally built as a library, Rogers
Hall now serves as the administration building of New Mexico Highland
University."[1] In June 2019, the building was being renovated.
References
- Kathryn A. Flynn, ed., Treasures on New Mexico Trails:
Discovery of New Deal Art and Architecture, New Mexico State Historic
Preservation Division (1995), p.61.
- Las Vegas New Mexico USA, undated booklet published by the City
of Las Vegas, p.40: "Rogers Hall, 803 National Avenue (Built 1936-37),
Rogers Hall was an important Works Project Administration ("WPA") project
and one of the leading examples of Spanish Mission Revival architecture in
New Mexico. It was designed by John Gaw Meem, a noted New Mexico architect,
and was officially project number 2404R of the Federal Emergency
Administration of [Public] Works. Meem's design is characterized by a Beaux
Arts inclination for symmetry and proportion: the arched, deeply recessed
main entrance is topped by a central cartouche panel and wrought iron
balcony ... Inside, the main staircase walls are covered with a Social
Realist mural by Santa Fe artist Lloyd Moylan. Typical of public art at the
time, the images depict cultural pluralism, regionalism and land, education,
industry, and futuristic view of science." The same pamphlet mentions that
Kennedy Hall was built in 1940 but does not mention who funded or built it.