El Morro National Monument
National Register of Historic Places

El Morro National Monument

El Morro, Valencia County, New Mexico
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000043

About this property

El Morro National Monument is a U.S. national monument in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. Located on an ancient east–west trail in the western part of the state, the monument preserves the remains of a large prehistoric pueblo atop a great sandstone promontory with a pool of water at its base, which subsequently became a landmark where over the centuries explorers and travelers have left personal inscriptions that survive today. Between about 1275 to 1350 AD, up to 600 people of the Ancestral Puebloan culture lived in the 355+-room mesa-top pueblo. The village was situated on the old Zuni-Acoma Trail, an important ancient trade route. Spanish explorers visiting the area in the 16th century referred to the notable promontory as El Morro ("The Headland"); the local Zuni people call it A'ts'ina ("Place of writings on the rock"), and early Anglo-Americans referred to it as Inscription Rock.

Location

El Morro, Valencia County, New Mexico
35.03959, -108.35176

Federal Designation

The National Register of Historic Places, administered by the National Park Service, is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical, architectural, archaeological, engineering, or cultural significance. Listing on the National Register recognizes a property's importance to American history but does not place restrictions on private owners; it does, however, make properties eligible for federal historic preservation tax incentives and enables consideration in federal planning decisions. This property is recorded in the National Register under reference number 66000043. It was listed on October 14, 1966.

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Nearby Historic Sites

Ashcroft-Merrill Historic District
Civil War
10.5 mi
Old Dowlin Mill
Civil War
20.1 mi
Bowlin's Old Crater Trading Post
Civil War
26.7 mi

Nearby Battles

De Vargas – Zuni Resistance 1692
1692Colonial
4.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was El Morro National Monument listed on the National Register?

El Morro National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is El Morro National Monument?

El Morro National Monument is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for El Morro National Monument?

The period of significance for El Morro National Monument is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1906.

Can I research the history near El Morro National Monument?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near El Morro National Monument will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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