Elena Gallegos Scenic Marker ~ The Dinner
The evening of 21 September was a special time to honor Elena Gallegos as it was the anniversary of her death, 247 years ago.
Descendants gathered at the La Placita Dining Room, housed in the historic Casa de Armijo hacienda that had been built in Old Town Plaza in 1706. When you stand outside the of the restaurant and look to your left, you see San Felipe de Neri church. Several of the people who attended the dinner first attended mass at the church.The inside of Casa de Armijo had so much history. The historical marker (picture on bottom right) shows the history of the building that had been remodeled to a restaurant in 1930. Research shows the staircase in the foyer was imported from Spain by the Armijo family for an 1872 wedding, so that the bride's 30-foot train could have draped from the top to the bottom of the staircase.New Mexico picture archives show that the tree in the main dining room has been there at least since the 1940's. The restaurant was a fascinating place to gather, the food was great, and the comraderie among Elena's descendants was memorable.
Celebrating Dedication Day |