New Mexico State Bank Building, SOCORRO CO, NM

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The New Mexico State Bank Building was constructed about 1912 to serve as a bank 
in San Antonio, New Mexico, a thriving ranching and mining center located ten 
miles south of Socorro.  The Bank was built on land purchased by August H. Hilton 
in 1896 from Eutimio Montoya and the New Mexico State Bank was incorporated on 
August 30, 1913.  Principal stock holders of the bank were all important men from 
central New Mexico with investments in mining and ranching.  San Antonio was 
connected to the coal mines of Carthage and Tokay and the limestone kilns at 
Farley by a shortline railroad, the New Mexico Midland.  The Midland road met the 
A.T. & S.F. railroad at San Antonio.

Some of the more prominent incorporators were C.B. Allaire, merchant; R.B. 
Sutton, a rancher; both August H. and Conrad N. Hilton; Melecio Apodaca; Julian 
Jaramillo; Max H. Montoya; E.G. Hills; Holm 0. Bursum; the future senator, Jacobo 
Sedillos; Dr. W.A. Parvis; Julius Campredon, merchant; E.A. Drake; C.C. Clarke; 
and John McIntyre, among others.  In 1915 the officers of the Bank were E.G. 
Hills, president; Melecio Apodaca, vice-president; Conrad Hilton, vice-president; 
and H.J. Herkenhoff, cashier.

The bank apparently did not prosper during the intervening years since its 
founding and final merger with a Socorro City Bank.  The importance of mining in 
central New Mexico had already begun to decline in the mid-1890's and that, 
coupled with the general depression following World War I--especially in ranching 
and farming-spelled the end.  On June 17, 1922 the New Mexico State Bank merged 
with the Socorro State Bank and the business was moved to the latter town.  The 
bank did not last much longer, going out of business even before the Great 
Depression closed all the banks!

The bank building remained in use, however, from the remaining decade to very 
recent times.  It served for many years as a post office with a variety of 
postmasters and mistresses.  In 1957 the property comprising of 3 city lots of 
San Antonio, the corner of 6th and Pino Streets, was sold by Conrad Hilton to a 
local church, and from there the building passed into private hands.  Today you 
see it as converted into a two-bedroom home.

Many elements the bank buildirg were missing by the time of this most recent 
adaption; the windows are all new, the doors are also new. On the other hand the 
metal ceiling are original, although rather plain, and the interior wood trim of 
the ceiling and of the window frames are also original.  Most interesting are the 
steel rods bolted through the window frames, obviously as security measures for 
the bank.  The new portion of the building consists of the section on the 
northside, with bedroom, laundry, and mechanics room.  This portion is sitting on 
the foundations of an original warehouse which was attached to the building but 
was gone at some early date--perhaps at the time of the 1929 flood.  The building 
is adobe on stone foundation.

Architect:        Conron and Lent, Santa Fé, Assoc. Roy Woods
Foreman:		Johnny Márquez
Carpenters:     	Joe Baca, Frankie Márquez, Johnny Joe Márquez
Ross Electric
Pino Plumbing