A bill that will annex Fort Bayard into the village of Santa Clara was passed unanimously in committee, and now it is in the New Mexico House Chamber for final passage.
HJM (House Joint Memorial) 8 was recently passed by the New Mexico House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee.
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Luis Terrazas (R-Grant County), who represents the Fort Bayard and Grant County communities. A business owner, he has represented the 39th District of New Mexico since 2021.
“First, I want to thank the village of Santa Clara and its mayor, Richard Bauch, our County Clerk Sheila Hudman, the town of Silver City, the mayors of Bayard and Hurley and the many Fort Bayard volunteers for their support of this effort,” Terrazas said in a March 8 Facebook post. “Fort Bayard holds a special place in our community’s heart. I think most of my neighbors have enjoyed using the public space and attended community events there."
Fort Bayard, founded in 1866, is the only historic fort in New Mexico registered as a national landmark.
“It is important for our community to have this historic venue stewarded by the village of Santa Clara," Terrazas said in the Facebook post. "This effort is something Santa Clara has long requested and will ensure that Fort Bayard is well-maintained and remains open to our community for years to come.”
Annexing Fort Bayard will allow the village of Santa Clara to apply for much-needed grants and repair utilities. The annexation does not relieve the state government of its responsibilities to the national landmark, though. Fort Bayard was built as protection against Native American attacks on settlers during the settlement of the region in the 19th Century. It later became a tuberculosis sanitarium and a Veterans Administration hospital.
Fort Bayard was given the National Historic Landmark designation in 2004.